Winnipeg and The Soldier

Medium used – original in liquid acrylic and gouache on boxed canvas

Small Print – size 130 x 72 cm with limited run of 50

Winnipeg, or Winnie was the name given to a female black bear that lived at London Zoo from 1915 until her death in 1934.

She was bought as a small cub for $20 at a stop in  White River, Ontario, by Lt. Harry Colebourn of The Fort Garry Horse, a Canadiancavalryregiment, en route to the Western Front during the First World War. The bear was smuggled into Britain as an unofficial regimental mascot. Lt.Colebourn, the regiment’s veterinarian, named her after his home city of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Before leaving for France, Colebourn left Winnie at London Zoo.

This is the origin of the story of Winnie the Pooh. Christopher Milne, AA MiIne’s son, at the age of nine, went to London Zoo with his dad in the 1930’s and fell in love with Winnie when he was allowed to feed him honey from a spoon. He went home and renamed his teddy bear Winnie and his father started to write stories for his son about his teddy bear.

The image of Winnie The Pooh is used with the kind permission of The Disney Corporation and Joanna has incorporated Dancing Winnie the Pooh’s in the fur detail of the young bear. In the background there is a stencil image of Harry Colebourn feeding Winnipeg, the stencils outline is taken from the old black and white photograph.