presents

Beatrix Potter
a selection

PETER HARRINGTON
100 Fulham Road
London SW3 6HS

Tel +44 (0)20 7591 0220

Fax +44 (0)20 7225 7054
books@peterharrington.co.uk

Browse our stock at www.peterharrington.co.uk

We offer free shipping on website orders
Members, ABA, ILAB, PBFA, ImCos, LAPADA
POTTER, Beatrix. The Tale of Peter Rabbit.
[Privately printed, December [1901]
Sextodecimo. Original grey paper boards, decoration and titles to upper board in
black. Custom blue cloth slipcase and chemise. Coloured frontispiece and 41 text
illustrations after pen and ink drawings. Provenance: Justin Schiller copy
(Christie's NY, 16 Dec. 2004), with his book label. A fine copy.
First edition, first impression, an exceptional copy, one of only 250 copies issued
privately by Potter, preceding the reprint of February 1902 and the first trade
edition of October the same year. Peter Rabbit originated in September 1893 as
one of a series of illustrated letters Potter sent to the children of her last
governess. Rejected by a number of publishers, The Tale of Peter Rabbit was
issued privately by Potter herself on 16 December 1901, in an edition of 250
copies, all the illustrations but the frontispiece in black and white. "Potter's books
have become classics of children's literature, with their sharp prose, their strong
story lines, and their exquisite, freshly painted, and beautifully observed
pictures" (ODNB).
Osborne, p. 383; Linder 420; Quinby 1; V&A 1622-23. [ 42532 ]
£69,500

POTTER, Beatrix. The Tale of Peter Rabbit.

[London, Privately printed], February 1902
Sextodecimo. Original olive green boards pictorially stamped and titled in black to
front cover. Spine rounded (not flat). Housed in a green half morocco solander
box. Colour frontispiece and 41 full-page black and white illustrations. Spine and
edges a little rubbed, light foxing to first couple of leaves, bookplate of Henry
Frederick Thynne, 6th marquess of Bath. An excellent copy of this extremely rare
edition.
First (privately printed) edition, second printing. One of 200 copies printed. The
first printing was issued in December 1901 in a edition of 250 copies. The tale of
Peter Rabbit was developed from a picture letter sent to Noel Moore on 4
September 1893. A few years later, Beatrix Potter thought it might make a small
book. She contacted Moore to see if he had kept the letter and if she might borrow
it back; the letter was then expanded into the book. Only when the manuscript
had been turned down by several publishers and looked as if it might never be
published did Potter turn to this private printing.
[ 63311 ]
£17,500

POTTER, Beatrix. The Tale of Peter Rabbit.

London & New York: Frederick Warne and Co., [Oct. 1902
Sextodecimo. Dark blue-grey paper covered boards, titles to front cover and spine
in white, onlay to front cover of Peter in his blue jacket, leaf-patterned endpapers.
With contemporary unprinted glassine dust jacket. Housed in a quarter green
morocco clamshell box with marbled sides. 31 colour plates illustrated throughout
by Beatrix Potter. A near fine copy, internally and externally fresh. The glassine
dust jacket is lightly nicked to corners with a larger chip to foot of back panel.
First commercially published edition, first issue with “wept big tears” on p. 51.
This first published edition sees the first appearance of the colour illustrations.
There are also four colour plates which appear in this first issue which do not
appear in later printings, including the cover illustration of Peter in his blue
jacket and the image of Mrs McGregor (a self portrait of Beatrix Potter) with a
pie. Although the dust jacket on this copy has been with the book for a long time,
there is no record of Peter Rabbit being issued with an unprinted dust jacket,
there are two states that are printed with the price 1/- (Quinby).
Quinby 2; Linder p. [ 62452 ]
£8,750
 POTTER, Beatrix. The Tale of Peter Rabbit.
London: Frederick Warne and Co., [1902]
Small octavo. Bound in recent brown half morocco, titles and decoration to spine
gilt, raised bands, original pictorial paper covered boards, leaf-pattern endpapers at
front. Thirty-one colour plates. Gift inscription to half-title, dated Xmas 1902, the
occasional minor blemish, an excellent copy.
First trade edition, following two private editions. With the original leaf-pattern
endpapers and with “wept big tears” on p.51.
[ 74309 ]
£2,000

INSCRIBED BY BEATRIX POTTER

POTTER, Beatrix. Peter Rabbit’s Almanac for 1929.

London & New York: Frederick Warne & Co. Ltd, [1928]
Sextodecimo. Original buff paper boards, lettered in dark red to spine and both covers, front and back covers with
oval vignettes of Peter Rabbit, pictorial endpapers. Housed in a brown cloth solander box made by The Chelsea
Bindery. Colour frontispiece, colour vignette title, 12 colour plates. A hint of light foxing to boards, outer leaves and
text-block edges, short crack at head of front joint, still a very good copy.
First edition, first impression, presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the half-title, “To Mrs James DeWolf
Perry with kind regards from ‘Beatrix Potter’, Dec 17. 28”. Together with a typed letter (“Yrs sincerely Beatrice
Heelis”) to the same person, dated 3 July 1939, discussing the coming war: “It is a nightmare. To think of that
lunatic---that homicidal monster “resting” at Berchsgarten [sic]. There is no doubt he intends to take Dantzig.
Whether his cleverness and Mr Chamberlain’s ‘caution’ will enable the Poles to be snuffed out without a general
conflagration remains to be seen.” Potter continues to discuss the likelihood of war, telling her American
correspondent that “you are wise not to come over at present … I have laid in a hoard of dog biscuits four our two
little dogs; they turn up their snub noses at biscuit, while they can get scraps of meat, or rabbit.” She discusses the
price of wool, the calving season, and notes a few incorrect details in the American author Elizabeth Coatsworth’s
“very charming book”, Here I Stay (1938). With the letter is a small original photograph of Beatrix Potter in old age
on a picnic rug beneath a tree, presumably at her house, Castle Cottage, Sawry, Ambleside. The recipient Marian
Perry (1866–1960) was a long-term friend of Beatrix Potter; she married James deWolf Perry III, 7th bishop of
Rhode Island and 18th presiding bishop of Calvary Episcopal Church, Philadelphia.
[ 68151 ]
£3,750
 POTTER, Beatrix. The Tailor of Gloucester.
Privately Printed, December 1902
Sextodecimo. Original pink boards, titles and illustration to front board in black.
Housed in a pink cloth solander case. Colour frontispiece, 15 colour plates.
Faint spotting to boards, tiny split at the head of the spine, spotting to
endpapers. An excellent copy.
First edition, one of 500 copies privately printed for Beatrix Potter a year
before Warne’s trade edition. The text of this edition is considerably longer
than that of the first trade, and the cover incorporates a vignette illustration
which was never used again. Beatrix Potter evidently failed to sell all 500
privately printed copies and retained a few for her own use.
Linder, p. 420; Quinby 3. [ 76276 ]
£6,000

POTTER, Beatrix. The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin.

London and New York, Frederick Warne & Co., 1903
Sextodecimo. Original flower patterned cloth, titles to front board gilt on a white
ground, pictorial endpapers. Frontispiece and 26 illustrations in colour by the
author. Spine darkened, gift inscription to front free endpaper, cracking
between a couple of signatures, small closed tear to page 21, a very charming
copy of this delicate production.
First edition, deluxe issue in flower patterned cloth. A later deluxe edition was
issued in a gilt decorated cloth with gold titles.
Linder p. 423; Quinby 5. [ 48498 ]
£3,750

POTTER, Beatrix. The Tailor of Gloucester.

London: Frederick Warne & Co., 1903.
Small octavo (106 x 143 mm). Recent black half morocco, titles and decoration to
spine gilt, raised bands, original pictorial boards and pictorial endpapers.
Illustrated with 27 colour plates. Ownership inscription to front free endpaper,
an excellent copy.
First Edition.
[ 71155 ]
£375
POTTER, Beatrix. The Tale of Two Bad Mice.
London, Frederick Warne & Co., 1904
Sextodecimo. Bound in recent grey half morocco, titles and decoration to spine,
raised bands, original pictorial paper covered boards, original pictorial
endpapers at front. With colour illustrations by the author. Neat ownership
inscription to front free endpaper, an excellent copy.
First edition. The first two printings are identical.
[ 45404 ]
£375

POTTER, Beatrix. The Tale of the Pie and the Patty-Pan.

London: Frederick Warne & Co. Ltd., 1905
Small quarto. Recent brown half morocco, raised bands, original pictorial paper
covered boards. With colour illustrations by the author. Some occasional light
foxing otherwise an excellent copy.
First edition, first impression.
[ 72044 ]
£375

POTTER, Beatrix. The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle.

London and New York, Frederick Warne and Co., 1905
Sextodecimo. Original brown boards, titles to front board and spine in white,
pictorial label with illustration to front board, pictorial endpapers. Pictorial
endpapers, frontis and 26 colour plates by the author. Small bookseller's label
to paste down, otherwise a lovely bright, clean copy.
First edition.
Linder p. 425; Quinby 8. [ 72180 ]
£1,250
 POTTER, Beatrix. The Story of Miss Moppet.
London and New York, Frederick Warne & Co., 1906
Oblong duodecimo. Panorama mounted on pale blue linen back,
arranged in pairs with text on recto and illustration on facing verso,
and folded concertina-style into the original blue cloth wallet-style
case, with closing tab heightened with silver. Colour pictorial label on
front cover. Housed in a blue quarter morocco solander box. An
astonishing copy, exceptional in this condition, complete with the
often missing tab.
First edition, first issue (with "London & New York" on rear cover).
"At the beginning of 1906 when working on The Tale of Mr. Jeremy
Fisher, Beatrix Potter was also planning some stories for very young
children. Each story contained fourteen pictures and fourteen pages
of simple text. The pictures and text were arranged in pairs and were
in panoramic form … Three stories were written in this form: The
Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit, The Story of Miss Moppet, and The Sly
Old Cat; but only the first two were published" (Linder, p. 183).
£2,500

POTTER, Beatrix. The Tale of Jeremy Fisher.

London and New York, Frederick Warne & Co., 1906
Sextodecimo. Original burgundy cloth, titles to spine and front board gilt,
llustration laid down to front board, pictorial endpapers, all edges gilt. Colour
frontispiece and 26 full-page colour illustrations by the author. Light stain to
back board, about four pages towards the back of the book are creased to lower
corners, otherwise a very attractive and bright copy.
First edition, deluxe issue in burgundy cloth.
Linder p. 426; Quinby 10. [ 48503 ]
£2,500

POTTER, Beatrix. The Tale of Jeremy Fisher.

London, Frederick Warne and Co., 1906
Sextodecimo. Recent red half morocco, titles and decoration to spine gilt, raised
bands, original pictorial boards and pictorial endpapers. With colour
illustrations by the author. Couple of minor marks, an excellent copy.
First edition. The first two printings are identical.
[ 45402 ]
£375
POTTER, Beatrix. The Tale of Tom Kitten.
London and New York: Frederick Warne and Co., 1907
Sextodecimo. Original green boards, titles to spine and front board in white,
illustration laid down to front board. Illustrated throughout by the author.
Minor rubbing to corners, gift inscription to front free endpaper and name to
title page, internally a clean and bright copy.
First edition. The first three printings are identical.
[ 66447 ]
£750

POTTER, Beatrix. The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck.

London and New York: Frederick Warne & Co., 1908
Sextodecimo. Original green boards, titles to upper board and spine in white,
pictorial label with illustration to upper board, pictorial endpapers. With the
printed glassine dust jacket. Colour frontispiece and 26 full-page colour
illustrations. A lovely bright copy with the original price of 1/- in pencil on the
front free endpaper, the rare dust jacket lightly chipped to head of spine and
upper panel.
First edition, in the first issue dust jacket listing only books published prior to
1908 and with the price of 1/- on the spine panel. The first three printings are
identical, so the presence of the jacket is crucial in this instance.
Quinby 14. [ 44050 ]
£4,500

POTTER, Beatrix. The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies.

London and New York, Frederick Warne & Co., 1909
Sextodecimo. Original green fine-grain cloth, spine lettered in gilt, front
cover with pictorial onlay within overall gilt design and lettering after a
design by the author, pictorial endpapers, gilt edges. Green cloth folding
case. Frontispiece and 26 illustrations printed in colour by Edmund Evans
after originals by the author; vignette on title page in black and white. A
fine copy, exceptionally bright and fresh.
First edition, deluxe issue. Beatrix Potter showed an avid interest in the
design of her books. When Warne issued The Tale of Peter Rabbit in paper
boards and in cloth at a higher price, Potter complained that "there was
not sufficient difference between the two styles of bindings" and that "If
the cloth binding had been more distinctly different, and pretty, there
might have been more inducement to buy it". For the sequel to Peter
Rabbit, Potter designed this binding which sold at 1/6d over standard
copies at 1/-.
Quinby 16. [ 44614 ]
£8,750
POTTER, Beatrix. The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies.
London and New York: Frederick Warne & Co., 1909
Sextodecimo. Original green boards, titles to front board and spine in white,
illustration laid down to front board, pictorial endpapers. Colour frontispiece
and 26 colour illustrations by the author. Spine faded to brown, otherwise a
tight, clean copy.
First edition. The sequel to the tales of Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny.
Linder p. 428; Quinby 16. [ 72178 ]
£750

POTTER, Beatrix. The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse.

London, Frederick Warne & Co., 1910
Sextodecimo. Bound in recent pale tan half morocco, titles and decoration to
spine, raised bands, original pictorial paper covered boards, original pictorial
endpapers at front. With colour illustrations by the author. An excellent copy.
First edition. The first two printings are identical.
[ 50495 ]
£350

POTTER, Beatrix. The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse.

London: Frederick Warne & Co., 1910
Sextodecimo. Bound in recent dark blue half morocco, titles and decoration to
spine gilt, raised bands, original pictorial paper covered boards, original
pictorial endpapers at front. With colour illustrations by the author.
Contemporary gift inscription to half-title, bookplate to verso of front free
endpaper, an excellent copy.
First edition. The first two printings are identical.
[ 66473 ]
£375
POTTER, Beatrix. The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes.
London and New York, Frederick Warne & Co., 1911
Sextodecimo. Original green boards, titles to front board and spine in white,
pictorial label with illustration to front board, pictorial endpapers. With 27
colour plate illustrations. A couple of minor marks to boards, a lovely bright
copy.
First edition.
Linder p. 427; Quinby 20. [ 62429 ]
£850

POTTER, Beatrix. The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes.

London: Frederick Warne & Co., 1911
Small octavo (106 x 143 mm). Bound in recent dark green half morocco, titles
and decoration to spine, raised bands, original pictorial paper covered boards,
original pictorial endpapers at front. With 27 colour plate illustrations. An
excellent copy.
First edition, first impression.
[ 74308 ]
£375

POTTER, Beatrix. The Tale of Mr. Tod.

London and New York: Frederick Warne & Co., 1912
Sextodecimo. Original grey boards, titles to front cover and spine in green,
pictorial label with illustration to front cover, pictorial endpapers.
Frontispiece and 14 colour illustrations by the author. Light discolouration
to spine, a very light nick to foot of spine, a clean and presentable copy.
First edition.
Linder p. 429; Quinby 21. [ 70198 ]
£750
POTTER, Beatrix. The Tale of Mr. Tod.
London and New York: Frederick Warne and Co., 1912
Sextodecimo. Bound in recent green half morocco, titles and decoration to
spine gilt, raised bands, original pictorial paper covered boards, original
pictorial endpapers at front. With 27 colour plates. An excellent copy.
First edition. The first two printings are identical.
Linder p. 429; Quinby 21. [ 66474 ]
£375

POTTER, Beatrix. The Tale of Pigling Bland.

London: Frederick Warne & Co., 1913
Sextodecimo. Original burgundy paper-covered boards, titles to spine and
front board in white, colour illustration pasted to front board, pictorial
endpapers. Housed in a burgundy cloth solander case. 15 colour plates and
many small monochrome illustrations by the author. Bookseller's ticket to
front pastedown. Spine very slightly toned, minor bump to lower corner. A
superb copy.
First edition. The first two printings are identical.
[ 76278 ]
£750

POTTER, Beatrix. The Tale of Pigling Bland.

London: Frederick Warne & Co., 1913
Sextodecimo. Bound in recent green half morocco, titles and decoration to
spine, raised bands, original pictorial paper covered boards, original pictorial
endpapers at front. 15 colour plates and many small monochrome illustrations.
Ownership inscription to front free endpaper, minor paper abrasion and a
small nick to front free endpaper, light spotting to half-title, fore-edge a little
stained, a very good copy.
First edition. The first two printings are identical.
[ 71156 ]
£375
POTTER, Beatrix. The Story of Miss Moppet.
London: Frederick Warne & Co., [1913]
Sextodecimo. Original grey boards, titles to front cover and spine in green,
pictorial label with illustration to front board, pictorial endpapers. With
colour illustrations by the author. Edges of spine lightly rubbed, a clean and
presentable copy.
First edition in book form. First published in 1906 in a wallet style
panorama format.
Linder, p. 183 [ 70201 ]
£375

POTTER, Beatrix. The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit.

London: Frederick Warne & Co., [1916]
Sextodecimo. Original light brown boards, titles to front board and spine in
dark brown, pictorial label with illustration to front board, pictorial
endpapers. With colour illustrations by the author. Light wear to foot of
spine, neat contemporary inscription to half-title.
First edition in book form. First published in 1906 in a wallet style
panorama format.
[ 70092 ]
£300

POTTER, Beatrix. Appley Dapply’s Nursery Rhymes.

London: Frederick Warne and Co., 1917
Sextodecimo. Original light green boards, titles to upper cover and spine in
red, with illustrated label to centre of upper board, pictorial endpapers.
With frontispiece and 14 illustrations. Internally clean and near fine.
First edition. The first two printings are identical.
[ 38627 ]
£650
POTTER, Beatrix. The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse.
London, Frederick Warne and Co., 1918
Sextodecimo. Bound in recent green half morocco, titles and decoration to
spine, raised bands, original pictorial paper covered boards, original pictorial
endpapers at front. Colour frontispiece and 26 full-page colour illustrations.
Neat ownership inscription to verso of front free endpaper, an excellent copy.
First edition, first impression with the ‘N’ dropped from London on the title
page.
[ 62784 ]
£895

POTTER, Beatrix. The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse.

London, Frederick Warne and Co., 1918
Sextodecimo. Bound in recent green half morocco, titles and decoration to
spine, raised bands, original pictorial paper covered boards, original pictorial
endpapers at front. With colour illustrations by the author. An excellent
copy.
An early reprint published in the same year as the first edition.
[ 45371 ]
£375

POTTER, Beatrix. Cecily Parsley’s Nursery Rhymes.

London and New York: Frederick Warne and Co., Ltd, [1922]
Sextodecimo. Original red paper over boards, titles to spine and front cover
in white, illustration pasted onto front cover, pictorial endpapers. With
fifteen illustrations by Beatrix Potter, Spine rubbed and darkened, some
uneven darkening to back board, light damp staining to fore edge.
First edition.
[ 69263 ]
£400
 ONE OF ONLY 100 COPIES OF POTTER’S “too personal [and] autobiographical”
THE FAIRY CARAVAN

[POTTER, Beatrix] HEELIS, Beatrix. The Fairy Caravan.

[Ambleside, for the Author,] 1929
Large octavo. Original grey green boards with dark green cloth spine, titles to upper board in black, all edges
untrimmed. 6 colour and numerous monochrome illustrations in the text by the author. Light crease to spine,
corners bumped, minor finger soiling to boards, internally clean and bright copy.
First edition, UK issue. Only 100 copies printed to establish copyright in the UK. The bibliographic story of this book
is a strangely charming one - somehow endearingly amateurish. Potter considered this story of a miniature
animal-run traveling circus as “too personal [and] autobiographical” for her comfortably to allow publication in
England. She arranged for the Philadelphia publishing house of David McKay to produce a nicely proportioned and
illustrated edition. However, due to reciprocal arrangements between the US and England, publication in one
nation implied a consequent relinquishment of rights in the other. Potter therefore took 100 sets of sheets from the
US edition and had the local printer run off 100 copies of an altered first signature (8 pages) plus a further leaf,
substituted the one for the other and had this hybrid plainly bound. Potter took the opportunity to replace the
printed dedication “To Henry” with several illustrations of her pet dogs. The first UK trade edition did not appear
until 1952.
Linder p. 431; Quinby 29. [ 48458 ]
£5,000