The Women's Rest Tour Association of Boston, Massachusetts comprised a network of middle-class members who collected information about travel abroad and shared it among like-minded American women who required trustworthy non-commercial and unsolicited confidential recommendations suitable for women "who desire to visit Europe at the least possible expense consistent with comfort".[1] Comfort, decency and security for the unaccompanied female traveller were essential, but picturesqueness and historical settings were also prominently featured in the brief commentaries that were submitted by the members, who had to be recommended by two existing members in order to join.
The origin of the Association was reported in Publishers Weekly for 12 November 1892, with the publication of a second edition of A Summer in England: a handbook for the use of American women:
In the spring of 1891 several women,[2] who had made a summer trip across the Atlantic, and discovered that foreign travel was far easier and cheaper than they had imagined, resolved to offer other self dependent women who might be deterred from such a journey either by the expense involved or by the lack of an escort, the results of their own experience. They therefore formed themselves into a society called the Women's Rest Tour Association, which published a handbook of hints and directions called "a summer in England."
The second edition of 1892 added an article on "Universal Extension and the advantages for summer study in the universities of England" and a "Continental supplement", which initiated the annual publication of the members' copiously annotated lists of recommended pensioni, charming but inexpensive restaurants and small hotels, which were subsequently published, in an American list and a foreign list, in alternate years, for many decades. Negative reports, or several years passing without a review, resulted in a listing's being dropped, a self-editing feature.[3]
Among the practical hints offered for self-dependent American women in 1892, were some familiar social suggestions:
Independent as you may be, do not scorn to imitate one grace of the English woman, be she duchess or chambermaid—her soft, low voice, that excellence which no American woman has attained in its infinitude of sweetness. Listen to it, delight in it, and copy it if you can"[4]
Later editions dropped the social advice and kept closer to the commentary on lodgings and restaurants, listed city by city, eventually covering the visitable world, from Aden to Zanzibar.
The Women's Rest Tour Association was part of the Women's Educational and Industrial Union, a broader non-profit social and educational agency founded in Boston in 1877.[5]
Notesedit
^William James Rolfe, Sarah Gates Crockett, William Day Crockett, A Satchel Guide for the Vacation Tourist in Europe (1900 edition:292).
^Julia Ward Howe, campaigner for the abolition of slavery and women's suffrage, was among the founders, though no names were mentioned; a copy of the Women's Rest Tour Association bye-laws is among her papers at the Schlesinger Library (Inventory: .20.).
^The WRTA received an approving notice in Benjamin R. Andrews, "The Home Woman as Buyer and Controller of Consumption" Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science143, Women in the Modern World (May 1929:41-48) p. 45.
^Quoted by Allison Lockwood, Passionate Pilgrims: The American Traveler in Great Britain, 1800-1914 (Fairleigh Dickinson University) 1981:330.
^Records, 1877-1980, are held in the Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University Descriptive summary of holdings
External linksedit
Records of the Women's Rest Tour Association, 1891-1992. Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University.
Further readingedit
Stowe, William W. Going Abroad: European Travel in Nineteenth-Century American Culture, chapter 3 (Princeton University Press) 1994.
April 12, 2024
women, rest, tour, association, boston, massachusetts, comprised, network, middle, class, members, collected, information, about, travel, abroad, shared, among, like, minded, american, women, required, trustworthy, commercial, unsolicited, confidential, recomm. The Women s Rest Tour Association of Boston Massachusetts comprised a network of middle class members who collected information about travel abroad and shared it among like minded American women who required trustworthy non commercial and unsolicited confidential recommendations suitable for women who desire to visit Europe at the least possible expense consistent with comfort 1 Comfort decency and security for the unaccompanied female traveller were essential but picturesqueness and historical settings were also prominently featured in the brief commentaries that were submitted by the members who had to be recommended by two existing members in order to join The origin of the Association was reported in Publishers Weekly for 12 November 1892 with the publication of a second edition of A Summer in England a handbook for the use of American women In the spring of 1891 several women 2 who had made a summer trip across the Atlantic and discovered that foreign travel was far easier and cheaper than they had imagined resolved to offer other self dependent women who might be deterred from such a journey either by the expense involved or by the lack of an escort the results of their own experience They therefore formed themselves into a society called the Women s Rest Tour Association which published a handbook of hints and directions called a summer in England The second edition of 1892 added an article on Universal Extension and the advantages for summer study in the universities of England and a Continental supplement which initiated the annual publication of the members copiously annotated lists of recommended pensioni charming but inexpensive restaurants and small hotels which were subsequently published in an American list and a foreign list in alternate years for many decades Negative reports or several years passing without a review resulted in a listing s being dropped a self editing feature 3 Among the practical hints offered for self dependent American women in 1892 were some familiar social suggestions Independent as you may be do not scorn to imitate one grace of the English woman be she duchess or chambermaid her soft low voice that excellence which no American woman has attained in its infinitude of sweetness Listen to it delight in it andcopyit if you can 4 Later editions dropped the social advice and kept closer to the commentary on lodgings and restaurants listed city by city eventually covering the visitable world from Aden to Zanzibar The Women s Rest Tour Association was part of the Women s Educational and Industrial Union a broader non profit social and educational agency founded in Boston in 1877 5 Notes edit William James Rolfe Sarah Gates Crockett William Day Crockett A Satchel Guide for the Vacation Tourist in Europe 1900 edition 292 Julia Ward Howe campaigner for the abolition of slavery and women s suffrage was among the founders though no names were mentioned a copy of the Women s Rest Tour Association bye laws is among her papers at the Schlesinger Library Inventory 20 The WRTA received an approving notice in Benjamin R Andrews The Home Woman as Buyer and Controller of Consumption Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 143 Women in the Modern World May 1929 41 48 p 45 Quoted by Allison Lockwood Passionate Pilgrims The American Traveler in Great Britain 1800 1914 Fairleigh Dickinson University 1981 330 Records 1877 1980 are held in the Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study Harvard University Descriptive summary of holdingsExternal links editRecords of the Women s Rest Tour Association 1891 1992 Schlesinger Library Radcliffe Institute Harvard University Further reading editStowe William W Going Abroad European Travel in Nineteenth Century American Culture chapter 3 Princeton University Press 1994 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Women 27s Rest Tour Association amp oldid 1060769381, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
