Historical Women  of  Letters

Born Helen Beatrix Potter on July 28, 1866, Beatrix Potter is one of the most beloved children's authors and illustrators. Her attention to detail and skill goes far beyond Peter Rabbit & his friends. She produced and copyrighted stuffed toys, developed board games, coloring pages and wallpaper; and her drawings of fungi are still used in instruction and identification texts. A generous supporter of the National Trust, she helped to preserve the landscape and culture of the Lake District, and raised award-winning Herdwick Sheep. Like Peter Rabbit, she was devoted to her parents, but had a mind of her own; did not hesitate to squeeze under & around the barriers to keep women out of the world of work & science; and got into her fair share of scrapes with "Gentlemen Gardeners"