of them, but the printers said all the little friends would be disappointed if I did not screw out my usual Christmas book”). Potter then gives her opinion of the forthcoming book (“I’m afraid it is not very good this time, but I have done my best”). Potter refers, presumably, to the photograph she had been sent and states her opinion that “if Mrs Tittlemouse were there, I’m sure she would want to kiss you and tickle you!” She provides details of her garden (including “six little spotty pigs in a stye”) and notes that she is “in London to see about printing”. Potter concludes with her opinion of The Tale of Mrs Tittlemouse, and an insight into her celebrity status in Sawrey (“I am glad you like Mrs Tittlemouse, I am fond of her too, and I like going round with a mop and doing house work; but the children in the village
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138 POPPER, Karl. Otto Hahn Peace Medal certificate, awarded 17 December 1993. “recognizing popper’s lifelong work for a free society” A meaningful recognition of Popper’s work in the final year of his long life: the original certificate for his award of the Otto Hahn Peace Medal “for outstanding services to peace and international understanding, especially for his achievements in social philosophy, which laid the theoretical foundations for the humane evolution of democratic societies” (certificate text, translated from the German). The Otto Hahn Peace Medal was founded in 1988 and awarded by the United Nations Association of Germany to persons or institutions that have rendered services to peace and international understanding. It is named after the German chemist and Nobel laureate, who helped rebuild German science following the Second World War, and promoted the ideal of ethical and responsible science. Popper was the most significant philosopher of science in the 20th century. Keen to distinguish between real and false science, he highlighted the danger of the application of scientific “laws” to
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140 POTTER, Beatrix. Autograph letter signed (“Beatrix Potter”) to Miss Joy Shapland. 26 September 1913. “i have been drawing dozens of pigs!” An amusing autograph letter written by Beatrix Potter to a child, discussing her forthcoming book ( The Tale of Pigling Bland ) and concerned about the quality. Written at the end of September 1913 this is one of the last letters written by Beatrix Potter before her marriage on 15 October and she became Beatrix Heelis. Potter acknowledges a photograph “and two nice funny pictures of Mrs Tittlemouse” she received. She notes “it is almost too late to say ‘thank you’”, but explains “I was very ill last spring”. She then states that she had thought there were no further books in the Peter Rabbit series, but has been drawing pigs (and provides three examples), and has accepted the requirements of her publishers (“I have been so tired
second privately printed Peter Rabbit . The text of this edition is considerably longer than that of the first trade edition and the cover incorporates a vignette illustration that was never used again.
The Tailor of Gloucester was first written and illustrated for Freda Moore as a Christmas present in 1901. Potter had the tale privately printed, as Warne had not yet published The Tale of Peter Rabbit and she did not think her publishers would want a second book from her so soon. When inscribing a copy of the trade edition in 1916, Potter claimed that “this is my own favourite amongst my little books”. Leslie Linder notes that “the privately printed edition . . . was the one she liked better”. She inscribed a copy of the privately printed edition in 1918 and added, “This is my favourite amongst the little books and I like this first edition because it contains more of the old rhymes”. Sextodecimo. Original pink boards, front cover lettered and with vignette in black. Colour frontispiece and 15 colour plates by the author. Spine lightly toned, foxing to boards and occasionally to contents, faint offsetting to endpapers. A very good, sharp copy. ¶ Linder, p. 420; Quinby 3. £6,000 [158730]
human developments and relations, which he placed as underpinning most forms of authoritarianism and totalitarianism. Instead he presented his vision of the “open society” based on democratic liberalism and free critique of institutions and policies. Broadsheet folio (437 × 314 mm), printed in red and brown on thick paper. Mounted in brown wooden frame with conservation acrylic glazing. Some soiling and handling creasing, in good condition. £3,250 [159175] 139 POTTER, Beatrix. The Tailor of Gloucester. [London: privately printed by Strangeway & Sons,] December 1902 the author’s favourite book First edition, one of 500 copies privately printed for the author a year before Warne’s trade edition, issued in the same month and in a similar format to the
where I live don’t call me that name – they call me ‘Peter Rabbit’!!”) Four pages (single leaf, 178 × 230 mm, with single fold), addressed “c/o Messrs F. Warne & Co, 15 Bedford St., Strand, WC”, and dated. Together with envelope. Housed in a custom dark green quarter morocco slipcase with chemise by the Chelsea Bindery. Envelope lacking flap and foxed. Very good with some foxing, horizontal fold and minor tear at fold. £15,000 [156822]
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All items are fully described and photographed at peterharrington.co.uk
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