Lyme Regis has long been a magnet for artists and writers.  Many came to this picturesque Dorset town for holidays and were inspired by the character of the town and its environment.  Others came here for health reasons.  Some came as children and returned in adulthood.

The more well-known writers with Lyme connections, all of whom are well represented in the museum, include:

• Henry Fielding (1707 - 1754): Novelist and playwright, who visited Lyme as as a young man and tried to elope with a 15-year old heiress!  (see related blog post)


• Jane Austen (1775 - 1817): One of the most widely read authors in the whole of English literature. She came to Lyme Regis on holiday in 1804, and her last novel Persuasion is partly set in the town.


• Francis Palgrave (1812 - 1897): Poet, and editor of the Golden Treasury anthology. He had a second home in Lyme, and introduced his friend Lord Tennyson to the town. (see related blog post)


• Beatrix Potter (1866 - 1943): Children's author. She came to Lyme on holiday in 1904, and produced sketches of the town. (see related blog post)
  


• G. K. Chesterton (1874 - 1936): Poet, novelist and critic, best known for his Father Brown detective stories. He made lengthy visits to Lyme for three consecutive summers, between 1926 and 1928. (see related blog post)


• Ivy Compton-Burnett (1884 - 1969): novelist. She came here several times in the 1930s, and again during the Second World War, as a place to get away from the bombing in London. (see related blog post)


• J. R. R. Tolkien (1892 - 1973): author of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. He regularly visited Lyme between 1905 and 1910 for his summer holidays. (see related blog post)
  


• John Fowles (1926 - 2005): A long-time resident of Lyme Regis, and author of The French Lieutenant's Woman, which is set in the town.


• PG Wodehouse (1881 - 1975): Visited Lyme to stay with friends and wrote Love Among the Chickens set in the town. (see related blog post)


• John Betjeman (1906 - 1984): Poet Laureate, who visited Lyme on more than one occasion. (see related blog post)

Among more recent writers, the novelist Tracy Chevalier has strong connections with the town. Colin Dexter, author of the Inspector Morse novels, described Lyme Regis as his "favourite place on Earth" (see related blog post).

Well-known artists with Lyme Connections include:

• J. M. W. Turner (1775 - 1851), who painted several views of the town (see related blog post and another)
  
• James McNeil Whistler (1834 - 1903) who also produced several views of the town (see related blog post and another)
  
• John Gould (1804 - 1881), the ornithologist
  
• Sir Laurence Whistler (1912 - 2000), a glass engraver who was instrumental in reviving the fortunes of Lyme Regis Museum in the 1960s.