Winnie-the-Pooh & World War I

7/26/2014 - 8/1/2014

During World War I, it was common for regiments to have mascots. The Lafayette Escadrille was known for its two lion cubs, Whiskey and Soda. Another well known mascot was Winnie, a black bear smuggled from Canada to London by Lt. Harry Colebourn. Winnie was named for Lt. Coleburn's home city of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Before heading to the Western Front, he left Winnie at the London Zoo, where she would playfully greet guests for the rest of her life. One young man who enjoyed seeing Winnie at the zoo was A.A. Milne's son, Christopher Robin who consequently changed the name of his teddy bear to Winnie, inspiring his father's stories about Winnie-the-Pooh.