Cranberry Township library hosts speaker on Beatrix Potter
CRANBERRY TWP — Peter Rabbit is known for his mischievous and disobedient behavior, and on Tuesday evening, his presence was felt in more than one way at the Cranberry Public Library.
Just as Ann Toxell of the Beatrix Potter Society was finishing up her lecture Tuesday on the life of children’s author and illustrator Beatrix Potter, fire alarms rang throughout the facility.
And while volunteers from Cranberry Township Fire and Emergency Services said the false alarm was likely caused by the ongoing construction at the Cranberry Township Municipal Center, which houses the library, there is reason to believe that Potter’s beloved character Peter Rabbit may have had something to do with it.
Before the alarms rang, it was a night of learning, laughing and intrigue as Toxell gave a lecture on Potter’s life at the library.
Former school teacher Mimi Greenfield of Cranberry Township said she loved hearing about the English writer, famously known for “The Tale of Peter the Rabbit.”
“Listening to (Toxell), it was more like reinforcement because I have enjoyed Beatrix Potter for such a long time,” Greenfield said. “I used to use her books when I was a primary school teacher.”
Potter, who was born in England in 1886, has touched generations with her work. Her stories, often accompanied with playful illustration of animal characters, have been a mainstay in children’s literature culture.
“I think a lot of the reason Potter is sill relevant has to do with when people see her illustrations they remember things from their childhood,” Toxell said. “And it’s a warm and fuzzy experience.”
The hour-long lecture touched on Potter’s childhood, family and her work as a natural scientist.
“She was a preservationist,” Toxell said. “She was a preservationist of the land and of the way of life.”
Aside from writing and illustration, Potter’s passions included restoring and preserving farms that she purchased throughout northwestern England. She played a crucial role in preserving Herdwick sheep, according to Toxell.
“There’s a native breed of sheep in the Lake District (of England) called Herdwicks, and when Beatrix moved and began farming, the sheep were not doing well,” she said. “She saved them.”
Toxell included in her presentation pictures of Potter and also shared a collection of some of her books and illustrations.
The evening ended with Toxell reciting a quote attributed to one of Potter’s neighbors, words that seemed to encapsulate the beloved author and illustrator.
“She was much loved, also much disliked but never ignored.”
