[Newbery Classic-- Peacock at Home, First Printing] The Peacock "At Home:" A Sequel to the Butterfly's Ball, Written by a Lady and Illustrated with Elegant Engravings

London: Printed [by H. Bryer] for J. Harris, Successor to E. Newbery, 1807.

First edition. 5 x 4 inches; iv, 16pp. Original printed tan wrappers with cover illustration of peacock, border design and lettering, in black. Copper-engraved frontispiece and five copper-engraved plates, all after William Mulready and dated "Sept. 1, 1807." In writing of this sequel to the ever-popular Butterfly Ball, the Gentleman's Magazine of September 1807 wrote, "after the exquisite little poem of Mr Roscoe... an attempt at a Sequel was indeed an arduous task. But the "Peacock at Home" has afforded us so much pleasure, that we cannot hesitate to class it with the original it professedly imitates" (Moon). Moon 215(1); Osborne page 61. Wrappers a bit soiled and toned, a few minor and neat restorations, top right corner of front wrapper and frontispiece renewed. Internally generally clean; minor scattered foxing and minor offsetting from plates, minor thumb soiling throughout, a few wrinkles, ink gift inscription to title page. A very good first edition copy of this iconoclastic children's classic with enchanting plates.

Price: $750.00   Item #5085