The UK is marking the centenary of A.A. Milne’s 1926 book Winnie-the-Pooh with commemorative editions, special stamps and local tributes. But the toys that inspired the stories remain thousands of miles away at the New York Public Library (NYPL), where they have been kept since 1987.
The bear was bought at Harrods in 1921 as a first-birthday gift for Milne’s son, Christopher Robin. He named it after Winnie, a Canadian black bear kept at London Zoo. The toy helped inspire the character in Milne’s stories, which later reached a global audience through adaptations by The Walt Disney Company.
The toys were sent to the United States in 1947 for a promotional tour arranged by Milne’s American publisher, E.P. Dutton. The publisher donated them to the NYPL in 1987. The library has since resisted requests to lend or return the collection to the UK.
The centenary celebrations also include a time capsule buried near Ashdown Forest, which inspired the fictional Hundred Acre Wood. According to the BBC, it is due to be opened in 2126.
The toys’ location has long drawn objections from British officials. In 1998, Labour MP Gwyneth Dunwoody called for their return, comparing the campaign to Greece’s efforts to reclaim the Elgin Marbles, according to Smithsonian Magazine.
Last October, the NYPL said the toys had made their home in its collections for decades. The UK embassy recently joked about their “exile,” saying reports of a campaign to bring Pooh back were unfounded, while leaving open an invitation for the toys to make a temporary visit. It also said it had no doubt that they were in excellent hands at the library.
Sources: elDiario.es.