A peek into our collections, one object at a time

A Little Mouse Hygge

December 22, 2021
Tailor of Gloucester
The Tailor of Gloucester by Beatrix Potter. Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Library’s Rare Book Collection on Juvenile Literature.

Hygge is a Norwegian/Danish word that loosely translates into a sense of warmth and togetherness.

This cozy, warm scene of mice busily sewing is from the book The Tailor of Gloucester by Beatrix Potter.

Potter was born in Kensington, London, England. She and her family spent many holidays in Scotland and the Lake District of England. The countryside is where her love of the flora and fauna developed.

While in her 30s, Potter published the highly successful children's book The Tale of Peter Rabbit. She began writing and illustrating children's books full time. With the proceeds from these books, she purchased Hill Top Farm in the Lake District. She published 23 books.

Many of Potter's books are located at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Library. The collection also has many of the Peter Rabbit books in pop-up.