Beschreibung:

The Tale of Peter Rabbit, 1st privately printed edition, [Strangeways, December, 1901], colour frontispiece, woodblock engravings from the author's line drawings throughout, some light finger-soiling, stitching partially broken and signatures starting, contemporary inscription by the author on front free endpaper 'For Mrs Oliver, from Beatrix Potter - with kind regards & best wishes for Christmas 1901', and later ownership name above of Joan Lamb, original olive-green boards (faded to beige), with flat spine, a little rubbed and upper cover with one or two light marks, spine and lower return with old adhesive tape stain to lower half, and joints mostly split, but with only minor loss at ends (.5" at head), upper cover with printed lettering and vignette of Peter and siblings, 16mo Linder, p.420; Quinby 1. An unrestored copy of Beatrix Potter's extremely rare first book: one of only 250 copies, and this copy inscribed by Beatrix Potter The character of Peter Rabbit was based on Beatrix's own pet rabbit, and he made his first appearance in a letter written in 1893 to Noel, the five-year-old offspring of her former governess, Annie Carter. Noel and his siblings so enjoyed this and subsequent letters that Beatrix thought about having the story published. In 1900 she sent the story to at least six different publishers, all of whom rejected it, including Frederick Warne, who later decided to take the book on. Undeterred, Beatrix decided to have her little book privately printed, and in 1901 250 copies were published priced at 1/6 each, of which this is one. They sold so well that in February 1902 she had a further 200 copies printed with slightly amended text. (1)