All Things Beatrix Potter

By Jan Howard

Young children will be delighted by a colorful and whimsical display in the children’s room of Cyrenius H. Booth Library on Main Street.

Beatrix Potter’s whimsical characters are the theme of an exhibit mounted by Isabelle Murray, a 24-year resident of Newtown. She has spent many years collecting the items for her daughters, Lee Moore, who is married and lives in Massachusetts, and Kerry Murray, a college student. She presented them with a different character figure each year on their birthdays as well as on Christmas.

“The collection is always on exhibit at home,” Ms Murray said, noting each daughter had her collection in her room. She said when her oldest daughter, Ms Moore, first moved out into an apartment, she did not take her collection with her. Now, of course, “When I take it home, some of it will go back to Massachusetts to Lee.”

The collection is many faceted. There are china statues of bunnies, ducks, and pigs, frames for photographs, towels, photographs, small china figurines, a clothes hanger, baby toys, such as rattles, a watering can with a bunny peeking out, magnets, holders for birthday candles, needlepoint creations by Ms Murray, a painting on fabric, a tote bag, a lamp shade Ms Murray’s mother created for her grandchildren, music boxes, and, of course, the books that feature all those delightful animal characters.

 She purchased her first Royal Doulton Beatrix Potter-related item, a Peter Rabbit figurine, in Bermuda. “We went into this shop that had these cute little figurines,” she said.

 Since then, she has found Beatrix Potter character items in outlet stores, TJ Maxx, Marshall’s, gift shops, and even florists.

 “I’m always looking for Beatrix Potter,” she said. “I found the birthday candle holders at a baby store in Newport.”

Ms Murray is now giving Beatrix Potter items to her goddaughters, and the search for items they do not have is intensified, she said, because Royal Doulton has announced that its figurines are being discontinued at the end of the year.

Ms Murray was a member of the Board of Education for 12 years. She also collects Department 56 Christmas houses, snowmen, and some Beanie Babies.

The exhibit will be featured in the children’s room through May 1.