This episode Megan & Milena cover artist, scientist, businesswoman, conservationist and farmer Beatrix Potter & 17th century illustrator and scientist Maria Sibylla Merian

Beatrix Potter

A young Beatrix photographed by her father. In her hand? Just her pet mouse named Xarifa….totally a Milena move naming an animal that…Milena…

My dear Noel, starts the letter to four year old Noel Moore in 1893, I don’t know what to write to you, so I shall tell you a story about four little rabbits whose names were – Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail – and Peter… So begins a letter that now brings in over 500$ million annually from the creation of Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit. While best known for her children’s books, the reclusive Beatrix was also avid in mycology, farming and sheep breeding. This episode we learn what it’s like growing up in late Victoria England, why B12 supplements are essential for any potential spouse and what to do with over 6000 acres of farmland – not bad for starting with four little rabbits.  

Selected Illustrations of Beatrix’s

The famous Peter Rabbit, arguably the reason why the Potter works are valued at 500$ million dollars today. Beatrix’s most iconic illustration

Artwork of the red cap toadstool, also know as the amanita muscaria, fly agaric or fly amanita. Beatrix did over 300 drawings of fungi in her lifetime, later blaming her weakening eyesight on all the eyestrain from drawing them

Drawing of hygrocybe coccinea – don’t ask me to say that. On encouragement from a lead mycologist she started illustrating not only the mushrooms in their natural settings but cross sections as well

A 1899 drawing to celebrate the publication of Henry Roscoe’s chemistry textbook – Beatrix often wove her science interests into her art

Studies of her pet hedgehog. Beatrix would pull from these preliminary sketches for her book illustrations

Selected Photographs of Beatrix

Beatrix and her brother Bertram posing for their father. Rupert photographed the family over the years, with the long exposure times I imagine the children got very good at standing still

A handcrafted stuffed animal of Peter, made by Beatrix. She started character branding with her marketing of Peter Rabbit merchandise

Beatrix with her right hand man, Tom Storey and a prized Herdwick sheep

I’b be smiling like that too if I was worth 20 million dollars and owned over 6000 acres of property

Mentioned this episode:

* Bertram Potter– Younger brother to Beatrix, and an artist in his own right, working with oils for large scale landscape paintings * Randolph Caldecott – English illustrator that inspired Beatrix for his contributions to children’s literature, has a Medal named after him awarded annually for most distinguished American picture book for children*