Potter (Beatrix) Appley Dapply's Nursery Rhymes, first edition, 1917.

Potter (Beatrix) Appley Dapply's Nursery Rhymes, first edition, first or second printing with correct endpapers, colour frontispiece, plain title vignette and 14 colour plates, pictorial endpapers, slight toning and off setting, the odd spot, light cracking to gutter, holding firm, original green boards with mounted colour illustration, light rubbing to spine ends and corner tips, light toning to edges, housed in a custom drop back box, spine gilt, [Linder 430; Quinby 23], 16mo, 1917. *** Potter had originally conceived of the idea behind Appley Dapply shortly after the publication of Peter Rabbit. Frederick Warne & Co. however were more keen on pursuing her original prose works and the project fell away. In 1917 the publishers were beset by a major scandal and faced closure when Harold Warne was convicted of forgery. The firm turned to Potter, as the firm's most commercially successful writer, to ask her to assist. Potter however was deeply involved in the creation of Johnny Town-Mouse and was unable to create another fresh work at short notice and suggested therefore that the firm revisit Appley Dapply. A number of unused illustrations were used; the fact that their creation spanned a range of years and styles for the author largely contributes to the rather uneven nature of the work.

Estimate:£200

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