Shepard’s Christmas

E H Shepard loved Christmas, and this lecture describes, including his own words, much of the magic and joy of successive festive seasons, from those of his own childhood to others throughout his long life.  We see a range of artistic styles from full colour images to pen-and-ink personal Christmas cards, with cartoons, drawings and watercolours, some featuring the iconic images from the Wind in the Willows (the snow in the Wild Wood …) and Winnie-the-Pooh (Pooh and Piglet from The House at Pooh Corner).  Many of the images have not been published for over fifty years. 

James Campbell has a BA in History and an MA in the History of Art and a particular interest in the work of the artist, illustrator and cartoonist E H Shepard (1879-1976). He has been lecturing for over twenty years and has lectured across the UK and overseas to Literary Festivals, Art Societies, military ..museums, and to private clubs and community groups. He has been a Trustee of the E H Shepard Estate since 2010, as was involved in the ground-breaking Victoria and Albert Museum 2017 Exhibition marking the 90th birthday of Winnie-the-Pooh.  His books Shepard’s War and The Art of Winnie-the-Pooh were published in 2015 and 2017 respectively. His new joint biography of A A Milne and E H Shepard – The Men Who Created Winne-the-Pooh: The Lives of A A Milne and E H Shepard – commissioned for the centenary of the Winnie-the-Pooh books will be published in September 2024 by Michael O’Mara Books.