Mary L. Booth: Always an Independent Woman
Mary Louise Booth wrote her own story. A single woman from Long Island, she rose to prominence in the world of New York publishing as an acclaimed author, translator, and founding editor of Harper’s Bazaar. She was also a friend and champion of many prominent women, from Susan B. Anthony and Louisa May Alcott to Sarah Tuthill and Dr. Marie Zakrzewska.
Tricia Foley, a designer and former magazine editor herself, moved next door to Booth’s childhood home in Yaphank and became fascinated with the story. What followed was a decades-long hunt to piece together her legacy through archives and special collections around the country. The result is the comprehensive and beautifully illustrated book, Mary L. Booth: The Story of an Extraordinary 19th-Century Woman.
Further Research
Her New York
- History of the City of New York , 1867 ed. (Google Books)
- Harper’s Bazaar (Cornell University)
Her Long Island
Her Friends
- Louisa May Alcott
- Susan B. Anthony
- The Blackwell Sisters
- Dr. Marie E. Zakrzewska
- Sarah Strong Tuthill
- Sister Poets – Alice and Phoebe Cary
- Intro music: https://homegrownstringband.com/
- Outro music: Capering by Blue Dot Sessions CC BY-NC 4.0
Audio Footnotes