Beatrix Potter: From Children's Author to Botanist and Conservationist

A new exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, 'Beatrix Potter: Drawn to Nature,' running until January 8, 2023, highlights the multifaceted career of Beatrix Potter beyond her famous children's tales. Born on July 28, 1866, in London, Potter was denied university education but independently studied fungi, creating around 400 illustrations and conducting experiments at home. In 1896, she presented her theories at Kew Gardens and the Linnean Society but received no credit. She then turned to children's book illustration, initially printing 250 copies of 'The Tale of Peter Rabbit' herself after six rejections. The book was published by Frederick Warne & Company on October 2, 1902, selling 500,000 copies due to its small format, low price of one shilling, and careful language. Potter became engaged to Norman Warne, a son of the publisher, but he died of leukemia shortly after. Using her earnings and an inheritance, she bought Hill Top Farm in Near Sawrey, Lake District. She later married her lawyer William Heelis on October 15, 1913, becoming an expert in farming, sheep breeding, and conservation. Upon her death from pneumonia on December 22, 1943, she bequeathed most of her estate—about 1,600 hectares of land, sixteen farms, cottages, and herds of Herdwick sheep—to the National Trust, now part of the Lake District National Park.