NEW YORK.- On April 27, Christie’s will be offering to the young at heart the first single-owner collection sale ever of children’s classics. The Norman and Cynthia Armour Collection of Fine Children’s Books was formed over a half century ago by Mr. Norman Armour Jr. Though Mr. Armour Jr. initially did not intend to create a book collection – he was merely buying books to read to his children – his keen eye for condition and interest in association copies proved to be the perfect basis for this splendid collection, which presents numerous examples of the most important works of children’s literature from the 19th to 20th centuries.

Every item in the sale is guaranteed to evoke someone’s beloved childhood memories including prized works such as Ernest Shepard’s original illustration for Winnie-the-Pooh, entitled Christopher Robin nailed it on (1926) (estimate: $60,000-80,000). This pen-and-ink drawing shows the ever-lovable Winnie-the-Pooh watching Christopher Robin tack a new tail on Eeyore after which, in the story, Pooh “had to hurry home for a little snack of something to sustain him” from all the excitement. This famous bear accompanies an equally well-known Wizard – The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. A presentation copy of L. Frank Baum’s book, published in Chicago in 1900 and an extremely rare treasure is the top lot of the sale, estimated between $100,000-150,000. This first edition, first issue copy was inscribed and gifted to Mrs. W. C. Foster in appreciation for her review of the book where she referred to Oz as a “New Wonderland.”

A highly rare item because of its content as well as its history is an important set of corrected galley proofs for a suppressed portion of Through the Looking-Glass, containing the “Wasp in a Wig” episode (London, 1871) (estimate: $50,000-70,000). This episode missing for over a century and originally omitted at the suggestion of the book’s illustrator came to light at auction in 1974. Recognizing its importance, Mr. Armour Jr. gave permission to the Lewis Carroll Society of North America to publish the episode in 1977. These unique galley sheets constitute a significant contribution to Carroll Scholarship, and the discovery sheds new light on his process in shaping one of his most celebrated works.

For those more interested in uncovering the creative process, the sale offers fine proof copies such as the first play edition of J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan (London, 1928) (estimate: $5,000-7,000), with numerous corrections and insertions by the author. The sale further includes an extensive collection of English illustrated books, including Kate Greenaway, Edmund Dulac, Walter Crane and Arthur Rackham, and is replete with copies from such esteemed collections as Arthur Swann, Jerome Kern and William E. Stockhausen.