In March 1894, a father captured this photograph of his daughter in a boat somewhere in Cornwall, while on holiday. More than a hundred years later, the location of the photograph has finally been uncovered, revealing an insight into the holiday of a woman who would go on to become one of the world’s best loved children’s authors and illustrators.
Helen Beatrix Potter was born in July 1866 and is most often associated with the picturesque landscape of Cumbria’s Lake District. She is best known for her charming stories and illustrations.
Beatrix remained relatively unknown until her first publication in 1902. With a real appreciation and understanding of the natural world, it’s clear that Beatrix found inspiration in the countryside and the wildlife that inhabits it, and it is no secret that she spent plenty of time around animals while she was growing up. Her stories and iconic characters are still popular with children today, more than 100 years after they were first put to paper.
A visit to the Lake District in 2008 sparked an interest for Cornish historian Barry West, who has been looking into the author’s visits to Cornwall. He found the Potter family had visited in 1892 and 1893, and again in 1894, when a photo of Beatrix was taken by her father, Rupert Potter.
The Potters’ 1894 spring holiday was in Falmouth and the photo was taken on 31st March, showing 27-year-old Beatrix sitting in a boat, with a fisherman leaning against it.Until recently, nobody knew where exactly the photo had been taken, but in the background sits a small waterside boathouse and a longer building with a sloped end, which proved important when identifying
the location.
During Beatrix’s stays in Falmouth, she sent illustrated letters to the children of her former governess. On one occasion, she wrote from the Pendennis Hotel, referring to the ‘Owl and the Pussy-Cat’ rhyme: “I have read about the owl and the pussy-cat, who went to sea in a pea green boat, but I never saw anything of that kind till today.”
In the same letter, she scribbled down a little story about a pig fleeing a ship on a rowing boat after the cook wanted to make it into sausages, and sailing to Robinson Crusoe’s island - possibly the first scratch of inspiration for ‘The Tale of Little Pig Robinson’, one of Beatrix’s very first stories, but the last to be published.
With some support from Tash Berks from Falmouth, who suggested he visit a spot called Froe Creek, Barry was finally able to identify the location in which Beatrix was pictured 130 years ago, which the Beatrix Potter Society has dubbed an ‘exciting’ discovery. On the anniversary of the date the original photo was taken, Barry visited the spot, accompanied by his granddaughter Lyla and friend Bruno.
In another letter written from Falmouth, presumably after her visit in the boat to Froe Creek, Beatrix wrote that she had been in a little rowing boat with a fisherman: “We saw a great many curlews running along the muddy shore. They are birds with very long bills so they dig up worms in the sand.
“We gave the fisherman a photograph of his cottage and he was so pleased that he fetched us some very large oysters. We have got our dog here, he goes into the water.”
Barry admits it has been a ‘remarkable journey’, and at Easter planned a trip for around 50 people to walk in the steps of Beatrix Potter. With support from Go Cornwall, who provided the bus free-of-charge, the trip started from St Austell and went on to St Mawes, where they met the Easter bunny, took a ride on the ferry and visited St Mawes Castle, just as Beatrix did in 1892. Stories were told, discoveries were made, Easter eggs were eaten and there was even the chance to cuddle some rabbits - making for the perfect family day out.
Barry said: “I’m quite aware that people in Cornwall don’t always know the amazing stories that come out of their own county, so I wanted this trip to be an opportunity for people to explore something on their doorstep. After delivering a talk in a local school, I felt moved by the experience and decided that I wanted to organise something for the children in the Easter holidays. It was pure magic to see the joy on their faces as we followed in the footsteps of Beatrix Potter.”
Beatrix Potter died in 1943, aged 77. She had published 23 tales, the first being The Tale of Peter Rabbit in 1902, and the last being The Tale of Little Pig Robinson in 1930.
Comentarios