In 1927, she sold 50 redrawn Peter Rabbit illustrations to save the Windermere Lake frontage from developers. In 1912, Beatrix successfully campaigned against hydroplanes on Lake Windermere, which she thought were noisy and a nuisance. This cause of preserving and protecting land stayed close to Beatrix's heart for the rest of her life. She became friendly with the local vicar, Canon Harwicke Rawnsley, who helped found The National Trust in 1895. Using her royalties from the Peter Rabbit books, Beatrix bought a Lake District farm called Hill Top. Beatrix did, however, lecture at the London School of Economics, as well as forge a reputation as an illustrator of scientific papers.īeatrix Potter at Hill Top, near Sawrey, 1913, courtesy National Trust - and the little rabbit who made her a household name Passionate conservationist Kew Gardens also rejected her as a member, for being a woman, and the Royal Society refused to publish at least one of her papers. (They issued an apology 100 years later.) Women were not allowed to meetings at the Linnean Society, so she asked her uncle to present a paper for her instead. However, being a woman at that time meant coming across a lot of obstacles - none of which stopped her. She studied spore germination and the life cycles of fungi, and came up with a pioneering idea about lichens. Detailed botanistīeatrix was an expert in fungi (a 'mycologist'). I have not got it quite right yet, but the expression is going to be lovely especially the whiskers. I am cutting out calico patterns of Peter. Soon, a range of high-quality products were available, such as slippers, painting books, handkerchiefs and china tea sets. In 1903, she designed and registered a patent for a Peter Rabbit doll - making little Peter the world's oldest licensed character. Quite a leap from that early print-run! Shrewd businesswomanīeatrix Potter was the mastermind behind her merchandise, expanding on the characters in a way that hadn't been done before. Since then, it has never been out of print and has sold over 40 million copies worldwide. These sold so well that the publisher Frederick Warne made another offer.īy October 1902, The Tale of Peter Rabbit was a bestseller. She decided to publish it herself, printing 250 copies. Later, Beatrix tried to find a publisher for her Peter Rabbit story and illustrations - but the manuscript was turned down six times. My dear Noel, I don't know what to write to you so I shall tell you a story about four little rabbits whose names were Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton‐tail and Peter. But it wasn't until she was 27 that Beatrix wrote an illustrated letter about one of her pet rabbits to an ex-governess' little boy. The Peter Rabbit illustrations were all done by Beatrix Potter - and, even today, they are instantly recognisable and incredibly loved.Įducated at home, Beatrix taught herself to draw and paint by watching the household pets very carefully.
Let's look back on the many extraordinary sides to Beatrix Potter. But on top of this huge legacy, it turns out that she was so much more than just a writer. The legendary children's author is known for her tales about Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddleduck and Tom Kitten, to name just some of her charming animal characters. Incredibly, it's over 150 years since Beatrix Potter was born.
Beatrix Potter was a trailblazer – and here’s whyīeatrix Potter is a household name for her children's books - but there was so much more to this Victorian woman than many readers even realise.
0 kommentar(er)
