Beatrix Potter. American Piracy of her First Children's Book "A Happy Pair" (originally issued by Hildesheimer & Faulkner, L...

Description

Beatrix Potter. American Piracy of her First Children's Book "A Happy Pair" (originally issued by Hildesheimer & Faulkner, London, circa 1890). Piracy imprinted along gutter of the first page of text: "The Sunshine Publishing Company, Philadelphia. Copyright. All Rights Reserved" (undated but circa early 1890s). Oblong sixteenmo (3.25 x 4.25 inches; 83 x 107 mm - the original A Happy Pair measures 120 x 101 mm). [8] pages with advertisements on both pastedowns, on rear wrapper, and "Compliments of WALBRIDGE & CO." to front wrapper. With five full-page color illustrations after designs by Beatrix Potter (including the front cover image) and eight small comic vignettes by another artist. Walbridge & Co., located in Buffalo, NY, sold a wide variety of goods including "Toys, Dolls, Games, Blocks, &c..." This piracy contains advertisements specifically for the Christmas season with an ad for "Holiday Goods" on the verso of the rear wrapper and "Useful Presents" on the rear wrapper itself. Printed brown pictorial wrappers attached with two staples; minor soiling to wrappers. Internally clean and bright; minor offsetting to some pages. A near fine, attractive copy.

We are aware of only ten copies of this piracy; remarkably, each one advertises a different company.

More Information: This piracy, as well as the other three examples in this auction, constitute the first Beatrix Potter books printed in America. However, Beatrix Potter's name is nowhere indicated in this volume – nor in any of the other three in this auction. In the original A Happy Pair she is identified by her initials ("H.B.P.").

The piracy contains (rather poor) copies of five of the six Beatrix Potter illustrations in A Happy Pair (one of which is now printed only on the cover, while in the original that image appears both inside the book and repeated on the cover). The illustrations now also include captions not present in the earlier publication. The elegant design showing two bunnies passing in the street is the one picture not reproduced in our piracy.

The text of the original A Happy Pair comprises six verses composed by Frederic Weatherly (best-known for the lyrics of the popular ballad "Danny Boy"). Our volume includes two of these, "Bunny the Postman" and "Benjamin Bunny," as well as a new poem, "Waiting for the Train," which is clearly influenced by Weatherly's verses.