The Little White Bird. First edition

The character of Peter Pan appears for the first time in this novel for adult readers.  It tells the story of how Captain W - a  confirmed bachelor, befriends a small boy in Kensington Gardens and describes the imaginary world they construct together. This is a first edition. It has a black cover with gilt lettering on the spine.   The themes of Peter Pan developed gradually in Barrie's writing; privately in his notebooks, as a way of understanding himself, then in "The Boy Castaways", which was written and printed specially for the boys of the Llewelyn Davies family in 1901.   This was followed by "The Little White Bird", in 1902; and in 1906, Barrie's publisher extracted the Peter Pan chapters from this book and published them along with illustrations by the famed book illustrator, Arthur Rackham, as "Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens".   In the meantime Barrie had written "Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up", as a stage play, full of theatrical spectacle and intended for an audience of children.  On 27 December 1904, the first production of Peter Pan was staged in London. The play was produced year on year following its initial success and Barrie constantly revised the script.  It was not until 1928 that it was finally published.   The demand for a children's story book based on the play led to Barrie giving his blessing to "The Peter Pan Picture Book" which was published with 28 inspired illustrations by Alice Woodward, and a text adapted from the play by Daniel O'Connor, in 1907. Barrie then took up this challenge himself and in 1911 he published "Peter and Wendy", a much more sophisticated version of the story than O'Connor's simple abridgement.