Learning more about 19th century life for women with “Mr. Emerson’s Wife”

As a follow-up to American Bloomsbury, and in an effort to continue to build on knowledge of life in New England for women in the 19th century, I've started reading Mr. Emerson’s Wife by Amy Belding Brown, at the advice of a friend (good advice!). This is a beautifully written book that attempts to fill …

Photo #4: Beth

  BethĀ  "Little Women" (1868) Louisa May Alcott Photography by Jennifer - re enactment - January 2008 Black and white silver film, hand developed, limited to 100. "There are many Beths in the world, shy and quiet, sitting in corners till needed, and living for others so cheerfully that no one sees the sacrifices till …

Orchard House will soon be 100 years old

The Boston Globe’s ā€œGlobe Westā€ section featured a front page article on Orchard House’s 100th year celebration (see the official Orchard House site for details). When Louisa May Alcott’s hyacinth bloomed pink one spring day in 1868, she considered the flower a ā€œtrue prophet’’ of good things to come. That same day she received $100 …

Sculptor Harriet Hosmer and Louisa May Alcott

Quick question: I saw this on the following page http://theloopny.com/2011/03/10/march-happenings-furniture-drive-a-judge-and-a-sculpture/ Harriet Hosmer (1830–1908) was regarded as the nation’s most prominent woman sculptor and was seen as instrumental in promoting women in the field of sculpture.Ā  After moving from Boston to Rome in 1852, she was, according to Culkin, the only American woman sculptor working in …

Photo #3: Orchard House at Christmastime

The Orchard House is not complete without a good old Christmas photograph. This is the first photograph my camera and I ever took of The Orchard House and I happen to adore this on as well. The black and white silver film did it's "magic" as love to say - snowflakes on the wooden fence, …

Photo #2: Young Louisa re-enactment

Jennifer’s comments: Here she is, Louisa May Alcott re-enactment. The furnishings are all copies of what is found in The Orchard House today. The lace on dresses collar is from the 1860's. Hitchcock desk chair:Ā  1830's; Secretary:Ā  1830"s; Desk:Ā  1840's; The staging room:Ā  1740's; The book:Ā  "Flowers and Fables" (1854); The model, a beautiful young …

A series of photographs based on Little Women

I had the pleasure of meeting a wonderful local photographer, Jennifer Bernard, who has taken her love of Louisa May Alcott and translated it into a series of beautiful black and white photographs recreating scenes from Little Women. Over the next 4 days I will present a large representation of each photo with comments from …

Book Review: American Bloomsbury

I know I said I would not finish American Bloomsbury but I really do enjoy Susan Cheever's writing style despite the problems her books pose. This is the second non-fiction book I've read by Cheever and it's frustrating that her work is so uneven. She is either utterly brilliant or totally inane. Despite several factual …

The American Library Association Louisa May Alcott Project: A DVD and Book Start a Movement

In May of 1868, a publisher asked an author to write a book specifically targeted "for girls." His plan was twofold: to capitalize on this up-and-coming author's growing popularity, and to capture a corner of a brand new genre of children's literature. The author begrudgingly obliged, and ended up producing one of the best selling, …

Finally saw the 1994 film of Little Women

I suppose if I'm going to be so long in reading Little Women , I might as well be long in seeing the film too! My lovely husband, keenly aware of my interest, set the DVR to tape Little Women on the Oprah Winfrey Network so I could watch it (awfully nice, thanks Rich!). I …