{women travelers}

Women Travelers: A Century of Trailblazing Adventures, 1850–1950. As soon as I turned the pages, I became utterly captivated by the photographs and the women travelers. The book was published in 2007 and has quickly become a favorite. And seriously, I think everyone needs a copy. It tells the story of women adventurers who traveled through deserts and jungles, crossing all five continents, completely flying in the face of social convention. There’s Fanny Vandegrift, the wife of Robert Louis Stevenson, who traveled from Indiana to Samoa, and American journalist Nellie Bly, who met Jules Verne’s challenge and went around the world in only 72 days. The stories are told through letters, newspaper clippings and the most amazing photographs. I think this would make a fantastic Mother’s Day gift (if you’re shopping early) or a gift for any intrepid traveler friend.
Image above: American travel documentary filmmaker Osa Johnson on a zebra in Kenya, ca. 1930