Beswick / Beatrix Potter Interest: Folio of twenty nine unframed watercolours of Beatrix Potter Storybook animals, comprising:

A prototype poster or point-of-sale design, advertising “Beatrix Potter’s Delightful Characters in Pottery by Beswick”, featuring the book ‘The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck’, large illustration of Jemima, and eight smaller named figurines, as illustrated by the accompanying book - Irvine, Louise (Ed.), ‘John Beswick and Royal Albert Beatrix Potter Figures, UK International Ceramics Ltd, 1st Edn 1992. See pp.13-17, where Valerie Baynton illustrates p.13 ”Advertisement for the introductory collection of Beatrix Potter figures c.1950”, 37.5cm x 27.5cm;

together with six illustrations, all corresponding to known examples in Beatrix Potter books, as identified in ‘The Classic Tales of Beatrix Potter – The Original 23 Peter Rabbit Books ('The Only Original and Authorized Edition by Beatrix Potter'), F. Warne & Co, 1994, [page numbers identified in square brackets], viz:

‘Beatrix Potter - The Tale of Two Bad Mice’, faintly inscribed “… Frederick Warne (1936?) Beswick & Co Staffs” [p.259]
‘Beatrix Potter - Tale of Mrs Tittlemouse’, inscribed lower right “proposed figural draft Beswick Staffs Frederick Warne (1936?)” [p.239] Duchess holding flowers (untitled) [p.134]
Mrs Rabbit holding basket (untitled) [p.8]
Cousin Ribby (untitled) [p.93]
Thomasina Tittlemouse, wearing a rabbit-wool cloak and hood (untitled) [p.44]

Sold with a copy of the aforementioned book, and twenty-two artist-annotated prototype paint colour illustration guides for Beatrix Potter Storybook figurines, with pencil instructions and notes, entitled beneath and with unknown page references verso, 26.5cm x 18.5cm each, viz:
P1092 Jemima Puddle Duck p.39, P1098 Peter Rabbit p.39, P1100 Tom-Kitten p. 62, P1101 Timmy Tiptoes p.61, P1102 [Squirrel] Nutkin p.62, P1103 Mrs Tittlemouse p.39, P1104 Little Pig Robinson p.60, P1105 Benjamin Bunny p.60, P1106 Samuel Whiskers from Roly Pud [Roly Poly Pudding] p.40, P1107 Mrs Tiggy-Winkle p.40 / paint p.63, P1108 Tailor of Gloucester p.40, P1109 Timmy Willie p.40, P1157 Mr Jeremy Fisher p.40, P1183 Lady Mouse p.40, P1198 Hunca Munca + Babies p.40, P1200 Mrs Rabbit p.59, P1274 Flopsy, Mopsy + Cottontail, P1275 Miss Moppet p.63, P1276 Johnny Town-Mouse p.41, P1277 Foxy Whiskered Gentleman p.41, P1676 Ribby p.40, P2284 Cousin Ribby

All in a gilt-stamped ‘Beswick’ folio, 45cm x 32cm, (31)

Valerie Baynton [op. cit.] states p.13;
"The idea to introduce a Beatrix Potter figure collection originated during a holiday in the Lake District taken by Ewart Beswick, the Chairman and Managing Director of the company, and his Cumbrian-born wife, Lucy. After visiting the haunts of Beatrix Potter, Mrs Beswick returned to Stoke-on-Trent and made a point of visiting the company’s chief modeller, Arthur Gredington, in his studio. During their conversation she suggested that Jemima Puddle-Duck would look rather nice as a figure and without further ado Arthur began to produce a clay model… In June 1947 Jemima was ready to be inspected by Ewart Beswick… Arthur Gredington was directed to model further characters from the tales… As each model had to reproduce the colours and details found in the original book illustrations, individual decorations were not recorded in the master pattern book. Instead one decoration number was issued, 8894, with the annotation ‘Beatrix Potter’s Animal Characters in original colours executed in under-glaze and enamel colours’. Once the colours had been approved by the publishers, James Hayward would paint a figure which would then be used as the standard and copied by the Beswick painter responsible for the decoration of each piece. The most popular subjects were selected to form the first collection, which was launched in 1948… Initially the figures could not be sold in Great Britain because war-time restrictions were still in force…The first customer feedback thus came from overseas and an American collector wrote to the company “They are perfect because they are exactly like the original illustrations, no one has tried to improve on them or add their own ideas. To my mind that exactly describes these works of art that you have produced with such fidelity for Beatrix Potter admirers who are legion”.

James Hayward recalled that the entire collection of Beatrix Potter books belonging to Ewart and Lucy’s daughter, Judith, found their way into the modelling studio… Mrs Lucy Beswick remained involved with the development of the collection and would see each figure as it was modelled and painted. She also visited the under-glaze and on-glaze departments, where the characters were painted, to ensure that the correct decorations were followed.”