Beatrix Potter was born on July 28, 1866. The English author, illustrator, natural scientist and conservationist wrote some 30 books, but she's best known for her children's stories featuring the likes of Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle-Duck, Benjamin Bunny, and other animals. (Potter is caricatured above by David Levine. Note the tail draped over her arm!) In her later years Potter "focused much of her attention on her farms and land preservation in the Lake District" of England, according to biography.com. "She was a successful breeder of sheep and well regarded for her work to protect the beautiful countryside she adored."
The Tale of the Pie and the Patty-Pan |