Description:

Milne A.A.

A.A. Milne letter: "Work be Damned. I'll listen to my Decca"

 

Single page autographed letter signed, 4.5" x 6". On letterhead annotated by Milne with "Not at", 11 Mallord Street, Chelsea, S.W.3. Dated "12.x. 46" (October 12, 1946), and signed by Milne as "Ever Blue". Fine condition.

 

Milne writes to his longtime friend, Vincent Seligman who he refers to as "Vi". Dated 1946, A.A. Milne is now a celebrity having created one of the most recognized and loveable children's book series, the adventures of Christopher Robin and the honey loving bear with little brain, Winnie The Pooh. This loveable cast of characters  began in 1924, more than 20 years before this letter was written, and although Milne continued to write and was determined to bust out of his expected mold of writing Children's books, it had been a daunting challenge.  In the 1930s and '40s, A.A. Milne returned to writing for adults, publishing novels, short-story collections but his readership was unwilling to let him explore his writing styles. (Somewhat akin to wanting to move on

 but your global hit exerts all the gravity of a planet and you are trapped in its orbit, or a writer swallowed up by his own creation.) 

 

In this delightful letter we see Milne expressing his dry humor, referring to writing as "work", and clearly venting in his jocular style of "Work be Damned, I'll listen to my Decca".

 

(Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929.

Decca Records Ltd. was the second largest record label in the world, calling itself "The Supreme Record Company")

 

His letter is shown in full below:

 

"Dear Vi,

It has come!

 

Every morning, thanks to Kirkby, finds me gaily saying "Work be Damned. I'll listen to my Decca." Gladly will I xxx a cheque - a small return for all the trouble which procured my Decca (Double)

 

Only you must first let me know how much

 

And could it include a small something for Kirk?

 

There is a house a mile from here for sale, which Daft thinks might (illegible) you. Come and see it any Sunday.

 

Ever Blue"

 

Milne signs using his nickname of Blue, a name given to him by his son, Christopher Robin, a long time ago. 



WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

We do our own in-house worldwide shipping!
Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. ***PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR SHIPMENT TO BE SENT TO AN ADDRESS OTHER THAN THE ONE YOU HAVE ON FILE WITH INVALUABLE, YOU WILL NEED TO INFORM US OF THIS AS SOON AS PAYMENT IS SUBMITTED FOR YOUR WINNINGS*** Shipping and handling costs are competitive as we maintain discounted contracts with FedEx. If you have any questions, contact University Archives prior to bidding. After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item. We currently ship via FedEx but if your purchase is shipping to a P.O. Box, we ship via USPS. All items are insured. We ship from our offices in Westport, CT. We may opt to use a third party shipper for very fragile, bulky or oversized items. Items requiring third party shipping will be denoted in the item description. Packages shipped internationally will have full value declared on shipping form. International buyers will be responsible for any customs fees incurred.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Westport, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000