Rare Beatrix Potter Family Collection Sells For £78,000
A rare collection of personal items connected to Beatrix Potter has sold for a total of £78,000 at a three-day auction in Cockermouth.
The 50-lot collection belonged to Potter’s great-nephew, Brigadier John Heelis OBE, and was offered for sale by Mitchells. The collection included letters, photographs, illustrations and first editions associated with the celebrated Lake District author and illustrator.
The sale attracted interest from buyers around the world following an international marketing campaign. According to the family, the final result exceeded expectations, with several items achieving significant prices.
The highest-selling lot was an inscribed first edition of The Tale of Pigling Bland, dating from 1913. The presentation copy sold for £13,000, with a buyer from New York securing it by telephone. Another notable item was a letter in which Potter complained about a relative being removed from a railway carriage. The letter eventually sold for £9,500, also to the New York buyer.
A private collector from Devon also made a significant contribution to the sale, purchasing 12 lots in person. Among the items bought was a watercolour Christmas card depicting Hill Top Farm at night, which sold for £9,000.
Another private buyer from Hawkshead spent £4,400 on two lots, including a letter containing notes concerning the dispersal of Potter’s possessions to the Armitt Library. The auction also featured more than 20 artworks by Percy Kelly. His oil painting Allonby in the Snow sold for £7,000, while a watercolour by Alfred Heaton Cooper, Hay Timing Coniston, achieved £2,400.
Other highlights included three pieces of Wedgwood Fairyland Lustre designed by Daisy Makeig-Jones, which sold for between £1,500 and £1,800. A William IV mahogany longcase clock by Christopher Tatham also exceeded its estimate, selling for £2,800.
James Moore, head of antiques and fine art at Mitchells, said the collection was particularly rare because it came directly from Potter’s family and had never previously been offered on the open market. He also noted that while some pieces went to overseas buyers, many were purchased by UK collectors attending the sale in person.
The auction has highlighted continued interest in Beatrix Potter and the Lake District's literary heritage, with the collection attracting international attention while several important pieces remained with UK buyers.
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