The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit -
Beatrix Potter
1906 - Frederick Warne & Co., London & New York - First Edition First Printing
‘At the beginning of 1906 Beatrix Potter was also planning some stories for very young children. Each story contained fourteen pictures and fourteen pages of simple text, mounted on a long strip of linen, and folded concertina-wise into a wallet with a tuck-in flap. 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.’
This is a rare example of one of those stories, stunning when unfolded to it's full length of eight feet (2.492 metres). But as a result of the delicateness of this format, they only produced two small print runs, so complete and unrestored copies with the little silver tuck-in flap intact are scarce.
The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit was written especially for Harold Warne’s little girl, Louie, who had told Aunt Beatrix that Peter was much too good a rabbit, and she wanted a story about a really naughty one! The manuscript was given to Louie, and her father had it specially bound in wallet form, just like the published copies. First edition, first printing, with the rear of the wallet showing ‘London & New York’.
Provenance: with early small booksellers label of Browne & Gradidge Ltd., Hanover, East Sussex, to inner pastedown.
References: Linder A History of the Writings of Beatrix Potter, 183, 426. Quinby Beatrix Potter: A Bibliographical Check List 12.
Size 10.8x8.9cm (unfolded 10.8x249.2cm). In publisher’s green cloth, illustrations and text pages mounted on pale green linen back and folded accordion style, mottled green endpapers. Condition: Near fine, one or two very small marks but generally clean and without stains, in very good to near fine cloth with reubbing to aurhor’s name, and small stain to lower edge of tipped on image. Ref: 112382 Price: HK$ 12,000
This is a rare example of one of those stories, stunning when unfolded to it's full length of eight feet (2.492 metres). But as a result of the delicateness of this format, they only produced two small print runs, so complete and unrestored copies with the little silver tuck-in flap intact are scarce.
The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit was written especially for Harold Warne’s little girl, Louie, who had told Aunt Beatrix that Peter was much too good a rabbit, and she wanted a story about a really naughty one! The manuscript was given to Louie, and her father had it specially bound in wallet form, just like the published copies. First edition, first printing, with the rear of the wallet showing ‘London & New York’.
Provenance: with early small booksellers label of Browne & Gradidge Ltd., Hanover, East Sussex, to inner pastedown.
References: Linder A History of the Writings of Beatrix Potter, 183, 426. Quinby Beatrix Potter: A Bibliographical Check List 12.
Size 10.8x8.9cm (unfolded 10.8x249.2cm). In publisher’s green cloth, illustrations and text pages mounted on pale green linen back and folded accordion style, mottled green endpapers. Condition: Near fine, one or two very small marks but generally clean and without stains, in very good to near fine cloth with reubbing to aurhor’s name, and small stain to lower edge of tipped on image. Ref: 112382 Price: HK$ 12,000