Grace Gallatin Seton-Thompson (1872–1959)
Auteur de A Woman Tenderfoot
A propos de l'auteur
Séries
Œuvres de Grace Gallatin Seton-Thompson
Oeuvres associées
Étiqueté
Partage des connaissances
- Autres noms
- Seton, Grace
Dodge, Dorothy (pseudonym) - Date de naissance
- 1872-01-28
- Date de décès
- 1959-03-19
- Sexe
- female
- Nationalité
- USA
- Lieu de naissance
- Sacramento, California, USA
- Lieu du décès
- Palm Beach, Florida, USA
- Études
- Packer Collegiate Institute, Brooklyn Heights, New York, USA
- Professions
- journalist
travel writer
suffragist - Relations
- Seton, Anya (daughter)
Seton, Ernest Thompson (husband) - Organisations
- Camp Fire Girls (co-founder)
National League of Pen Women (president) - Courte biographie
- Grace Gallatin, born in Sacramento, California, began writing articles for San Francisco newspapers under the pen name of Dorothy Dodge in 1888. She graduated from Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn, New York. In 1896, she married Ernest Thompson Seton, a founder of the Boy Scouts of America, and had a daughter who grew up to become the writer Anya Seton. Grace Seton-Thompson was active in the women's rights movement and served as president of the Connecticut Woman's Suffrage Association. With her husband, she helped to organize the Girl Pioneers, later known as the Camp Fire Girls, in 1910. She was President of the National League of Pen Women from 1926 to 1928 and again from 1930 to 1932. In the 1920s and 1930s, Mrs. Seton-Thompson visited Japan, China, Indochina, Hawaii, Egypt and Latin America, and wrote books about her travels, including A Woman Tenderfoot (1900) and A Woman Tenderfoot in Egypt (1923), Chinese Lanterns (1924), Yes, Lady Saheb (1925).
Membres
Critiques
Grace Gallatin Seton-Thompson was truly a woman before her time. Famous for founding the Camp Fire Girls, she was also a world-traveler, author and outspoken suffragist. She was the first western woman to travel alone into India and China. She wrote several best-selling books about her travels through the Rocky Mountains, China, Egypt, Hawaii, Indochina, Japan and South America. Her husband was a famous naturalist and writer, Ernest Seton-Thompson.
A Woman Tenderfoot was first published in 1900. My copy (found at the bottom of an old box of grungy paperbacks in a thriftshop....treasure!!) was a reprint published in 1987.
This book gave me no end of joy. I expected a travelogue sort of book about her travels with her husband. I wasn't familiar with either her or her husband before I read this book. I have to be honest and say I expected the book to be filled with the trials and tribulations of a spoiled Victorian woman unwillingly dragged along on multiple trips to the wilds. I was pleasantly surprised......this was not a book of complaints and sob stories from the spoiled, wealthy wife of a famous outdoorsman. It was exactly the opposite. This is the tale of a strong, capable and athletic woman who wanted other women to accompany their husbands on trips to the west, as long as they could learn to behave properly, pack the right gear and not act like spoiled simpletons. Her personality, strength, wit and intelligence came shining through on every page!
Grace writes simple instructions for Victorian women who wish to accompany their husbands on lengthy mountain or hunting trips. She even includes a basic pattern for a riding outfit that would allow them to maintain modesty while riding astride a horse. She cautions women not to join a mountain trek if they can't handle riding astride a horse. Riding side-saddle, Grace writes, causes undue delays for the entire party and is also too cumbersome, painful and frightening for the horse. In the case of an accident where a horse slips on a mountain trail, riding side-saddle might also cause both the horse and woman to die if she is unable to dismount quickly. She also states that women should bring only what they really need, providing a basic list and packing tips. She gives a diagram showing the proper way to lash bedrolls and small trunks to pack animals. And, she states that a woman must bring an exact duplicate of her camping pack (containing a rubber air mattress, silverware, aluminum plate, cup, etc) along for her husband, brother, father, etc or the men will be "constantly borrowing yours.'' Above all, she pretty much lays it out plain: Victorian women should be willing to accompany their men on hunting trips or other expeditions because the exercise is good for them, it will improve their relationship with their menfolk and the wilds are beautiful. But she also cautions that women must be prepared for the trip, not delay the group, and not complain.
I had to smile when she talked about the one demand that a woman must make before such a trip. She wrote that a woman needs to be sure that one of the guides is also being paid to cook. She did not recommend that a woman try to cook over an open fire, or try her hand at cooking trail foods. Then she cautioned that a woman along on a trip must be willing to eat the food prepared for the men without complaint. If there is dirt or any contaminants in the food, a woman should quietly and without comment flick the offending item off her plate or push it to the side, without making any comment. And, at no time, should she express disgust at the abilities of the cook and demand to cook the food for the group herself.
Her stories were wonderful. She talked about hunting elk, getting lost on the trail, capturing a skunk and other small animals for her husband to draw, her impression of their cook who was actually a convicted felon and multiple-murderer, and her tales of all the people they met on their travels through the Rocky Mountains. They were in the area that is now the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park, near Jackson Hole. It's beautiful country! I can only imagine what it looked like before paved roads and modern conveniences.
She offers many tips and suggestions for early 1900's women who want to make a trek to the Rocky Mountains. She reiterates many times that the mountains are "not New York,'' cautioning that the people, supplies and accommodations will be very different from a city woman's normal experience. She gives suggestions for fashion on such trips, tips for how to behave or handle problems, and tells stories about times when she could have handled danger, stressful events or her own mistakes with more calm strength, rather than panic or fear.
All in all, this book was awesome. I loved her more than 100-year old advice for women. In an era where women couldn't even vote, she was definitely before her time. She married a naturalist, so she learned to ride a horse like a man, fire a gun and trek for hundreds of miles without any undue discomfort. She also challenged women to get out and really experience the outdoors and to live their lives outside of the city, hotels and the constraints of society.
The 1987 reprint from Nick Lyons Books that I found contains both the original text and illustrations.
I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in history, the Rocky Mountains, the Victorian era, feminism or the suffragist movement. Such a great read! I wish I could have a time machine just for an hour or two so I could go back in time and have one conversation with Grace Gallatin Seton-Thompson. I imagine she was quite a pistol and would be so much fun to join in conversation!
… (plus d'informations)
A Woman Tenderfoot was first published in 1900. My copy (found at the bottom of an old box of grungy paperbacks in a thriftshop....treasure!!) was a reprint published in 1987.
This book gave me no end of joy. I expected a travelogue sort of book about her travels with her husband. I wasn't familiar with either her or her husband before I read this book. I have to be honest and say I expected the book to be filled with the trials and tribulations of a spoiled Victorian woman unwillingly dragged along on multiple trips to the wilds. I was pleasantly surprised......this was not a book of complaints and sob stories from the spoiled, wealthy wife of a famous outdoorsman. It was exactly the opposite. This is the tale of a strong, capable and athletic woman who wanted other women to accompany their husbands on trips to the west, as long as they could learn to behave properly, pack the right gear and not act like spoiled simpletons. Her personality, strength, wit and intelligence came shining through on every page!
Grace writes simple instructions for Victorian women who wish to accompany their husbands on lengthy mountain or hunting trips. She even includes a basic pattern for a riding outfit that would allow them to maintain modesty while riding astride a horse. She cautions women not to join a mountain trek if they can't handle riding astride a horse. Riding side-saddle, Grace writes, causes undue delays for the entire party and is also too cumbersome, painful and frightening for the horse. In the case of an accident where a horse slips on a mountain trail, riding side-saddle might also cause both the horse and woman to die if she is unable to dismount quickly. She also states that women should bring only what they really need, providing a basic list and packing tips. She gives a diagram showing the proper way to lash bedrolls and small trunks to pack animals. And, she states that a woman must bring an exact duplicate of her camping pack (containing a rubber air mattress, silverware, aluminum plate, cup, etc) along for her husband, brother, father, etc or the men will be "constantly borrowing yours.'' Above all, she pretty much lays it out plain: Victorian women should be willing to accompany their men on hunting trips or other expeditions because the exercise is good for them, it will improve their relationship with their menfolk and the wilds are beautiful. But she also cautions that women must be prepared for the trip, not delay the group, and not complain.
I had to smile when she talked about the one demand that a woman must make before such a trip. She wrote that a woman needs to be sure that one of the guides is also being paid to cook. She did not recommend that a woman try to cook over an open fire, or try her hand at cooking trail foods. Then she cautioned that a woman along on a trip must be willing to eat the food prepared for the men without complaint. If there is dirt or any contaminants in the food, a woman should quietly and without comment flick the offending item off her plate or push it to the side, without making any comment. And, at no time, should she express disgust at the abilities of the cook and demand to cook the food for the group herself.
Her stories were wonderful. She talked about hunting elk, getting lost on the trail, capturing a skunk and other small animals for her husband to draw, her impression of their cook who was actually a convicted felon and multiple-murderer, and her tales of all the people they met on their travels through the Rocky Mountains. They were in the area that is now the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park, near Jackson Hole. It's beautiful country! I can only imagine what it looked like before paved roads and modern conveniences.
She offers many tips and suggestions for early 1900's women who want to make a trek to the Rocky Mountains. She reiterates many times that the mountains are "not New York,'' cautioning that the people, supplies and accommodations will be very different from a city woman's normal experience. She gives suggestions for fashion on such trips, tips for how to behave or handle problems, and tells stories about times when she could have handled danger, stressful events or her own mistakes with more calm strength, rather than panic or fear.
All in all, this book was awesome. I loved her more than 100-year old advice for women. In an era where women couldn't even vote, she was definitely before her time. She married a naturalist, so she learned to ride a horse like a man, fire a gun and trek for hundreds of miles without any undue discomfort. She also challenged women to get out and really experience the outdoors and to live their lives outside of the city, hotels and the constraints of society.
The 1987 reprint from Nick Lyons Books that I found contains both the original text and illustrations.
I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in history, the Rocky Mountains, the Victorian era, feminism or the suffragist movement. Such a great read! I wish I could have a time machine just for an hour or two so I could go back in time and have one conversation with Grace Gallatin Seton-Thompson. I imagine she was quite a pistol and would be so much fun to join in conversation!
… (plus d'informations)
1 
JuliW | 1 autre critique | Nov 22, 2020 |
JuliW | 1 autre critique | Nov 22, 2020 | 200. 1st ed. EXC. >150 illustrations. Beautifully designed book. Wife of the founder of the Boy Scouts. Unpaginated. Figures importantly in women's history, western history, American Indians, Naturalist.
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Statistiques
- Œuvres
- 9
- Aussi par
- 1
- Membres
- 44
- Popularité
- #346,250
- Évaluation
- 4.1
- Critiques
- 3
- ISBN
- 3
The narrative begins with the author's decision to embark on a solo trip to India, an audacious choice that sets the tone for the rest of the book. From the bustling streets of Delhi to the serene beauty of the Taj Mahal, Lady Saheb's vivid descriptions transport readers into the heart of each destination. Her keen eye for detail and evocative storytelling bring the sights, sounds, and aromas of India to life, allowing readers to experience the country's enchantment from the comfort of their own armchairs.
One of the strengths of this memoir is Lady Saheb's ability to portray the diverse cultures and traditions of India. She navigates the country's rich tapestry, highlighting the unique customs, festivals, and religious practices she encounters along the way. From participating in Holi, the festival of colors, to witnessing the grandeur of Diwali, the festival of lights, the author's experiences reveal the deep-rooted cultural fabric of India. Through her interactions with locals and her observations of daily life, she brings authenticity and depth to her storytelling, making the reader feel like a part of her journey.
While the book is primarily a travelogue, it also delves into deeper themes. Lady Saheb explores the challenges faced by women in India, sharing personal anecdotes and encounters that shed light on gender inequality and the struggles women face. Her honest and heartfelt accounts provide a nuanced perspective on the complexities of being a woman in a society that holds traditional norms and values.
Although the author's enthusiasm for India is evident throughout the book, there are moments when the narrative feels slightly disjointed. The pacing occasionally loses momentum, and certain anecdotes could benefit from further exploration or elaboration. However, these minor drawbacks do not detract significantly from the overall enjoyment of the book.
Yes, Lady Saheb: A Woman's Adventurings With Mysterious India is a captivating memoir that will appeal to both armchair travelers and those with a keen interest in India. Lady Saheb's bravery, curiosity, and deep respect for the country shine through her engaging prose, leaving readers inspired to embark on their own adventures. Her sincere exploration of Indian culture and her honest reflections on the challenges faced by women make this memoir an enlightening and thought-provoking read. If you're yearning for a journey filled with discovery, cultural immersion, and a touch of mystery, then this book will transport you to the captivating world of India like never before.… (plus d'informations)