First edition, first issue. 12mo. One of the initial 250 copies published privately for the author. Original fawn paper covered boards lettered in black, with a flat spine (as issued). Colour frontispiece and 41 woodblock engravings from line drawings by the author. A superb, fine copy, which is exceptionally crisp and clean, with just the faintest marks to the endpapers. An exceptional copy of this fragile publication.

The fabulous Greenhill-Bradley Martin copy of the first appearance of Peter Rabbit.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit all began with a letter Potter sent to cheer up Noel Moore, the five year old son of her former governess, who was recovering from a bout of scarlet fever in 1893.
"I don't know what to write to you, so I shall tell you a story about four little rabbits, whose names were Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail, and Peter", began Potter. As was her wont, she illustrated her letter with drawings of the characters.
In 1900 Potter borrowed back the letter to rework the narrative into a little book she could sell to a publisher. She sent her manuscript to at least six publishers, including Warne, all of whom refused to publish it in accordance with her wishes, seeking something grander with colour illustrations. Undeterred, Potter made the decision to have the book printed herself whilst continuing the search for a mainstream publisher. By December 1901, 250 copies of her book had been printed by the London firm of Strangeways, which she offered for sale at 1s 2d. Within two weeks Potter had sold out and, flushed with success, ordered another 200 copies which contained the same illustrations, but with a few textual modifications, in a sturdier binding with a rounded, rather than flat, spine.
At around this time Frederick Warne had been persuaded to reconsider and agreed to publish the book, subject to producing all the illustrations in colour. In order to achieve this, eleven of the illustrations were removed and the text was modified again. Some of the text which was removed for the Warne edition was later used in The Tale of Benjamin Bunny (1904).
Success was instant: within a year Warne had sold nearly 50,000 copies and has since gone on to sell in excess of 40 million copies world wide.
Copies of Potter's original, privately printed edition, are now seldom encountered due to the very limited print run and the fragility of production. When they do surface, they are often damaged or repaired. Copies surviving in such sparkling condition as this one are very rare indeed.

PROVENANCE: Mildred Greenhill (collector of children's books, whose collection was bought en bloc by Bradley Martin, bookplate to front pastedown); H. Bradley Martin (noted collector, sold at his sale, Sotheby's 1990).

Stock ID: 45801