Which museum displays the stuffed bear that inspired Winnie-the-Pooh?

The New York Public Library displays the stuffed bear that inspired Winnie-the-Pooh. The library holds Christopher Robin Milne’s original Winnie-the-Pooh toy along with the stuffed animals that became companions in A. A. Milne’s stories.

Christopher Robin received the bear, originally called Edward Bear, for his first birthday in 1921. He later renamed it Winnie-the-Pooh after Winnie, a bear he saw at London Zoo, and “Pooh,” the name he had given to a swan. The toys became the imaginative cast behind the books.

The original collection includes Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, Kanga and Tigger. They were donated to the New York Public Library in 1987 and have undergone conservation work to keep the fragile, well-loved toys safe for display.

One subtle point is that the real toy and the familiar illustrations are not identical. Illustrator E. H. Shepard used his own son’s teddy bear, Growler, as the model for Pooh’s appearance, while Milne’s stories drew heavily on Christopher Robin’s toys.