"If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all. "
— Oscar Wilde
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.
Results 1 - 25 (of 25)
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
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
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
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
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
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
The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher.
London: Frederick Warne and Co., 1906. [Children's Illustrated]. FIRST EDITION. Sexto-Decimo (14 x 11cm), pp.85 [1]. With a chromolithographic illustration by Potter facing every page of text. Publisher's green paper-covered boards, recently re-backed to-style with the original paper spine titles laid over. A colour-illustrated roundel laid onto upper board. Illustrated... More
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
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
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
The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle.
London: Frederick Warne and Co., 1905. [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 with white titles to spine and upper board. A colour-illustrated square laid onto upper board. Illustrated endpapers. Pencil ownership... More
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 Potter facing every page of text. Publisher's cream paper-covered boards with dark green titles to spine and upper board. A colour-illustrated hexagon laid onto upper board. Illustrated endpapers. Exceptionally... More
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
The Tale of Peter Rabbit.
New York: Frederick Warne and Co., no date [circa1911]. [Children's classic] EARLY AMERICAN EDITION. Sexto-Decimo (14 x 11cm), pp.86. Illustrated with 27 coloured plates. Publisher's green paper-covered boards with illustration laid-down to upper. Endpapers conform to Quinby plate X, earliest address appearing on title page '12E 33rd St' (employed from... More
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
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
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
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
The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies.
London: Frederick Warne and Co., 1909. FIRST 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 brown morocco. Five raised bands, gilt titles and tooling to spine, title and author's name in silver... More
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
The Tale of Tom Kitten.
London: Frederick Warne and Co., 1907. First Edition. Sexto-Decimo (14 x 11cm). Illustrated with 27 colour plates. Publisher's paper-covered boards, illustration laid-down to upper, finely respined and cornered in recent green morocco, raised bands, gilt titles and gilt to spine. A very good copy. Quinby 13. More
The Tale of Two Bad Mice.
London: Frederick Warne and Co., 1904. FIRST EDITION. Sexto-Decimo (14 x 11cm), pp.85. Illustrated with 27 coloured plates. Publisher's dark grey/brown paper-covered boards with colour illustration laid down to upper, finely re-spined and re-cornered in brown morocco. With a pair of original endpapers (Quinby's plate II) bound in. Occasional thumbing/marking... More
The Tale of Two Bad Mice.
London: Frederick Warne and Co., 1904. [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 grey paper-covered boards, neatly re-backed to style. A colour-illustrated square laid onto upper board; white titles. Illustrated endpapers. Pencil ownership inscription to... More
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
The Tale of Two Bad Mice.
New York, NY: Frederick Warne and Co., no date [1904]. [Children's Illustrated] FIRST US EDITION. Sextodecimo (14 x 11cm), pp.85; [1]. With a chromolithographic illustration facing every page of text. Endpapers match plate II in Quinby; publisher's address given as 36 East 22d Street. Publisher's maroon paper-covered boards with white... More
Results 1 - 25 (of 25)