How Two Women Sparked an American Obsession with Ancient Egypt
In short: In 1889, Amelia Edwards and Kate Bradbury embarked on a grueling lecture tour across the United States. This presentation reveals how their journey ignited widespread American interest in Egyptology and highlights the often-overlooked contributions of women to the field.
Between November 1889 and March 1890, British writer Amelia Edwards delivered over 100 lectures across the northeastern US, reaching as far as Chicago and Minneapolis. She was accompanied by Kate Bradbury, who served as her secretary, assistant, and confidante. By synthesizing Bradbury’s personal correspondence, contemporary newspaper accounts, and the lecture scripts themselves, the presentation reconstructs their influential tour.
Dr. Kathleen Sheppard, a historian specializing in the role of women in Egyptology, examines how this partnership helped shape the discipline. This exploration is part of a broader effort to recover the history of female scholars in the Gilded Age, a theme Dr. Sheppard also explores in her 2024 book, Women in the Valley of the Kings.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Spotlight Lecture: A Thousand Miles Up the Hudson
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