Creator of memorable animal characters such as Peter Rabbit, Squirrel Nutkin, and Mr. Jeremy Fisher, the children’s book author and illustrator Beatrix Potter (1866–1943) rooted her fiction in the natural world.
Born in London, Potter spent her childhood summers in Scotland and in northwest England’s Lake District. These early experiences of the countryside nourished her love of nature and, as with her famous menagerie of pets, inspired her picture letters and published tales.
Potter’s studies of plants and fungi established her interest in the life sciences, a passion that she would bring to rural life at Hill Top Farm in the Lake District. There she enjoyed a second act as a sheep breeder and land conservationist. Potter’s legacy persists not only in her books but in the environment itself: her efforts helped preserve the natural spaces that fostered her scientific pursuits and fired her imagination.
The Morgan Library & Museum in New York City has organized “Beatrix Potter: Drawn to Nature,” an exhibition that brings together artworks, books, manuscripts, and artifacts from several institutions in the United Kingdom, including the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Paired with The Morgan Library’s collection of Potter’s picture letters, these objects trace how her innovative blend of scientific observation and imaginative storytelling shaped some of the world’s most popular children’s books.
In The Morgan’s online exhibit, students can see selected images from the exhibition and listen to the audio guide. A transcription of the audio accompanies each section of the guide. Students can also download the free “Beatrix Potter: Drawn to Nature” Activity Guide and discover inspiration of their own.