Ep. 8 Fuzzy Bunnies & Spiders & Furries, Oh My!

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This episode Megan & Milena cover artist, scientist, businesswoman, conservationist and farmer Beatrix Potter & 17th century illustrator and scientist Maria Sibylla Merian

Beatrix Potter

A young Beatrix photographed by her father. In her hand? Just her pet mouse named Xarifa….totally a Milena move naming an animal that…Milena…

My dear Noel, starts the letter to four year old Noel Moore in 1893, I don’t know what to write to you, so I shall tell you a story about four little rabbits whose names were – Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail – and Peter… So begins a letter that now brings in over 500$ million annually from the creation of Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit. While best known for her children’s books, the reclusive Beatrix was also avid in mycology, farming and sheep breeding. This episode we learn what it’s like growing up in late Victoria England, why B12 supplements are essential for any potential spouse and what to do with over 6000 acres of farmland – not bad for starting with four little rabbits.  

Selected Illustrations of Beatrix’s

The famous Peter Rabbit, arguably the reason why the Potter works are valued at 500$ million dollars today. Beatrix’s most iconic illustration
Artwork of the red cap toadstool, also know as the amanita muscaria, fly agaric or fly amanita. Beatrix did over 300 drawings of fungi in her lifetime, later blaming her weakening eyesight on all the eyestrain from drawing them
Drawing of hygrocybe coccinea – don’t ask me to say that. On encouragement from a lead mycologist she started illustrating not only the mushrooms in their natural settings but cross sections as well
A 1899 drawing to celebrate the publication of Henry Roscoe’s chemistry textbook – Beatrix often wove her science interests into her art
Studies of her pet hedgehog. Beatrix would pull from these preliminary sketches for her book illustrations

Selected Photographs of Beatrix

Beatrix and her brother Bertram posing for their father. Rupert photographed the family over the years, with the long exposure times I imagine the children got very good at standing still
A handcrafted stuffed animal of Peter, made by Beatrix. She started character branding with her marketing of Peter Rabbit merchandise
Beatrix with her right hand man, Tom Storey and a prized Herdwick sheep
I’b be smiling like that too if I was worth 20 million dollars and owned over 6000 acres of property

Mentioned this episode:

  • Bertram Potter– Younger brother to Beatrix, and an artist in his own right, working with oils for large scale landscape paintings
  • Randolph Caldecott – English illustrator that inspired Beatrix for his contributions to children’s literature, has a Medal named after him awarded annually for most distinguished American picture book for children
  • Dalguise House – Manor in Scotland where Beatrix and her family stayed during their summer holiday away from London for ten years
  • English Lake District – Area in north west England, comprised of property donated to the National Trust by Beatrix  
  • Linnean Society of London – Founded in 1788, it’s the worlds oldest active biological society. In 1897 Beatrix’s paper ‘On the Germination of the Spores Agaricinea’ was presented to the society
  • William Heelis – Husband to Beatrix, was her local solicitor when she started purchasing land in the Lake District
  • Herdwick Sheep Breeding Association – Beatrix became the first woman president – her passion for reviving the dwindling Herdwick sheep population won her awards and recognition
  • Anne Carroll Moore– Superintendent of children’s work for the New York Public Library and instrumental figure in the rise of children’s literature in the early to mid 1900’s
  • Rev. Hardwicke Rawnsley – Family friend to the Potter’s who supported Beatrix and her work. He helped to get her initially published and also was significant to the preservation of English country land through the establishment of the National Trust
  • Noel Moore – The son of her old governess, Annie, that Beatrix wrote to one summer the start of a tale that would launch her into the public eye, the Tale of Peter Rabbit

Maria Sibylla Merian

Maria Sibylla Merian

This lady hung out with bugs most of her life. Idk why. What I do know is that her time spent with these creatures helped lift the mysterious veil over the lives of being mostly known around the world as “The Devil’s Creatures.” Marrying her formal art training with her love of beings that most kill with an old shoe on the spot, Merian contributed to the world of naturalism and entomology with one beautiful illustration at a time.

Oh look…silkworms….my favorite type of worms

At age 13, Merian started her journey with silkworms during her art apprenticeship downtime. Unlike other still-life illustrators and naturalists, she would record every stage of the animal she was observing, all the way down to their eggs and their preferred tasty plants – in the most realistic colors she could create. This led to scientists later being able to identify and name hundreds of critters based off of her pieces.


“Just. Fuck off. Fuck ALL the way off.” – Milena, every time somebody even mentions the word  “spider.”
MMMmmm pineappl – HOLY FUCK WHATS EATING IT

Merian found her way to Suriname for what was originally supposed to be a five year mission, showcasing the insects and animals of South America. She only got 2 years ago because she got sick, but she came back with an array of beautiful, exotic creatures that would eat you and me in an absolute instant. And, also, she showcased the pineapple because her mission was mostly funded by the West India Company. They basically only cared about money and trading. And pineapples were the latest trend, yo. She did this in her own fashion by also illustrating the cockroaches that would feed on the plant. So….that must have been enticing….

As always, music by EeL