THE TALE OF PETER RABBIT

Philadelphia: Henry Altemus, 1904. Very good.. Early American pirated edition of the English classic, part of Henry Altemus's Wee Books for Wee Folks series. At the turn of the 20th century, a number of American publishers found success in reprinting English books without authorization (or payment) to the original publishers if those publishers did not take steps to secure their copyright in the United States. Altemus was one such publisher, and the famous TALE OF PETER RABBIT one such book. According to the information provided on the Henry Altemus Company collecting website (henryaltemus.com), this version is the second issue of the first American edition. (That site calls it the second edition, but notes the interior is the same as the first edition; it just has a new binding. Hence technically it is second issue, not edition, the latter of which implies a new setting of type.) This edition features different illustrations than Potter's own, making for an interesting contrast as an American interpretation of Potter's quintessentially English aesthetic. A lovely copy of an edition with much historical interest. 5.5'' x 4.25''. Original green pictorial cloth stamped in red, blue, and white. Endpapers illustrated in orange line. Illustrated with 31 full-page color plates (uncredited). 127, [1] pages, printed one side only. Light bumping to extremities, faint ring mark on rear board, moderate foxing to endpapers.