Beatrix Potter

Beatrix was born to Rupert and Helen Potter on July 28, 1866. Hers was a well-to-do family, and, as was the fashion at that time, Mrs. Potter was not very involved in the lives of her children. Beatrix had a nurse, Miss McKenzie, who was her primary caretaker.
------------Drawing of rabbits in the snow, drawn at age 9.-->
When Beatrix was five years old, her brother, (Walter) Bertram, was born. Her nurse then left Beatrix to be Bertram's nurse. Because she now was alone in the nursery for much of the time, things were rather dull. Instead of moping and lazing away the days, Beatrix asked one of the family servants, a Mr. Cox, if he would get her a mouse and a box in which to keep it. He obligingly complied, and brought her a mouse and a box that was painted to look like a house. Beatrix named this first pet Hunca Munca, and later Hunca Munca got a husband - Appley Dappley.
Soon after this, a governess was hired for Beatrix. Her name was Miss Hammond, and she encouraged Beatrix's interest in art, especially drawing animals and plants from life. Beatrix showed an active imagination in that many of her drawings featured animals dressed in clothes.

Summers at Dalguise House
Each year from 1871 to 1881 (after which they changed to the Lake District), the Potter family spent their summer months in the Scottish countryside, at a rented mansion called Dalguise House. Beatrix and Bertram had a freedom here that they were not able to enjoy at home, that of roaming the woods and fields, and finding many animals and plants to draw or paint. They often brought home the animals they found, and their pet collection increased. They also had a pair of lizards, Toby and Judy, and a snake named Sally, as well as Punch the frog. Beatrix had two pets that seem to be her favorites; a rabbit called Benjamin Bouncer, and a hedgehog by the name of Mrs. Tiggy Winkle. Both of these pets became frequent subjects for sketches.

Only two letters, undated, survive from Beatrix's childhood. Both are to her father. The first reads:
"My dear Papa
I am not to go out in the garden as I have got a cold. From your aff
H B Potter"
The second is longer and is as follows:
"Dear Papa
If you see anything pretty will you please send me a picture of it and then I will send you a letter back, and send word how the dogs are and if it is fine and nice at Dalguise. A kiss from your affectionate daughter
H B Potter."

When Beatrix was 24, her uncle, Sir Henry Roscoe, encouraged her to offer her art for sale. Hildesheimer & Faulkner purchased them and used them as Christmas and New Year cards, as well as illustrations for a book of rhymes which was titled, "A Happy Pair." Beatrix was encouraged by the success of her venture, and submitted her drawings to several different publishers, one of them being Frederick Warne. Though Warne was not interested in the pictures by themselves, they did suggest that she send in books to accompany the drawings.
At about this time, Beatrix began writing "picture letters" to the Moore children, the first being to Noel Moore, the oldest son of Beatrix's last governess, Annie Carter (married to Edwin Moore in 1885). After some time, Annie suggested to Beatrix that some of the letters would make good children's books. Beatrix borrowed the letters back to copy. After turning her rabbit letter to Noel into a book, she then went to a friend whom she had made in 1892 on her first visit to the Lake District, by the name of Canon Hardwicke Rawnsley, and asked him for help in finding a publisher. Mr. Rawnsley agreed to help her, but they were disappointed many times as the book was refused by publisher after publisher. It was too small and did not have color illustrations, which the publishing companies were looking for.
When 1901 came and still the book had not been accepted, Beatrix, out of patience, decided to self-publish The Tale of Peter Rabbit and Mr. McGregor's Garden. Canon Rawnsley was still trying to find a publisher, and in an attempt to get the book accepted, even re-wrote her original text in his own style. He sent the early part of the manuscript to Frederick Warne (the firm that Beatrix had previously contacted), along with all Beatrix's illustrations. Their interest level was high enough that they asked for the rest of the book, also asking Mr. Rawnsley find out from Beatrix why the illustrations were black and white, rather than color. Mr. Rawnsley let Beatrix herself respond to Warne's inquiries. She replied that the book was not colored because of the cost of good color printing, and because most her subjects were "...the rather uninteresting color...[of] rabbit brown and green."
Warne wrote back to Canon Rawnsley to say that they were sorry but they would only consider accepting the book if the illustrations were in color, the number reduced from 42 to 32, and if the story was rewritten as a narration instead of verse.

After receiving the letter from Frederick Warne, Canon Rawnsley again handed the correspondence over to Beatrix. She agreed to the proposition made by Warne, and they then offered to pay her 1d per book for the first edition. On future editions they said they could probably pay her 3d.
During this time Beatrix had received the first copies of her privately printed "The Tale of Peter Rabbit," (having left out "and Mr. Gregor's Garden" in the title). Beatrix wrote to Warne, "Had you decided not to go on with it, I would certainly have done so myself, it has given me so much amusement."
In 1902, Warne was still struggling with costs regarding "Peter Rabbit," as the printing process that Beatrix insisted they use was expensive. Beatrix had colored in some of her original black and white drawings, but was not pleased with the way they turned out. She decided to re-draw all the illustrations in color.
Copies of Warne's publication of "Peter Rabbit" were due very soon, but Beatrix decided to go ahead and privately print another of her stories. This was a story she had written for Freda Moore (Noel Moore's sister), and was a her rendition of a tale she had heard about a poor tailor who had taken ill and his assistants finished his project for him. This tale was called "The Tailor of Gloucester" and she had 500 copies printed, after which she hoped that Warne would publish it as well. In 1919 Beatrix wrote to Lady Mary Isabel Warren, "It has always been my own favourite..."
In dealing with the Warne firm, Beatrix was mainly in contact with Norman Warne, the youngest of the three Warne brothers. He was the one who would oversee the production side of the business.
Earlier Beatrix had had an idea for a book of nursery rhymes, but that was later set aside to work on a book about a squirrel, "The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin." For this book, Beatrix purchased a squirrel from a pet shop for use as a model for her drawings!
In early 1903, Warne agreed that they would publish both stories, "The Tailor of Gloucester" and "The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin."
For "The Tailor of Gloucester" Beatrix was allowed to draw the clothes from some 18th century garments at the S. Kensington museum.
In October of 1902, Warne printed 8,000 copies of "The Tale of Peter Rabbit."

At last, Beatrix was a published author!

As I mentioned earlier, Beatrix's main publishing correspondent with the Warne firm. As they worked together, they "fell in love," as the story goes. Norman asked Beatrix to marry him. Though she said yes, she met with strong opposition from her parents. Norman was a tradesman, while the Potters moved in a higher social sphere. But Beatrix was firm and in the end her parents agreed to the engagement under the condition that it be kept secret from everyone for a few months, so that if either of them should lose interest in the other, there would be no public disgrace if the engagement were broken off. Norman and Beatrix accepted this "compromise" knowing that they could wait it out until the secrecy period was over.
The Potter family summered in the Lake District again that year and Beatrix and Norman continued to correspond. Then one day came the sad tidings that he was ill. Beatrix at once packed a few belongings and went to him - but was too late.

That, however, is not the end of the story...

*The story of Beatrix and Norman is detailed in the recent film, "Miss Potter," since you can't have a movie without a love story, right? Purchase "Miss Potter" below.

Are you thinking, "I don't know how to sew, and I just don't have the money to buy one of those Beatrix outfits, but I still want to dress like her."
Not a problem with that! You can pretty easily make your own Beatrix Potter outfit with little expense or trouble.

The basic "look" during Beatrix's time was a long gored skirt, sometimes with a very small train, worn with a high-necked blouse, which might be ornamented with vertical tucks or lace or both. When going out, often a jacket was added. Good fabrics to choose for the skirt & jacket would be twill, tweed or linen type fabrics. You can search thrift shops for these items, as there are often very good chances of finding something! :-)

Click HERE for another good article on this subject from In Timely Fashion, based on Anne of Green Gables. (Anne Shirley, from "Anne of Green Gables," is set in the same era as Beatrix Potter)

After Norman Warne's death, the grieving Beatrix decided to move out of her parents' home into a house of her own.
She found a charming working farm in the Lake District of England, called Hill Top Farm. Unsure if she could afford the place, she asked her banker how much money she had acquired through book sales, and found that she far more than she imagined and in fact had enough to buy several farms. So she purchased Hill Top and moved in.

Around this time she met William Heelis, and after some time they were married. They worked the farm, and Beatrix, with her ample income, purchased several farms surrounding Hill Top to preserve the land and keep it from the developers.

She continued writing children's books, but failing eyesight gradually forced her to slow down. Her main hobby was raising sheep, which she did for many years even after her book writing days were over.

Helen Beatrix Potter died on December 22, 1943 at the age of 77.