What kind of possum is this? I’m only used to the ones in the American south.

Now, that’s not said to diminish Potter’s work; authors and artists receive inspiration from what they see and read, and this is a perfect example of that in action. In a time where AA artist contributions are being questioned by the establishment, I believe it’s important to see these connections.

As a literature researcher, this interweaving of authors, artists, and stories is fascinating to me. To put it simply: because Joel Chandler Harris was in a special position to witness the stories of Georgia slaves, Peter Rabbit was born. We owe much to the oral traditions of American slaves.

So, while some readers may find Peter Rabbit to be a British copy of Brer, that isn’t exactly the case, as these stories weren’t Harris’s to begin with; he was merely the person who recorded them (albeit for white audiences).

Brer Rabbit often undergoes misfortune, is tricked and taken advantage of by others, but because he is cunning, he always finds a way out and survives.

Because of this, he was included in the story telling sessions of these Georgia slaves, which included the long established oral tradition of the stories of anthropomorphic animals. Brer Rabbit has been identified by African American scholars as an allegorical character to the plight of slaves.

Brer Rabbit wasn’t the sole creation of #JoelChandlerHarris. Harris had lived on a Georgia plantation as a young man, and since his mother wasn’t married to his father (and because he had red hair), he wasn’t allowed in the “big house.” He was told to bunk with the slaves.

Potter’s scenes are uniquely British and pastoral, but she clearly had a knack for imagining these animals in human predicaments and outfits!

You’ll likely notice an interesting similarity between her drawings of Brer Rabbit and Brer Possum and her later Peter Rabbit! Harris was one of the first authors to place his animal protagonists in outfits and have them live in communities mirroring those of people.

In the early 1890s, Potter was trying to break (unsuccessfully) into illustration. Harris’s “Uncle Remus” was a cultural phenomenon in the US and Britain. Potter tried her hand at drawing some illustrations of Brer Rabbit and submitted them to a publisher in Britain. They were rejected.

Right! Yes—I’m aware of the topography and gothic atmosphere (plus the sign in Whitby Abbey that says Dracula is not here 😂), but it wasn’t making sense route-wise that the ship landed there. I couldn’t find anywhere Stoker explained it but your thought does seem logical!

Awesome! Their work sounds really intriguing. I will enjoy investigating.

An Open-Face-Sandwich in the Crowd.