Before Little Women (1 Viewer)

[PolarBear]

During the Civil War Louisa May Alcott served as a nurse in a Federal Hospital in Washington, DC between 1862 and 1863. Her experiences were published in a book entitled Hospital Sketches.(below) She was appalled by the unsanitary conditions there and described it as a "pestilence box". After the war she returned to Orchard House in Concord, MA. where she wrote her most famous book in 1868. The 1st edition (shown here) was illustrated by her sister May an artist and friend of Mary Cassatt in France during the 1870s. May was also the first art teacher of Concord born Daniel Chester French, the sculptor of the Minuteman and the Lincoln Memorial. I visited Orchard House recently and was inspired to use the WB petticoat from the 1860s in front of the house as it appears to visitors today.

 

[Leadmen]

Another fine photo and figure story Randy. I enjoyed viewing your clever photo of past times and authors. John

 

[cantinetozzo]

Very well made!!!

 

[Ken & Ericka Osen/H&A Studio]

Your postings with historical background are always a joy to see.
Ken

 

[aujj65]

Another good one Randy! You have made this into an art form now.......

Jeff

 

[PolarBear]

Thank you John, Andrea, Ken and Jeff. The real tragedy is that just down the road from Orchard House is a house that belonged first to the Alcotts ("Hillside") and then to Hawthorne("Wayside"). It is owned by the National Park Service and they have let it go to ruin and decay. The paint is peeling, shutters are broken and in general a real mess. Below is a photo of it in better days. This was the house where Louisa May Alcott and her sisters grew up as children and many of the events in Little Women took place there.

 

[PolarBear]

Your postings with historical background are always a joy to see.
Ken

Ken

I thought of you and Ericka when at Orchard House because they had Louisa's older sister Anna's 1860 grey wedding dress on display. It is only shown one month each year to mark the anniversary of her wedding. Then it goes back into preservation storage. No photos were allowed but it looked brand new and was a highlight of our tour of the house.

Randy

 

[Scott]

Another nice one! These figures have numerous creative uses. We've been to Orchard House with my daughter and it's a visit well worth taking.