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The Beatrix Potter Collection: at the Beatrix Potter Gallery, Hawkshead, and Online As a celebration of Beatrix Potter's life, the National Trust has created a wonderful collection of selected original artwork reproductions, starting from just £22.50. See the link to the Beatrix Potter Print Collection. Find out more by reading the item on the Story of Beatrix Potter. You can also browse a much larger selection of the Beatrix Potter Collection Online, using the Object Search feature in the right-hand panel of this page. The National Trust is grateful for the assistance of Frederick Warne & Co in making images of the collection available. It is now over 100 years since the publication of The Tale of Peter Rabbit marked the start of Beatrix Potter’s literary career, but the work of this favourite children’s author and illustrator remains as fresh today as when it was first published. The National Trust’s Beatrix Potter Collection is the largest single collection of her exquisite published illustrations. In addition, the collection also includes unpublished drawings, manuscripts of many of the stories, other literary manuscripts, letters and photographs. It is a wonderful resource charting the life and career of this remarkable woman. A selection of original illustrations and other material from the collection can be seen each year at the National Trust’s Beatrix Potter Gallery in Hawkshead, in the heart of the English Lake District. The Gallery building was formerly the office of Beatrix Potter’s husband, the solicitor William Heelis, left to the National Trust in his will and converted in 1988 to display Beatrix Potter’s original works. The Collection itself passed into the hands of The National Trust in 1947, following William Heelis’ death in 1945. Beatrix Potter’s legacy to The National Trust encompassed not only the wealth of material springing from her literary and artistic career, but also a huge estate of 4000 acres of land in the Lake District, along with farm buildings and cottages. This included Beatrix Potter’s most famous farm, Hill Top in the village of Near Sawrey, home to many of her best-loved storybook characters. The Beatrix Potter Collection comprises Beatrix Potter’s original works and assorted papers; the furniture and furnishings of Hill Top are listed separately as Hill Top’s inventory of contents. The Collection BOOKS First and early editions of some of the storybooks. Notably, this includes a copy of the first privately printed edition of The Tale of Peter Rabbit (December 1901), first editions of Peter Rabbit’s Painting Book (1911) and Peter Rabbit’s Almanac (1929), and a first edition copy of The Fairy Caravan (1929) inscribed by Beatrix Potter with notes on the animals who appear as characters in the book. DRAWINGS Illustrations The National Trust holds the original illustrations for twenty of the twenty-three little storybooks, in total over 700 watercolours and ink drawings. The exceptions, which are in other collections, are the illustrations for The Tale of Peter Rabbit (Frederick Warne Archive), The Tailor of Gloucester (Tate Gallery), and The Tale of The Flopsy Bunnies (British Museum). In addition, the National Trust Beatrix Potter Collection includes: the black and white line illustrations for Potter’s privately printed edition of The Tale of Peter Rabbit; the watercolour illustrations (but not the line illustrations) for The Fairy Caravan; illustrations for Peter Rabbit’s Almanac for 1929, Peter Rabbit’s Painting Book, Tom Kitten’s Painting Book and Jemima Puddle-Duck’s Painting Book; and a few preliminary and alternative drawings for some of the published illustrations. Other drawings Over 100 drawings in pencil, ink or watercolour. This includes landscape sketches, buildings and animal studies, and a few natural history drawings. In addition there are eight sketchbooks, mostly containing landscapes and animal sketches, many of which were executed while Beatrix Potter was on holiday in the Lake District, Wales, around Sidmouth (Devon) or Rye (Sussex). MANUSCRIPTS Letters The letters in the collection fall broadly into three categories: literary letters, including Beatrix Potter’s own copies of some of the story letters she wrote to various children of her acquaintance, and a few letters from the publishers Frederick Warne and Co regarding the books; family letters; and letters relating to Beatrix Potter’s farming activities, including her letters to Joseph Moscrop 1926-1943 (her shepherd at Troutbeck Park Farm) and letters relating to her work for the National Trust in managing Trust land in the Lake District. Literary manuscripts Manuscripts of many of the stories, often written in cheaply bought exercise books, and many with sketched illustrations. This includes a manuscript of the privately printed edition of The Tale of Peter Rabbit with black and white line illustrations. In addition, there are manuscripts of short stories and articles on themes of country life, manuscripts of unpublished stories, and manuscripts of Beatrix Potter’s code-written journal of the period 1881-1897. Other manuscripts Miscellaneous manuscript notes and documents. OBJECTS A small number of assorted objects, including a paint box belonging to Beatrix Potter’s mother, Helen Leech, and possibly used by Beatrix herself; and a set of six silk table mats hand-painted by Beatrix Potter with illustrations from The Tale of Benjamin Bunny. The furniture and furnishings of Hill Top, Beatrix Potter’s farmhouse bequeathed to The National Trust, are listed separately from the Beatrix Potter Collection. PHOTOGRAPHS Photographs mostly taken by Beatrix Potter’s father, Rupert Potter, but also including some by Beatrix Potter. The subject matter includes Lake District and Scottish landscapes, Potter family and acquaintances, Hill Top house and garden, and photographs of Beatrix Potter herself. PRINTED MATTER This category includes greetings cards designed by Beatrix Potter (some of her earliest published work), as well as printer’s proofs, advertising leaflets and newspaper and magazine cuttings.  |
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