How can I date the Beatrix Potter early issues?
Answer Hi there All first and early edition Beatrix Potter books have alternate blank pages. This was because of the binding process and not because of any fault with the books. Some early editions are also in concertina form, with the pages reinforced with linen for strength. 500 copies of ‘The Tale of Peter Rabbit’ were privately published by the author between 1901 and 1902. It has a flat spine and grey-green pictorial boards, with a colour frontispiece and 41 black and white illustrations. This is the most valuable and collectable Beatrix Potter work. If you have a specific Potter book which you require dating, then a good site to visit is the Daito Bunka University Beatrix Potter Museum (a Japanese museum unlikely as it seems). They give very detailed descriptions and dates of early Beatrix Potter books. Hope this helps.
