An exceptional pair of items related to the publication of a collection of sheet music entitled The Peter Rabbit Music Books, comprised of Potter’s autograph manuscript for the foreword and a letter Potter wrote to the composer, Christopher Le Fleming. AMS signed “Beatrix Potter,” one page, 5 x 8, no date. The foreword of the book, in full: “The rippling melody of this pretty music calls back many little friends. Again the Puddle ducks pass: pit pat paddle pat; while kittens squirrels rabbits frisk and gambol. Tiddly widdly widdly! Mrs. Tittlemouse with a mop follows the big dirty footprints of Mr. Jackson. And Lucie sips her tea, while dear Mrs. Tiggy heats her smoothing iron. Good luck to the merry company of Christopher Le Fleming's tuneful numbers, and to those lucky Little People who will learn to play them some day.”
Also, an ALS signed with her married name, “H. B. Heelis,” one page, lightly-lined, 7.75 x 9.75, August 18, 1935. Letter to Le Fleming, in part: “I too have been away for a very brief holiday and more than ever busy since coming home—I sent 2 or 3 samples to Messrs. Warne as I am not sure about size and style of drawing for lithography—I have not had a reply—it is just as likely that Mr. Stephens [Arthur L., Managing Director of Warne] is away from London. I shall go on in the mean time drawing when ever I can. I am quite keen on the work and do not reject it—but my hand does shake…I had nice kittens from Elizabeth & her mother. You shall have the drawings to look at.” In overall very good condition, with moderate overall creases and soiling to the manuscript and intersecting folds, light creases, and a rusty paperclip mark to the letter. Accompanied by the final publication: The Peter Rabbit Music Books: Book I, Six Easy Pieces for Pianoforte. London: J. & W. Chester, Frederick Warne & Co., 1935. Softcover, 9.5 x 12, 17 pages. Partial splitting to the spine, otherwise fine condition.
With their playful plots, imaginative critters, and some of the liveliest illustrations in children’s literature, Beatrix Potter’s little books—23 in total, published over the course of two decades—were an instant and enormous success. By 1935, the 69-year-old had all but given up her writing career, focusing on her farming and sheep breeding above all else. But despite her weakening eyes and a tremble in her hand, she cheerfully embarked on a new project when a young Mr. Le Fleming—‘a rather peculiar visitor,’ as she called him in a letter to a friend—approached her with a set of piano pieces he had written, inspired by her stories and suitable for children. This extraordinary collection of items pertaining to what would become The Peter Rabbit Music Books (including the first volume, which is quite collectible in its own right), is one of the most magnificent and charming lots we have offered from the classic author/illustrator; any extensive handwritten material from Potter is highly sought-after, and with its “pit pat paddle pat,” “tiddly widdly widdly!” and mentions of the beloved Puddle ducks, Mrs. Tittlemouse, and Mrs. Tiggy, this is of the utmost desirability.
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