<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><ead xmlns="urn:isbn:1-931666-22-9" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="urn:isbn:1-931666-22-9 https://www.loc.gov/ead/ead.xsd"><eadheader countryencoding="iso3166-1" dateencoding="iso8601" findaidstatus="in_progress" langencoding="iso639-2b" repositoryencoding="iso15511"><eadid countrycode="US" mainagencycode="US-ViU" url="https://archives.lib.virginia.edu/ark:/59853/241291">MSS16959</eadid><filedesc><titlestmt><titleproper type="filing">English, Fanny manuscript and illustrations of Peter Rabbit</titleproper><titleproper>Guide to the Fanny English manuscript and illustrations of Peter Rabbit <num>MSS.16959</num></titleproper><author>Eric Willersdorf, Student Accessioning Assistant</author></titlestmt><publicationstmt><publisher>Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library</publisher><p id="logostmt"><extref xlink:actuate="onLoad" xlink:href="http://ead.lib.virginia.edu/vivaead/logos/uva-sc.jpg" xlink:show="embed" xlink:type="simple"/></p><p><date>4 May 2026</date></p><address><addressline>Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library</addressline><addressline>P.O. Box 400110</addressline><addressline>University of Virginia</addressline><addressline>Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4110</addressline><addressline>URL: <extptr xlink:href="https://small.library.virginia.edu/" xlink:show="new" xlink:title="https://small.library.virginia.edu/" xlink:type="simple"/></addressline></address><p>This record is made available under an Universal 1.0 Public Domain Dedication Creative Commons license.</p></publicationstmt></filedesc><profiledesc><creation>This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on <date>2026-05-06 07:01:16 +0000</date>.</creation><langusage>Description is written in: <language langcode="eng" scriptcode="Latn">English, Latin script</language>.</langusage><descrules>Describing Archives: A Content Standard</descrules></profiledesc></eadheader><archdesc level="collection">
  <did>
    <repository>
      <corpname>Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library</corpname>
    </repository>
    <unittitle>Fanny English manuscript and illustrations of Peter Rabbit</unittitle>
    <unitid>MSS.16959</unitid>
    <unitid type="ark">
      <extref xlink:actuate="onLoad" xlink:href="https://archives.lib.virginia.edu/ark:/59853/241291" xlink:show="new">Archival Resource Key</extref>
    </unitid>
    <unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/3/resources/1912</unitid>
    <physdesc altrender="whole">
      <extent altrender="materialtype spaceoccupied">0.03 Cubic Feet</extent>
      <extent altrender="carrier">One letter-size file folder</extent>
    </physdesc>
    <unitdate datechar="creation" normal="1907/1918" type="inclusive">1907-1918</unitdate>
    <physdesc id="aspace_654e9fd0576cf219512c3c630c0e63e9" label="Condition Description">Good.</physdesc>
    <langmaterial>
      <language langcode="eng" scriptcode="Latn">English</language>
    </langmaterial>
    <container altrender="Folder (Letter)=0.03 cf" id="aspace_0fb2637b921fe7d5a10c2d707fb77264" label="Mixed Materials [X032762938]" type="folder">1</container>
  </did>
  <scopecontent id="aspace_ad3638556813bfa9b3b4349b889dd8e5">
    <head>Content Description</head>
<p>This collection contains a manuscript album created by Fanny Hutchinson King English (1871–1944) as a gift for her daughter Mary (1904–1976) in 1907, when Mary was three years old. A bookseller's ticket is affixed to the pastedown, and a gift inscription reading "Mary Dennis English. March 10, 1907" appears on the opposite pastedown. The album comprises twenty-eight pages of manuscript and watercolor illustration and contains three pieces of correspondence laid in. One side of the dos-a-dos book duplicates a post-1903 edition of Beatrix Potter's "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" in manuscript and watercolor illustration, identifiable as a post-1903 edition by the substitution of "Peter shed big tears" for the first edition's "Peter wept." The reverse side contains six original botanical and landscape watercolors by Mary English, executed at an unspecified later date. Two watercolors are laid in: a collection of daisies inscribed "Mama darling" on verso, and a horse labeled "Limerick" on recto with the inscription "To darling, darling Mummy from Mary" on verso, dated 1918. The three pieces of correspondence laid in include letters from Mary's grandmother Rachel Anne English (1832–1920) and from Fanny to Mary, written across Mary's childhood and adulthood.</p>  </scopecontent>
  <accessrestrict id="aspace_c18460d01e6f98b7fe0f6b9b7c1fd820">
    <head>Conditions Governing Access</head>
<p>This collection has been minimally processed and is open for research.</p>  </accessrestrict>
  <acqinfo id="aspace_8db716aa6b33a85e58a5633abc1cae1e">
    <head>Immediate Source of Acquisition </head>
<p>This collection was purchased from Marginalia Rare Books by the Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia on 1 April 2026.</p>  </acqinfo>
  <prefercite id="aspace_952ba4d94d8291ba599706e549ebf1db">
    <head>Preferred Citation</head>
<p>MSS 16959, Fanny English manuscript and illustrations of Peter Rabbit, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia Library.</p>  </prefercite>
  <controlaccess>
    <genreform source="aat">watercolors (paintings)</genreform>
    <subject authfilenumber="https://lccn.loc.gov/gf2017027262" source="lcsh">Sketchbooks</subject>
    <subject authfilenumber="https://lccn.loc.gov/sh97001746" source="lcsh">Children's books</subject>
    <subject authfilenumber="https://lccn.loc.gov/sj2021050090" source="lcsh">Children's art</subject>
  </controlaccess>
  <dsc/>
</archdesc>
</ead>