BeatrixBeatrix PotterPotter

By Devon By Devon WescottWescott

LifeLife

�� BornBorn on July 28, 1866 on July 28, 1866

in Kensington, Londonin Kensington, London

�� Was a lonely child, so Was a lonely child, so

she adopted many she adopted many

pets especially rabbitspets especially rabbits

�� spent much time spent much time

drawing sketches of drawing sketches of

these animalsthese animals

CareerCareer

�� When she was older, applied to the Royal When she was older, applied to the Royal

Botanical Gardens College, but was Botanical Gardens College, but was

rejected because she was femalerejected because she was female

�� Became an apprentice for a botanistBecame an apprentice for a botanist

�� Drew many pictures of different types of fungiDrew many pictures of different types of fungi

CareerCareer

�� As she spent more time as an apprentice, As she spent more time as an apprentice,

she learned more about mycologyshe learned more about mycology

�� Was very interested in an idea from other Was very interested in an idea from other

scientistsscientists

�� This idea stated that the relationship between This idea stated that the relationship between

alga and fungi was that of a symbiotic form, alga and fungi was that of a symbiotic form,

or where the two organisms help each other or where the two organisms help each other

survivesurvive

CareerCareer

�� BeatrixBeatrix wrote a paper detailing her ideas wrote a paper detailing her ideas

and discoveriesand discoveries

�� Her work was rejected because she was Her work was rejected because she was

femalefemale

�� Decades later, scientists studied Decades later, scientists studied Beatrix’sBeatrix’s

work and discovered that she had been work and discovered that she had been

correct, and her ideas would have advanced correct, and her ideas would have advanced

the modern world far morethe modern world far more

Life After ScienceLife After Science

�� After her scientific After her scientific career failed because career failed because she was a woman, she was a woman, BeatrixBeatrix went back to went back to drawing her rabbitsdrawing her rabbits�� She eventually turned She eventually turned these drawings into these drawings into storiesstories

�� These became the These became the stories of Peter stories of Peter RabbitRabbit

DeathDeath

�� BeatrixBeatrix died on December 22, 1943died on December 22, 1943

�� She never returned to her fungi and alga She never returned to her fungi and alga

studies, and never lived to see her ideas studies, and never lived to see her ideas

accepted by the worldaccepted by the world

InfluenceInfluence

�� Even though Even though BeatrixBeatrix Potter gave up her ideas Potter gave up her ideas

after they were not accepted because she was a after they were not accepted because she was a

woman, she still had an influence on me. She woman, she still had an influence on me. She

proved that even people who think they know proved that even people who think they know

the most about a certain topic can be wrong. If the most about a certain topic can be wrong. If

those people had accepted her ideas, mycology those people had accepted her ideas, mycology

would be much further advanced than it is would be much further advanced than it is

today. She also proved that a woman’s ideas today. She also proved that a woman’s ideas

can be just as accurate as a man’scan be just as accurate as a man’s