Description:

Milne A.A.

Single page ALS, 5.5" x 7" , on 11 Mallord Street, Chelsea letterhead. Undated but based on both the content and the stationery letterhead, the letter would be circa 1923. Signed by A.A Milne as "aam".

Milne pens his friend and peer Vincent Seligman about the production of his first major successful play, "The Dover Road". It originally opened in New York on December of 1921, and in London in 1922. This play marked A. A. Milne's first major success on the Broadway stage. However, Milne was already making plans for the next location for the production discussing the St. Martin's theatre noting "I will do my best … but it is a very small theatre"  He also discusses keeping a "provincial cast for "The Dover Road" (Of interest, most recently this play has seen a revival in London).

In this well received play, a pair of lovers are escaping to France via Dover but are waylaid by a faulty automobile and end up as guests of an eccentric estate owner who requires them to remain for a full seven days to see if they are genuinely in love and suitable for marriage. Inevitably, things go wrong almost immediately and the happy couple soon learn that lust and love are two very different things.

However, most notable in the context of this ALS is Milne's postscript of "P.S. I am writing my masterpiece". Milne would be finishing up the first of his Pooh books, When We Were Very Young and would be in the midst of creating the entire fantasy world of the 100 Acre Woods and the Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh . His son, Christopher Robin Milne, would be about 3 years of age at the time, (he is referred to in the ALS as "Billy"), and already in possession of a teddy bear Edward who was about to be renamed "Winnie" after the Canadian black bear from the London Zoo.

Yes, Milne was truly "writing his masterpiece", but he did so much more than that - he created a legend of characters and a magical place that still resonates for every child nearly 95 years later.

His letter in part is shown below:

"Dear Seligman,

Of course you may, and I am very proud that you should want to. I shall leave it lying about in conspicuous spots …

I will do my best about the St. Martin's, but it is a very small theatre … (illegible) by the way has undergone many changes since you read it, in the last two Acts.

I have been keeping to a provincial cast for "The Dover Road"…

Billy is much better but (come) in to the country next week to buck him up. He had nothing more than a very bad cold.

We reciprocate… your good wishes.

Your ever

aam

PS. I am writing my masterpiece".


A scarce look at the year before Milne published the first title of his "masterpiece"!

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