Stories about Nineteenth Century Women Travellers
These stories of women who lived in the nineteenth century have been written as a tribute to women who are not well-known but who influenced the development of others. They might not have been able to claim ownership of seminal ideas or current themes but they disseminated with generosity the experience of their lives. They animated an age through their relationships and activities to create an intangible heritage and culture which few would trace back to their influence.
We celebrate the contribution of these women because we are now familiar with the art, literature and social networks which their families and friends presented to the world. They used their personal energy and power at a time when women had little professional or political power. The living methodology of their lives – their creativity, tenacity and experience – was applied to the ordinary nurturing and caring activities which were fundamental to their role in society. What distinguished these women was their capacity to interpret this duty of care as a learning activity. While they functioned on the outside of educational systems themselves they nevertheless showed a capacity for life-long learning. They had the analytical capability to listen and respond to the thinkers within their networks and apply oral and written evidence to the issues which animated their lives.
The women featured here were among the first frequent travellers in Europe. The development of the railway allowed women to become independent travellers. Instead of travelling in horsedrawn carriages between residences accompanied by servants, women could now travel with friends across countries. Instead of observing narrowly selected groups, they could now observe a variety of social groups. Rail travel offered women the opportunity of not only being present in new places but of participating in travel on equal terms in the company of a variety of people. It is this experience which they would take pleasure in sharing with others.
Notable Women Travellers in the 19th Century
Page Credits
© CC BY-NC-SA unless otherwise stated; image copyrights are listed in the credits and they are not licensed for re-use. Header image: Church of San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice, Italy, 2017. Photo by © AngloFranco Project. Licensed for creative commons usage.