Beatrix Potter
Born 1866 · Died 1943
From West Brompton, England, United Kingdom · Nationality: United Kingdom · Writes fiction
Helen Beatrix Potter (28 July 1866 – 22 December 1943) was an English writer, illustrator, natural scientist, and conservationist. She is best known for her children's books featuring animals, such as The Tale of Peter Rabbit, which was her first published work in 1902. Her books, including 23 Tales, have sold more than 250 million copies. Potter was also a pioneer of merchandising—in 1903, Peter Rabbit was the first fictional character to be made into a patented stuffed toy, making him the oldest licensed character.
Born into an upper-middle-class household, Potter was educated by governesses and grew up isolated from other children. She had numerous pets and spent holidays in Scotland and the Lake District, developing a love of landscape, flora and fauna, all of which she closely observed and painted. Potter's study and watercolours of fungi led to her being widely respected in the field of mycology. In her thirties, Potter self-published the highly successful children's book The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Following this, Potter began writing and illustrating children's books full-time.
Potter wrote over 60 books; the best known being her twenty-three children's tales. With the proceeds from the books and a legacy from an aunt, in 1905 Potter bought Hill Top Farm in Near Sawrey, a village in the Lake District, in the county of Cumbria (then Lancashire). Over the following decades, she purchased additional farms to preserve the unique hill country landscape.
Quotes
“I remember I used to half believe and wholly play with fairies when I was a child. What heaven can be more real than to retain the spirit-world of childhood, tempered and balanced by knowledge and common-sense...”
Journal entry 1896-11-17 , from the National Trust collection. “It is said that the effect of eating too much lettuce is "soporific." I have never felt sleepy after eating lettuces; but then I am not a rabbit.”
The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies 1909 “Don't go into Mr. McGregor's garden: your father had an accident there; he was put in a pie by Mrs. McGregor.”
The Tale of Peter Rabbit “Painting is an awkward thing to teach except the details of the medium. If you and your master are determined to look at nature and art in two different directions you are sure to stick.”
Journal entry from May 28, 1883, quoted in "Introducing Beatrix Potter" from The
Quotes from Wikiquote (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Books by Beatrix Potter in order
Books by Beatrix Potter in the order they were published, from Appley Dapply's Nursery Rhymes (1900) to The Adventures of Peter Rabbit (1986).
- 1Appley Dapply's Nursery Rhymes
Appley Dapply's Nursery Rhymes1900 - 2Miss Moppet
Miss Moppet1900 - 3The Pie and the Patty-Pan
The Pie and the Patty-Pan1900 - 4The Roly-poly Pudding
The Roly-poly Pudding1900 - 5The Tale of Peter Rabbit
The Tale of Peter Rabbit1902 - 6The Tailor of Gloucester
The Tailor of Gloucester1903 - 7The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin
The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin1903 - 8The Tale of Benjamin Bunny
The Tale of Benjamin Bunny1904 - 9The Tale of Two Bad Mice
The Tale of Two Bad Mice1904 - 10The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle
The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle1905 - 11The Tale of Mr Jeremy Fisher
The Tale of Mr Jeremy Fisher1906 - 12The Tale of Tom Kitten
The Tale of Tom Kitten1907 - 13The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck
The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck1908 - 14The Tale of Ginger and Pickles
The Tale of Ginger and Pickles1909 - 15The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies
The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies1909 - 16The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse
The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse1910 - 17The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes
The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes1911 - 18The Tale of Mr. Tod
The Tale of Mr. Tod1912 - 19The Tale of Pigling Bland
The Tale of Pigling Bland1913 - 20The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse
The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse1918 - 21Cecily Parsley's Nursery Rhymes
Cecily Parsley's Nursery Rhymes1922 - 22The Art of Beatrix Potter
The Art of Beatrix Potter1955 - 23The Complete Tales of Beatrix Potter
The Complete Tales of Beatrix Potter1984 - 24The Adventures of Peter Rabbit
The Adventures of Peter Rabbit1986