When two 19th-century women set out to circle the globe at the same time, in different directions, the public was fascinated! A worldwide race between female adventurers, out to beat Jules Verne’s Phileas Fogg’s 80-day fictional trip, and competing to beat each other!
“In my heart of hearts I am at a loss to decide at which side I laugh most,” she said, “At my friends, who suppose me so very innocent, or at my enemies, who believe me to be not far removed from guilty.”
For many people, the price of fame has always been worth the risk! In 1885, just two years after the Brooklyn Bridge opened, spectators boarded a tugboat to witness Robert Emmet Odium jump off the […]
19th century New York City was a very different place. Most murders went unsolved, the city smelled bad and people went to see unbelievable sideshows. I just read two books that paint an unrecognizable picture […]