The Story of Miss Moppet -
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 and superior example of one of Miss Moppet, stunning when unfolded to it's full length of eight feet (2.492 metres). s 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 and the lettering clean and bright are scarce. First edition, first printing. Rear of wallet with ‘London & New York’ - Linder [426] says that this is ‘believed’ to be the first printing of November 1906 (10,000 copies), those with ‘New York & London’ thus ‘believed’ to be the second printing of December 1906 (10,000 copies). Linder bases this on the fact that the wording corresponds to that on Beatrix Potter’s ‘author’s copies’ of The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit and on a copy inscribed to Joan Moore (the daughter of one of Potter’s closest friends).
Provenance: Contemporary gift inscription ‘From Mary to Daddy, Christmas 1908’ to front pastedown.
References: Linder, A History of the Writings of Beatrix Potter. Quinby, Beatrix Potter: A Bibliographical Check List, 11a.
Size 10.8x8.9cm (unfolded 10.8x249.2 cm). In publisher’s grey cloth, illustrations and text pages mounted on pale green linen back and folded accordion style, mottled lilac endpapers. Condition: Near fine, some splits along paper of internal folds, small crease along tab and insert, light wear to corners. Ref: 112383 Price: HK$ 12,000
This is a rare and superior example of one of Miss Moppet, stunning when unfolded to it's full length of eight feet (2.492 metres). s 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 and the lettering clean and bright are scarce. First edition, first printing. Rear of wallet with ‘London & New York’ - Linder [426] says that this is ‘believed’ to be the first printing of November 1906 (10,000 copies), those with ‘New York & London’ thus ‘believed’ to be the second printing of December 1906 (10,000 copies). Linder bases this on the fact that the wording corresponds to that on Beatrix Potter’s ‘author’s copies’ of The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit and on a copy inscribed to Joan Moore (the daughter of one of Potter’s closest friends).
Provenance: Contemporary gift inscription ‘From Mary to Daddy, Christmas 1908’ to front pastedown.
References: Linder, A History of the Writings of Beatrix Potter. Quinby, Beatrix Potter: A Bibliographical Check List, 11a.
Size 10.8x8.9cm (unfolded 10.8x249.2 cm). In publisher’s grey cloth, illustrations and text pages mounted on pale green linen back and folded accordion style, mottled lilac endpapers. Condition: Near fine, some splits along paper of internal folds, small crease along tab and insert, light wear to corners. Ref: 112383 Price: HK$ 12,000