Blythe House was originally a Post Office that was built in 1903. The entrance of the big, brick building was gated, and we had to stand in the rain while they buzzed us in. Once inside, the hallway in the entryway was lined with floor to ceiling glass displays of vintage action figures and games. Most recognizable to me was the Star Wars figures and battleship. It was a very cool display!
Our guides at Blythe House took us through the fascinating life of author Beatrix Potter's life, writings, and art. As I am woeful with names of noteworthy people, I had not realized that Beatrix Potter was the author of the children's book series Peter Rabbit that I was read frequently as a child (Thanks for reading to me before I knew how @Mom and @Dad).
Potter's life of curiosity was able to flourish despite the suffocating, male-dominated, Victorian era in which she lived. The wealth and status of her family allowed her to study the anatomy of the many pets of the family. Our guide, author Andrew Wiltshire, noted that Peter Rabbit is drawn anatomically correct, minus his jacket of course! Unfortunately, wealth and status can only get one so far as a women during the late 1800s / early 1900s and Potter's interests in the natural sciences were quickly extinguished. Despite this, her artwork reflected her curious mind in both the natural sciences and characterization of woodland creatures. During our tour we were ale to view breathtaking sketches and watercolors done by Potter.
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