POTTER, Beatrix (author and illustrator). The Tale of Benjamin Bunny. London Frederick Warne And Co. 1904

8vo. Original greyish-fawn paper-covered boards with onlaid pictorial label to upper board; pp. [vii], 8-984 + [ii], with integral blanks, as issued; with frontispiece and 26 additional full-page coloured plates throughout by the author; an attractive copy with overall light rubbing, especially to joints where there is some surface flaking and a tiny split, surface wear to spine tips, inner hinges sympathetically and unobtrusively strengthened; internally generally very good with occasional light thumbing and signs of use, a small old adhesion to inner upper hinge and a slightly untidy ink gift inscription, dated 1907 (”Peggie with love from Mummy”) to half-title; a very good example of this early Potter book; scarce in first printing.

First edition, first printing, with all required points, namely the dated title-page, the correct endpapers to confirm to Quinby 6, II., with ‘muffatees’ misprint on page 15, and ‘we’ in Roman type, rather than the later italic font. “The Tale of Benjamin Bunny” was only the fourth book in the series, following “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” (1902); “The Tailor of Gloucester” (1903) and “The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin” (also 1903).