In the Victoria and Albert Museum hosts an exhibition devoted to Peter Rabbit - the prototype of today's idols of the type of children WALL-E and Shrek

culture of XX - beginning of the XXI century has created a huge number of new idols «for toddlers». In the past century, the issue of «what children play» vanished once and for all. Now mothers do not need to sew rag doll, and breaking his head, to invent new games. Thanks to the creators of the popular children's books, movies, cartoons and have a whole army of children was your favorite characters are already finished with the history and characteristics of the set. Do you want to - play in Harry Potter, you want - in WALL-E, you want - in any of Shrek, or even heroes «South Park». And children do not even have to do a toy «Shrek» itself. In any store full of cartoon characters plush replicas, as well as other «accessories» type pazzlov, TIR-raskrasok, tetradok and mugs with their image. Psychology and culture gnashing of teeth: the fact that children are provided with ready-heroes do not have any room for imagination and fantasy! But in any case, products with images of funny characters at odds in the cheers. Often groups of Shrek and Harry Potter book about to buy myself and adults. In general, a business that is not going to die.

What started this trend? On the Disney cartoons, you might say. And the truth: there in the 1920's Mickey Mouse overshadowed all other popular characters, became the main symbol of mass culture and consumer society. His picture ugly creatures and burn the opponents of American capitalism. But the «Souvenir fever» still did not start with him, but with Peter Rabbit. This character, invented in the late XIX century, the English aristokratkoy Beatrix Potter (Beatrix Potter) to twenty-five years before Mickey Mouse, conquered the hearts of children and the shelves of stores in Europe and then the whole world.

Beatrix Potter was born in 1866 in a wealthy aristocratic family. Her father was fond of art and always encouraged his daughter's desire to draw. Favorite characters were the young painter animals, especially domestic rabbit named Peter Piper. In 1893, when the son of a beloved governess Potter is seriously ill, the artist wrote to his tale, where the main character acted naughty Peter Rabbit. Seven years later Potter requested in his letter to the boy's back: she had the idea to publish a story about a rabbit in the form of books. By deciding to publish «The Tale of Peter Rabbit», Potter is faced with a lack of publishers: they wanted the book was great and the color illustrations. But the artist wanted to publish a book small in size so that it can keep children's hands, but also sought to reduce the price of most production, as well as «small rabbits can not afford to spend 6 shillings for the book». As a result, she has published «The Tale of Peter Rabbit» itself. Book sold at the price of 1 shilling 2 pensions, and soon became very popular. In 1902, a fairy tale was re-issued in the publisher Frederick Warne (Frederick Warne), this time with color illustrations.

In 1903 was the start of «The world Beatrix Potter» (The World of Beatrix Potter ™). Writer has created a toy rabbit, Peter for his nieces and publisher at once decided to patent it. A year earlier, Potter got into a very unpleasant situation: the book sold out a large circulation in the United States, but she has not received a single cent to the sales, forget to register for copyright. Therefore, to control the production and distribution of souvenirs, she became from the very beginning. After a soft toy tabletop game «Peter Rabbit», and then some coloring books, calendars, handkerchiefs, pazzly, household slippers, stationery, cups and wallpaper - all with the images of the beloved hero. The artist is strictly monitored to ensure that these images exactly match her book illustrations.

Souvenirs enjoyed incredible success, and Beatrix Potter brought considerable income. Lion's portion of the funds it spent to support the fund, whose task conservation famous lake edges.

Now, Peter Rabbit continues to be profitable. Licenses to use his image in advertising with 450 companies. Rabbit appears in advertising Barbie dolls, Konica cameras and Japanese mayonnaise. A recent watercolor of his image, made Potter, was sold at auction Sotheby's for nearly 290 thousand pounds and became the most expensive book illustration in the history .

This summer, visitors to London's Victoria and Albert Museum the opportunity to see the illustrations of Potter, as well as many souvenirs with images of Peter Rabbit and other characters. The exhibition «World of Beatrix Potter» last until August 31.

Julia Maksimova

Sources: vam.ac . uk , artinvestment.ru