"Hungry man, reach for the book: it is a weapon. "
— Bertolt Brecht
Beatrix Potter (Helen Beatrix Potter) | First Editions
1866 - 1943
Helen Beatrix Potter (28 July 1866 – 22 December 1943) was an English writer, illustrator, natural scientist, and conservationist best known for her children's books featuring animals, such as those in The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Potter had an isolated childhood, separate from other children, and educated by governesses. However, her numerous pets and holidays in the Lake District, culminated in a love of landscape, flora and fauna. These became the subjects of her paintings, and literary works. In her thirties, Potter published the highly successful children's book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit.
Although prevented from higher education by society's attitudes to women at the time, Potter's study and watercolors of fungi led to her being widely respected in the field of mycology. She also had a successful career in farming and breeding, based in Hill Top Farm in a village in the Lake District. Potter wrote over 30 books, the best known being her 24 children's tales. On her death in 1943, Potter left almost all her property to the National Trust. She is credited with preserving much of the land that now constitutes the Lake District National Park. Her legacy lives on through her books, which continue to sell throughout the world in many languages; her stories have been retold in song, film, ballet, and animation, and her life depicted in a feature film and television film.
See below our stock of Beatrix Potter First Editions, fine bindings, sets and other collectible material.
The Tale of the Faithful Dove.
New York, NY: Frederick Warne and Co., no date [1971]. [Children's Illustrated] FIRST US EDITION THUS. Sextodecimo (14 x 11cm), unpaginated. With a colour illustration facing every page of text. Publisher's blue paper-covered board with black titles to spine. With the light blue illustrated dust-jacket. Some spotting to edges and... More about The Tale of the Faithful Dove
Appley Dapply's Nursery Rhymes.
London: Frederick Warne and Co., no date [1917]. [Children's Illustrated] FIRST EDITION. Sextodecimo (13 x 11cm), pp.54. With a chromolithographic illustration by Potter facing every page of text. Publisher's green paper-covered boards with brown titles to spine and upper board. A colour-illustrated square laid onto upper board. The correct illustrated... More about Appley Dapply's Nursery Rhymes
Comical Customers.
London: Ernest Nister, 1896. [Children's collection] FIRST EDITION. Slim quarto (26 x 21cm), pp[44, unpaginated]. Publisher's glazed illustrated boards over a plain cloth spine, decorative endpapers. Tipped in colour frontispiece, profusely illustrated throughout. Nine line drawings by Beatrix Potter used to accompany a verse collection entitled A Frog he would... More about Comical Customers
Ginger and Pickles.
New York, NY: Frederick Warne and Co., 1909. [Children's Illustrated] FIRST US EDITION. (19 x 15cm), pp.52. With 10 chromolithographic plates including a frontispiece by the author, and many in-text illustrations. Publisher's green paper-covered boards with darker green titles to spine and upper board, as well as a large chromolithographic... More about Ginger and Pickles
Ginger and Pickles.
New York, NY: Frederick Warne and Co., no date [circa 1919]. [Children's Illustrated] EARLY US EDITION. (19 x 15cm), pp.52. With 10 chromolithographic plates including a frontispiece by the author, and many in-text illustrations. Publisher's green paper-covered boards with darker green titles to spine and upper board, as well as... More about Ginger and Pickles
The Pie and the Patty-Pan.
London: Frederick Warne and Co., 1905. FIRST EDITION. Octavo (18 x 14cm), pp.52. With 10 colour plates, and numerous illustrations in text. Publisher's decorated grey paper-covered boards, with white titles and decorations to front board, lavender speckled endpapers. Some foxing and marking within, later functional linen spine applied; very good... More about The Pie and the Patty-Pan
The Pie and the Patty-Pan.
New York, NY: Frederick Warne and Co., 1905. [Children's Illustrated] FIRST US EDITION. (19 x 15cm), pp.52. With 10 chromolithographic plates including a frontispiece by the author, and many more in-text illustrations. Publisher's blue paper-covered boards with white titles to spine and upper board, and a small circular chromolithographic illustration... More about The Pie and the Patty-Pan
The Pie and the Patty-Pan.
New York, NY: Frederick Warne and Co., no date [circa 1920s]. [Children's Illustrated] VINTAGE US EDITION. (18 X 15cm), pp.52. With 10 colour plates including a frontispiece, as well as numerous in-text illustrations by the author. Publisher's address given as 26 East 22d Street, making this edition no earlier than... More about The Pie and the Patty-Pan
The Tailor of Gloucester.
London: Frederick Warne and Co., 1903. FIRST TRADE EDITION. Sexto-Decimo (14 x 11cm). Beautifully illustrated with 27 colour plates. Bound in publisher's paper-covered boards, illustration laid-down to upper, finely respined and cornered in recent navy morocco. Five raised bands, gilt titles and tooling to spine, title and author's name in... More about The Tailor of Gloucester
The Tale Of Benjamin Bunny.
New York: Frederick Warne and Co., 1904. FIRST AMERICAN EDITION. Sexto-Decimo (14 x 11cm), pp.86. Illustrated with 27 coloured plates. Publisher's grey-brown paper-covered boards with illustration laid-down to upper. Endpapers conform to Quinby plate II, with the illustration of Mrs Tiggy-Winkle showing the soles of her shoes (employed 1904-6), the... More about The Tale Of Benjamin Bunny
The Tale of Benjamin Bunny.
New York, NY: Frederick Warne and Co., no date [1911]. [Children's Illustrated] EARLY US EDITION. Sextodecimo (14 x 11cm), pp.85; [1]. With a chromolithographic illustration by the author facing every page of text. Endpapers match Quinby plate X; publisher's address given as 12 East 33d Street. Publisher's green paper-covered boards... More about The Tale of Benjamin Bunny
The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse.
London: Frederick Warne and Co., [c.1919]. [Children's Illustrated]. EARLY EDITION. Sexto-Decimo (14 x 11cm), pp.85 [1]. With a chromolithographic illustration facing every page of text. Publisher's brown paper-covered boards with white titles and bevelled square chromolithographic illustration laid onto upper board. Binding and illustrated endpapers match Quinby 25, but the... More about The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse
The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse.
New York, NY: Frederick Warne and Co., no date [1918]. [Children's Illustrated] FIRST US EDITION. Sextodecimo (14 x 11cm), pp.85; [1]. With a chromolithographic plate by the author facing every page of text. No 'Ltd.' to title page; endpapers match plate XV in Quinby. Publisher's brown paper-covered boards with white... More about The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse
The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher.
New York, NY: Frederick Warne and Co., no date [circa1911]. [Children's Illustrated] EARLY US EDITION. Sextodecimo (14 x 11cm), pp.85; [1]. Endpapers match plate X in Quinby, and publisher's address given as 12 East 33d Street. With a chromolithographic plate facing every page of text. Publisher's lilac paper-covered boards with... More about The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher
The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher.
New York, NY: Frederick Warne and Co., no date [1906]. [Children's Illustrated] FIRST US EDITION. Sextodecimo (14 x 11cm), pp.85; [1]. With a chromolithographic illustrated plate by the author facing every page of text. Endpapers match Quinby plate II; publisher's address listed as 36 East 22d Street. Publisher's light brown... More about The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher
The Tale of Mr. Tod.
New York, NY: Frederick Warne and Co., no date [1912]. [Children's Illustrated] FIRST US EDITION. Sextodecimo (14 x 11cm), pp.94. Publisher's address listed as 12 East 33d Street; endpapers match plate XI. With 15 chromolithographic plates including a frontispiece, and frequent wood engraved vignettes. Publisher's light tan paper-covered boards with... More about The Tale of Mr. Tod
The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse.
New York, NY: Frederick Warne and Co., 1910. [Children's Illustrated]. FIRST US EDITION. Sexto-Decimo (14 x 11cm), pp.85 [1]. With a chromolithographic illustration facing every page of text. Publisher's red paper-covered boards with white titles and a hexagonal chromolithographic illustration laid over upper board. Illustrated endpapers match plate X in... More about The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse
The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse.
London: Frederick Warne and Co., 1910. [Children's Illustrated] FIRST EDITION. Sextodecimo (14 x 11cm), pp.85; [1]. With a chromolithographic illustration by the author facing every page of text. Endpapers match Quinby plate X. Publisher's blue paper-covered boards with white titles and a hexagonal chromolithographic illustration laid on to the upper... More about The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse
The Tale of Peter Rabbit.
London: Frederick Warne and Co., 1902. FIRST PUBLISHED EDITION, and first colour plate edition. Text on p.51, line 1 "wept big tears," fourth printing onwards has "shed big tears." Sextodecimo (14 x 10cm), pp.86. Illustrated with twenty-seven coloured plates, pp.98. Publisher's dark grey paper-covered boards, illustration laid-down to upper, grey... More about The Tale of Peter Rabbit
The Tale Of Squirrel Nutkin.
New York: Frederick Warne and Co., 1903. FIRST AMERICAN EDITION. Sexto-Decimo (14 x 11cm), pp.86. Illustrated with 27 coloured plates. Publisher's blue paper-covered boards with illustration laid-down to upper. Endpapers conform to Quinby plate II, with the illustration of Mrs Tiggy-Winkle showing the soles of her shoes (employed 1904-6), the... More about The Tale Of Squirrel Nutkin
The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin.
New York, NY: Frederick Warne and Co., no date [circa 1911]. [Children's Illustrated]. EARLY US EDITION. Sextodecimo (14 x 11cm), pp.85; [1]. With a chromolithographic illustration by the author facing every page of text. Endpapers match plate X in Quinby; publisher's address listed as 12 East 33d Street; copyright 1903... More about The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin
The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin.
London: Frederick Warne and Co., 1903. [Children's Illustrated]. FIRST EDITION. Sexto-Decimo (14 x 11cm), pp.86, beautifully illustrated with 27 colour plates. Bound in publisher's paper-covered boards, illustration laid-down to upper, finely respined and cornered in recent black morocco with five raised bands, gilt titles and tooling to spine, title and... More about The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin
The Tale of The Flopsy Bunnies.
London: Frederick Warne and Co., 1909. [Children's Illustrated]. FIRST EDITION. Sextodecimo (14 x 11cm), pp.85 [1]. With a chromolithographic illustration by Potter facing every page of text. Publisher's green paper-covered boards, re-backed to style with white titles applied by hand to spine. A colour-illustrated triangle laid onto upper board; white... More about The Tale of The Flopsy Bunnies
The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies.
London: Frederick Warne and Co., 1909. [Childrens classic] FIRST EDITION. Sextodecimo (14 x 11cm). Beautifully illustrated with 27 colour plates. Bound in publisher's paper-covered boards, illustration laid-down to upper, finely respined and cornered in recent green morocco. Five raised bands, gilt titles and tooling to spine, title and author's name... More about The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies
The Tale of Two Bad Mice.
New York, NY: Frederick Warne and Co., no date [circa 1907]. [Children's Illustrated] EARLY US EDITION. Sextodecimo (14 x 11cm), pp.85; [1]. With a chromolithographic illustration facing every page of text. Endpapers match plate III in Quinby; publisher's address given as 36 East 22d Street. Publisher's light brown paper-covered boards... More about The Tale of Two Bad Mice