Potter, Beatrix

Beatrix Potter (1866–1943) writing and illustrating skills were developed at a young age. She was fascinated by nature and story telling and her 1st book, Peter Rabbit, was an expansion of a letter to her former governess’s children. She was so confident of it’s merit that, when it was refused by several publishers, she had 250 copies privately printed . Eventually in 1902 Frederick Warne agreed to publish 8,000 copies of the book if Potter replaced the illustrations with colour sketches. The success of her work ensured a further 21 books of animal tales were published. Beatrix proved to be a canny business woman and was actively involved in the production of the books, designing more expensive deluxe editions of the volumes.

The charm of her detailed illustrations and wonderful story telling have ensured that her books remain classic children’s literature today and 1st editions are highly sought after.

Read our blog about The Unique Beatrix Potter HERE