Friday, February 10, 2012

Winnie the Pooh - Photo Finish Friday

A trip to Winnipeg, Manitoba is not complete without a visit to Assiniboine Park.  It's a wonderful attraction and it's open 365 days a year!  There's the zoo, a sculpture garden, an exotic horticultural collection from around the world in the conservatory.  And there's a Nature and Adventure Playground!

Pavillion Gallery Museum
One of the most interesting attractions is the Pavillion Gallery Museum.  It's a beautiful art gallery on it's own but the most fascinating story told there (well, to me, anyway) is that of Winnie the Pooh!  Did you know she was named after the city of Winnipeg?

The only photograph I took was of the Winnie the Pooh topiary outside the museum.  Since it was October, the colors were starting to fade but it was still a wonderful likeness sculpted in boxwood (I think it's boxwood) complete with her Hunny Pot!

Winnie the Pooh Topiary
But I encourage you to visit this post at A Portrait of the Visual Arts in Canada.  You'll see a photo of the real bear...the inspiration for A.A. Milne's stories...and of the soldier who adopted Winnie.  It's such an interesting story.

E. H. Shepard was the artist who illustrated the four Winnie the Pooh books and the only known oil painting of Winnie by this artist is at the Pavillion Gallery Museum.

Thanks to Leah of The Goat's Lunch Pail for allowing me to be a part of Photo Finish Friday!
Enhanced by Zemanta
Print
Posted by Cheryl Kohan at 10:02 AM
Labels: , , , , , ,

20 comments:

  1. Thank you for posting about Winnie the Pooh. There's a made for TV Canadian movie about if from a few years ago. Without it I never would have known.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Glad you enjoyed the post, Leah. I'm going to see if I can find that movie...sounds really interesting!

      Delete

  2. Thank you for visiting The Portrait and seeing the article which was posted. Only a fellow blogger would appreciate and understand what it means to receive such kind comments.
    And, coincidentally, I checked your blog over and its beautiful. Your articles are rich and diversified and your blog is creatively and attractively set out.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Well, thank you very much, Frederick, for the lovely comment! I'm pleased that you stopped by.

      I really enjoyed your blog, as well, and was especially fascinated with the post on F.S. Coburn. My mother's maiden name was Coburn and honestly, that photo of Coburn really, really resembles my Grandfather Coburn! I'll be back to visit you when time permits!

      Delete

  3. Winnie the Pooh has always been a favourite of mine so I will definitely pop over and have a read. Would Love to have that topiary xxxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Hi Fran...I loved Pooh, too, and so did all of my children.

      Delete

  4. I really love topiaries like that. Winnie is super cute!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Liz, you will laugh at me when I tell you that I pulled up your latest post and when I saw that mouse I almost had a heart attack!

      I'm deathly afraid of mice...I think it's because when I was a child one of my bratty cousins threw one of his pet white mice at me. Although the mouse was probably as terrified as I was, I've never fully recovered. It's really true!

      Delete
  5. Replies

    1. Me too! Happy weekend to you, too.

      Delete

  6. What a cute Winnie Topiary. I especially like that the honey pot is included.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Hi Janie...I love the honey pot, too, although they spelled it wrong...it should be Hunny, shouldn't it?

      Delete

  7. I always thought Winnie the Pooh originated in England. I was also not aware the stories were based on a real bear. I love topiaries. As a child, I often lingered by a gardene where someone had formed a sofa and chair out of a hedge. It seemed so magical.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Well,Winnie did end up in England where A.A. Milne's son saw her in the zoo and that's how the stories started! How cool that you loved topiaries as a child. I would have loved to see that sofa and chair.

      Delete
  8. Replies

    1. I agree...Winnie the Pooh is definitely adorable. :-)

      Delete

  9. I love Pooh! I did know the story, but didn't realize there was a topiary Pooh in Winnipeg! Yet another reason to visit there!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. I predict that a trip to Winnipeg is in your future!

      Delete

  10. This was really interesting, Cheryl. And, after reading the information at A Portrait of the Visual Arts in Canada, I can understand Ms. Sparrow's confusion. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Thanks, Linda. That's one of the reasons I love to travel...so many interesting places to see and things to do.

      Delete

I just love reading your comments. It's part of what makes blogging so much fun, don't you think?

Unfortunately, because of a recent spat of spam, for awhile I'll be reviewing comments before publishing them.

Thanks for understanding.

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)