Only Group Portrait of the Brontë Sisters

Found on Instagram @National Portrait Gallery

This information about the brother/painter was found here.

Isn't all of the above fascinating? 

I thought so too!

xo

🐰The Rabbit's Dream🐰 Drawing Circa 1895-99 by Beatrix Potter

©Victoria & Albert Museum

Beatrix Potter’s drawing

“the Rabbit's Dream” one of four drawn over 4 years

He dreams BIG, doesn't he?

In the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

"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 is one of four known versions of ‘The Rabbit’s Dream’, all dating from 1895 to 1899. The rabbit shown here – thought to be Potter's pet rabbit, Peter Piper – sleeps in the No. 4 bedroom at Camfield Place. Potter slept in this room when visiting her grandparents before they died, and made a detailed pen and ink drawing of the room. Framing the central rabbit are numerous drawings of him sleeping in different positions, reflecting the many studies of her pets Potter made."

I love learning the history behind her artwork and this one is very special. I love knowing she slept in this very room in her grandparents' house. Her drawing below is also in the Beatrix Potter collection housed in London at The Victoria and Albert Museum. I found it on Google Images. There is a new exhibit opening February 22, 2022 to celebrate her life. Beatrix Potter, Drawn to Nature. Be sure to mark your calendar and visit virtually. I'll try to remind you.

©Victoria and Albert Museum

Isn't this the most charming bedroom ever? I wonder if her grandparents' house was preserved? If so, there should be a sign: "Beatrix slept here." Sweet Dreams! xo

Bedrooms with Upholstered Headboards

Tour Kit Kemp's residential renovation in London. You will see each room photographed by Simon Brown in the house tour. It is an exercise in mixing patterns. This isn't quite so obvious in the two rooms I have chosen to feature with plain rather than wallpapered or textile covered walls.

Bookish Christmas Card

I adore this custom Christmas Card designed for The London Library 2020. It's easy to see why it's sold out. Isn't it a perfect card for a library, librarian, or book lover? Perfect to send to your Book Club members too.

Dog Topiary in London

Love this. I saw it on Instagram and just had to post it. One of the comments said she saw this dog topiary in Islington London. It is simply wonderful, isn't it? This post is short but sweet. I had an 8:30 annual eye exam this morning and my pupils are still huge from being dilated. Have a great Friday. xo

Suffragette on A Scooter 1916

c. 1916 Lady Norman on her scooter.

IMAGE: PAUL THOMPSON/FPG/ARCHIVE PHOTOS/GETTY IMAGES click here for more photos of early scooters of all kinds.

Yes, she is a suffragette, and yes, that is her scooter. English socialite and activist Florence Priscilla, Lady Norman, CBE was given this Autoped as a birthday present by her husband, Sir Henry Norman. She used it to travel to her office in central London. Florence was following in her mother's footsteps in her active support for women's suffrage. Her CBE (Commander of the British Empire) came when she ran a hospital in France during World War I.

Gorgeous London Photo

I wonder how long it took for so many red busses to cross the bridge while composing this gorgeous photo? via

I woke up to snow again this morning but it stopped in fewer than three hours and is melting quickly. I got in two full days of manual labor outside this week. I severely pruned (hacked down) the bushes that were obstructing my view of oncoming cars at the other end of my half-circular drive drive. I have wanted to do this for years and for some reason the mood struck me on Wednesday and Thursday. It felt so good to do some hard work in between snow storms and before the hot weather sets in. I took down some large weed trees too called Trees of Heaven. They spread like wildfire and are an invasive species from China and they grow very tall in one season, thus their name.

Enjoy your Friday. xo

Tulips and More Tulips

Great article with more photos: Tulip Time in London

New House in London, Looks Old

New red brick country house with deliberate haphazard extensions and appearance. Des Ewing Residential Architects, London, UK. This is very impressive, isn't it? Doesn't look at all like a new house! via

Beatrix Potter Gentleman Rabbit

Beatrix Potter.
GENTLEMAN RABBIT WITH LETTER ("BENJAMIN BUNNY")
Estimate 30,000 — 50,000 GBP
LOT SOLD. 70,850 GBP
(Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium)

A fine watercolour executed around the period 1890-93 presumably as a greetings card design. Although unpublished at the time, the design was later reproduced by The Beatrix Potter Society as a greetings card. The piece acquired the title of "Benjamin Bunny" for sale at auction in December 2004. A pencil and ink drawing of this design was sold in these rooms (Sotheby's), 8 July 2004.

Beatrix Potter Mouse + Spinning Wheel

I have never seen this Beatrix Potter 1890 watercolor either. via So many images are surfacing that I've never seen. So glad.

Beatrix Potter 'Mouse with a Spinning Wheel' 1890 Helen Beatrix Potter (1866 – 1943) English author, illustrator, mycologist and conservationist ink and watercolour. From the collection of Caroline Isobel Emma Halpin (née Hutton) and thence by family descent. Sotheby's archives.

Dowager Duchess of Devonshire's Home

Click here to view the 13-photo slideshow

I have a feeling this March 2nd auction at Sotheby's in London will be mobbed. Be sure to expand the description beside each photo in the slideshow by clicking "See More". You will then be able to read wonderful things about her like this: “If second childhood means going back to first loves in old age then I am deep in it.”

Aud Lang Syne: Happy New Year ! ! !

This is an interesting history of the song we sing to ring in the New Year. I did not realize it was written in 1788 by Scottish poet Robert Burns. Read the complete article in The Independent with the words of the original poem and the English translation in case you want to sing along tonight at midnight.

London. New Year's Eve last year.

Guinea Pigs Gardening: Beatrix Potter

via

These two Beatrix Potter watercolors are new to me. Have you ever seen them? These gardening guinea pigs are in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Kate and William Dueling w/ Magic Wands

Last april, the royal couple toured one of the main locations for Harry Potter films and got a short lesson in wand wizzard fighting and of course they mastered it right away, perfectly and effortlessly. She was wearing a white maternity dress with black polka dots and a black jacket and looked absolutely wonderful. via

First Royal Wave

Look closely. The baby nailed his first royal wave, didn't he? via

Future King Heaviest in 100 Years

The future King with No Name was slightly overdue and that made him a heavy weight. I did not realize his great grandmother The Queen was born by Caesarean section in her maternal grandparents’ London home in April 1926. At the time, she was third in line to the throne, but her weight was not announced. She met the little one this morning and then the happy family embarked on a one-hour trip to grandmother's house where Kate can be babied by her own mum while she recovers from the royal birth. Read more about royal baby weights here.

Beatrix Potter Original Drawing: The Mice Hear Simpkin Outside

click image to enlarge

This delightful ink and watercolor on paper circa 1902 is in the Tate Gallery in London. Simpkin is the Tailer of Gloucester's cat. He rescued these mice from under a teacup where Simpkin had hidden them and out of gratitude they are helping him finish a waistcoat for the mayor's wedding on Christmas Day. Beatrix Potter based her story on a true happening in Gloucester...read more here.
The Tate has 22 of Beatrix Potter's illustrations from her second book which she declared was her favorite. They were presented to the museum in 1946 by the artist's executor .. read more here.
Read the entire book free online compliments of Project Gutenberg eBook

Garden Arch, Regents Park, London, England. What a lovely place to sit and reflect. via

Door Disguised as a Bookcase

When closed, this door is indistinguishable from the other bookcases that lined the walls -- except for the doorknob. It is the study door of Charles Dickens at his home at Gad's Hill Place. The dummy books contain some humorous titles invented by the author. This was an extremely important room to Dickens that was always kept locked when he was not occupying it and no servants were allowed to enter. More pictures and descriptions of his beloved home here.