Toy letterbox
Mailboxes
early 20th century (made)
early 20th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Lucie Carr was the girl who features in Beatrix Potter's The Tale of Mrs Tiggy-Winkle (1905). Potter (1866-1943) wanted to put the young daughter of the Vicar of Newlands into a tale: a tale about a hedgehog seemed most appropriate as Lucie spent time playing with Tiggy (Potter's hedgehog) when her parents visited the Potters during their stay at Lingholm near Derwentwater in the Lake District.
This miniature post box was given to Lucie when she was a child by Potter. Potter would provide Lucie with miniature letters, most often from characters in her tales, addressed to each other. These could be inserted into the postbox.
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.
This miniature post box was given to Lucie when she was a child by Potter. Potter would provide Lucie with miniature letters, most often from characters in her tales, addressed to each other. These could be inserted into the postbox.
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.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Toy letterbox (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Painted metal (tin?) |
| Brief description | Toy letterbox, unknown maker, Great Britain, early 20th century. |
| Physical description | One small red postbox. Top plane is trapezium-shaped on a slant with a slit for the letters. Front plane of box is smaller than the back plane. Gold on all edges. Painted black on the rear plane. "Letters" written in black on the front. Seven vents at the bottom of the front plane. Missing base. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Given by Lucie Carr |
| Object history | Given by Beatrix Potter to Lucie Carr. Given to the V&A Museum by Lucie Carr. |
| Association | |
| Summary | Lucie Carr was the girl who features in Beatrix Potter's The Tale of Mrs Tiggy-Winkle (1905). Potter (1866-1943) wanted to put the young daughter of the Vicar of Newlands into a tale: a tale about a hedgehog seemed most appropriate as Lucie spent time playing with Tiggy (Potter's hedgehog) when her parents visited the Potters during their stay at Lingholm near Derwentwater in the Lake District. This miniature post box was given to Lucie when she was a child by Potter. Potter would provide Lucie with miniature letters, most often from characters in her tales, addressed to each other. These could be inserted into the postbox. 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. |
| Associated object | |
| Other number | AAD/1996/12/17 - V&A Archive number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | AR.12:17-1996 |
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| Record created | March 23, 2012 |
| Record URL |
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