I am gathering those that I can find.
1.
Sculptor and feminist Harriet Hosmer’s early
years:
Her independence of manner and character, joined to the fact
of her entering the college as a student, could not fail to bring down
animadversion, and many were the tales fabricated-and circulated anent the
young New Englander, who was said to carry pistols in her belt, and to be prepared
to take the life of any one who interfered with her. It was perhaps no disadvantage,
under the circumstances, to be protected by such a character. The college stood
some way from the inhabited part of the town, and in early morning and late
evening, going to and 'fro with the other students, it is not impossible that she
owed the perfect impunity with which she set conventionality at defiance to the
character for courage and skill in the use of firearms which attended her.[1]
[1]
Harriet Hosmer, St. Cloud [Minn.] Democrat, Oct.
14, 1858, 1, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83016836/1858-10-14/ed-1/seq-1/,
last accessed December 16, 2024.
The linked newspaper article is "meta"-interesting. Hosmer was only 28, was still in the early stage of her career, and had no connection to St. Cloud. One wonders why the paper chose to run such a long front page story about her. Perhaps the answer is in the masthead, which shows "Jane G. Swisshelm" as Editor and Proprietor. Swisshelm was a noted feminist and abolitionist.
ReplyDeleteGood catch. I did not notice that. Reading old newspapers is full of stereotyping breaking stories. 1920s "Negro banker" killed in bank robbery. 1910s Dead party girl turns out to be partner in Wall Street brokerage firm.
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