Letter to Eric Moore
- Object:
- Place of origin:
Falmouth, England (written)
- Date:
28/03/1894 (writing (processes))
- Artist/Maker:
Beatrix Potter, born 1866 - died 1943 (writer)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Museum number:
- Gallery location:
- Image unavailable
Beatrix Potter (1866-1943) is one of the world's best-loved children's authors and illustrators. She wrote the majority of the twenty-three Original Peter Rabbit Books between 1901 and 1913. The Tale of Peter Rabbit (Frederick Warne, 1902) is her most famous and best-loved tale.
Potter conceived several of her published tales in illustrated letters to the children of her former governess, Annie Moore (neé Carter). She wrote the earliest version of The Tale of Peter Rabbit in 1893 in a picture letter to Annie's eldest son, Nöel, who was very ill. Potter remarked that the secret to the success of The Tale of Peter Rabbit was that it was 'written to a child - not made to order’. She wrote other tales to Nöel's younger brother, Eric Moore (1888-1971), including The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher.
First published in America in February 1870, Lear’s much loved rhyme of the owl and the pussy-cat appeared in England in time for Christmas 1870 as the opening song in Nonsense Songs, Stories, Botany, and Alphabets (London: Robert John Bush, 1871). Potter's father, Rupert, presented her with a copy of Lear's book as a Christmas present when she was four years old; it became a favourite childhood book.
In this letter to Eric Moore, Potter refers to Lear's rhyme of the owl and the pussy-cat: 'I have read about the owl & the pussy cat, who went to sea in a peagreen boat, but I never saw anything of that kind till today'. She goes on to tell Eric her own story about a pig which lives on board a ship but flees in a little rowing boat when the ship's cook wants to make it into sausages. The pig lives the remainder of its life on Robinson Crusoe's Island. The story was probably an early inspiration for Potter's Tale of Little Pig Robinson (1930).
Physical description
Letter written in ink with pen and ink illustrations, on a sheet of paper (folded to make four pages). Pages [1] and [2] with text and two pen and ink vignettes, page [3] with text and three vignettes and page [4] with vignette only.
Place of Origin
Falmouth, England (written)
Date
28/03/1894 (writing (processes))
Artist/maker
Beatrix Potter, born 1866 - died 1943 (writer)
Materials and Techniques
Pen and ink on paper
Marks and inscriptions
Text of the letter:
'My dear Eric
... there are a great many ships here, some very large ones. There is one from Norway, and a French one unloading at the quay. Some of the sailors have little dogs, and cocks and hens on the ships. I have read about the owl and the pussy cat, who went to sea in a peagreen boat, but I never saw anything of that kind till today.
I was looking at a ship called the Pearl of Falmouth which ws being mended at the bottom because it had rubbed on a rock, when I heard something grunt!
I went up a bank where I could see onto the deck & there was a white pig with a curly tail walking about. It is a ship that goes to Newfoundland & the sailors always take a pig. I daresay it enjoys the voyage, but when the sailors get hungry they eat it. If that pig had any sense it would slip down into the boat at the end of the ship & row away.
This is the captain & the boatswain & the ship's cook pursuing the pig. The cook is waving a knife and fork. He wants to make the pig into sausages!
This is the pig rowing away from the sailors, it is squealing because it sees the knife & fork. This is the pig living on Robinson Crusoe's Island. He is still rather afraid of the cook & is looking for the ship through a telescope. This is the same pig after he has lived ten years upon the island, he has grown very very fat and the cook has never found him.'
Eight pen and ink vignettes:
[1] Sketch of an owl and pussy-cat in a boat; the cat is rowing.
[2] Sketch of three hens and a dog on board a ship and two pigs in a little sailing boat.
[3] Sketch of a pig slipping down side of ship into a small rowing boat.
[4] Sketch of the ship's cook (holding a knife and fork) and the captain and boatswain rowing away from the ship in a small boat.
[5] Sketch of a pig escaping in a rowing boat.
[6] Sketch of a pig on an island looking through a telescope.
[7] Sketch of a fat pig sitting in an armchair smoking a cigar.
[9] Sketch of a pig underneath ship's rigging.
Dimensions
Height: 0 mm folded sheet, Width: 0 mm folded sheet
Object history note
Written by Beatrix Potter to Eric Moore on 28 March 1894, whilst staying at the Pendennis Hotel in Falmouth. Acquired by the V&A from Leslie Linder (1904-1973) in 1973 as part of the Linder Bequest, a collection of ca. 2150 watercolours, drawings, literary manuscripts, correspondence, books, photographs, and other memorabilia associated with Beatrix Potter and her family.
Exhibition History
Beatrix's Potter: the picture letters (Morgan Library & Museum 2 November 2012-27 January 2013)
Beatrix Potter (Dulwich Picture Gallery 12/10/2005-22/01/2006)
Once upon a time (National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh 05/11/1992-27/12/1992)
Beatrix Potter: artist and storyteller (Tate 18/11/1987-31/01/1988)
Beatrix Potter: artist and storyteller (Morgan Library & Museum 12/05/1988-21/08/1988)
The unknown Beatrix Potter (Beningbrough Hall 06/06/1987-19/07/1987)
Beatrix Potter & Kate Greenaway: National Library Week exhibition (Camden Town Hall 13/03/1967-01/04/1967)
Beatrix Potter Centenary Exhibition (National Book League 13/07/1966-30/07/1966)
Beatrix Potter and Edward Lear (Victoria and Albert Museum, Gallery 102 14/01/2008-12/05/2008)
Beatrix Potter exhibition (Church Farmhouse Museum 08/03/1969-06/04/1969)
Beatrix Potter exhibition (Hatchards 27/09/1968-10/10/1968)
Associated names
Moore, Eric
Production Note
Written whilst staying at the Pendennis Hotel, Falmouth
Materials
Paper; Pen and ink
Techniques
Drawing; Writing
Subjects depicted
Boats; Dogs; Owls; Pigs; Hens; Sailors; Sailing ships; Rowing boats; Falmouth
Categories
Manuscripts; Illustration; Drawings
Production Type
Unique
Collection code
AAD
