First edition, fine binding. 1927 Now We Are Six, A.A. Milne. Winnie the Pooh

First trade edition of A.A. Milne's Now We Are Six, bound beautifully by Bayntun (Riviere) of Bath, retaining the original cloth covers and an endpaper (with 1927 gift inscription) as the rear endpapers. All protected in a handsome clamshell cloth hardcover case.

About the Work -

The third work of Milne's to include Winnie the Pooh and his friends, the 1927 Now We Are Six consisted of 35 verse poems; eleven of the poems include illustrations from Winnie the Pooh's world.

About the Provenance -

The pink front endpaper was transferred to this fine binding, and reads, "From Enid/25-12-27".

About the Bindery -

"Riviere founded his bindery in Bath in 1829, and George Bayntun followed his example in 1894. Bayntun-Riviere is now the last of the great Victorian trade binderies still in family ownership and prides itself on continuing to bind entirely by hand" - Website

Physical Attributes -

Clamshell measures approx. 20.5 x 14 x 2.5 cm. Book measures approx. 18.7 x 12.5 x 1.8 cm., octavo.

Cloth hardcover clamshell case with the title in gilt on red morocco on the spine; felt lining protects the book within.

Full morocco leather binding of the book, red. Front board with five medallions from illustrations within the book, all of Christopher Robin. Also, title and author in gilt on front board. Spine with five raise bands, four compartments with a central floret in gilt, and two with the author and title in gilt. All edges gilt.

Marbled endpapers. At the rear, one example of the pink original endpapers was retained. Also, at the rear, the original cloth boards and spine have been retained, each pasted to a blank unpaginated endpaper added by the bindery.

Condition -

See pictures. Really, a beautiful copy.

I'll nit-pick because I know those enjoying this quality of book are discerning. Clamshell has the slightest fading to spine from sunning. If I turn the binding to the light I see a few of the lightest and smallest scuffs, and several small tiny bumps under the leather that were from the bindery. The original cloth binding had a scuff mark on the rear board. The spine has some visible glue around the edges of where it was pasted to a blank endpaper. Only one of the original endpapers exists, the front one with the written dedication from 1927.

But, beautiful and bright. The text block looks as though it was never read. The binding has been remarkably well preserved. The gilt edges are perfect.