100-year-old photographs of Winnipeg the original Winnie-the-Pooh

By

Richard Spillett

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Pictures have emerged of the original Winnie-the-Pooh – after whom the real-life Christopher Robin named his now-famous childhood teddy bear.

The black-furred bear, a female named Winnipeg, was smuggled in Britain during the First World War by Canadian lieutenant, Harry Colebourn.

After the soldier was sent to fight in France, the bear cub was given to London Zoo, where it was watched and loved by AA Milne’s son, the real-life Christopher Robin.

Century-old images of the original Winnie-the-Pooh, who gave his name to the world famous children’s character, have emerged

Winnipeg was brought to Britain by Canadian lieutenant Harry Colebourn on his way to fight in the First World War

Lieutenant Colebourn (left) gave the bear to London Zoo, where it was seen by AA Milne’s son Christopher Robin (right)

Colebourn was among troops traveling through Canada on his way to warring Europe in 1914, when he saw the bear for sale in White River, Ontario.

It is believed he bought the cub for just £12 from a hunter who had killed the creature’s mother.

He called it Winnipeg after his home city in Manitoba, central Canada.

The soldier then sneaked the bear into Britain and it became an unofficial mascot for his regiment, the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade, who trained on the Salisbury Plain.

The black and white images show Lieutenant Colebourn playing tame cub Winnipeg, who was very popular among his fellow soldiers

Winnipeg became an unofficial mascot of Lieutenant Colebourn’s regiment, the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade, as they trained on the Salisbury Plain

Lieutenant Colebourn bought the bear as a cub for just £12 on his way to fight in Europe in 1914

When Lieutenant Colebourn was transferred to France, he gave the bear to London zoo, where it became a popular attraction and lived until 1934.

It was while the Canadian black bear was being exhibited at the zoo that AA Milne’s son, Christopher Robin, observed her playfulness and decided to change the name of his teddy bear from “Edward Bear” to “Winnie the Pooh.”

This name change provided the inspiration for Milne’s stories about Winnie-the-Pooh – a character who first appeared in 1924, 10 years after Colebourn brought the bear to England.

The pictures were released ahead of what would have been the original bear’s 100th birthday this year.

A statue of Colebourn and his bear Winnie now stands in Assiniboine Park in Winnipeg and another statue, of the bear alone, features at London Zoo.

Comments (12)

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Brett,

Melbourne,

2 hours ago

All corrections aside…Wow! How wonderful to see the origin of the threads that bind so many of us in our childhoods. I grew up with Winnie the Pooh from my father’s childhood book passed on to me,; he was born in 1931. I have loved and passed on to my children and my extended family the wonderful stories, as it is now as ageless as Mother Goose.

Mike Bonner,

Ottawa,

2 hours ago

Some years ago Canada Post issued a block of four stamps depicting the transformation of this bear into Winnie the Pooh.

ray weaver,

baltimore, United States,

2 hours ago

Just think, ships can’t have a cat now but then soldiers had bears.

jrg,

Winnipeg,

2 hours ago

A few corrections. Lt. Colebourn didn’t “sneak” Winnie into England. After he purchased her (Winnie was a girl), she became his regiment’s mascot and entered England as such. Lt. Colebourn never gave Winnie to the London Zoo – he left her in their care and he fully intended on bringing her back to Winnipeg after the War. Winnie proved so popular with the Zoo, that he agreed to leave her on permanent loan. He visited her many times over the years. These pictures weren’t recently “discovered”. They’ve been around for years, published in a book called The Real Winnie by Van Shushkewich. We are justly proud of Lt. Colebourn and Winnie – there wouldn’t have been a Winnie the Pooh without him and this very special little bear.

Patrick,

Belfast,

1 hour ago

Very good. Unfortunately, because DM says the bear was smuggled in, many readers will never change their minds when they see the true story in writing. (Some seem to think DM is always right and someone from Winnipeg would never know the truth anyway)

ME,

Wellington, United Kingdom,

3 hours ago

There doesn’t seem to be a really clear reason, but Pooh was the name of a swan that the Milne’s met somewhere on holiday….. it’s in one of the books When We Were Very Young, so a poem I think….

Bonnie Parker,

London, Canada,

3 hours ago

What does “The Pooh” mean in English? Sounds like a type of name.

Islander,

Maritimes, Canada,

2 hours ago

Winnie-the-Pooh sounds to me like a child’s mispronunciation of Winnipeg,

thomasm1964,

No Point, Afghanistan,

1 hour ago

It doesn’t have any meaning with that spelling. It is a childish word for faeces but I don’t imagine that that was what A.A. Milne or Christopher Robin had in mind!

Lachlan,

Oman,

3 hours ago

There was a film made about the bear’s story during WW1 “A Bear Named Winnie” which was on TV not so long ago.

blondie,

Kamloops, Canada,

1 hour ago

Thanks, I was trying to remember the name of the movie! It was really good.

David,

Warsaw, Poland,

4 hours ago

The Polish army had a bear fighting with it at Monte Cassino – it ended up in Edinburgh zoo, but to the end of its days responded to hearing Polish being spoken.

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100-year-old photographs of Winnipeg the original Winnie-the-Pooh