Another, who operated in the 19th Century was Amelia Edwards -
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| Wikipedia |
born on 7 June 1831 in Islington, London, to an Irish mother (of the Walpole family of Tipperary) and a father who had been a British Army officer before becoming a banker, Edwards was educated at home by her mother, (often visited the Walpole family in Ireland during her childhood) and showed early promise as a writer. She published her first poem at the age of seven and her first story at the age of twelve. Thereafter came a variety of poetry, stories and articles in several periodicals, including Chambers's Journal, Household Words and All the Year Round. She also wrote for the Saturday Review and the Morning Post.
In addition, Edwards became an artist. She would illustrate some of her own writings and also paint scenes from other books she had read. She was talented enough at the age of 12 to catch the eye of George Cruikshank, who went so far as to offer to teach her, but this talent of hers was not supported by Edwards's parents, who saw art as a lesser profession and the artist's way of life as scandalous. Their negative decision haunted Edwards through her early life. She would wonder frequently whether art would not have been her true calling.
Thirdly, Edwards took up composing and performing music for some years. Other interests she pursued included pistol shooting, riding and mathematics.
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| Monte Pelmo |
At the time of Edwards's visit, the Dolomites were described as terra incognita and even educated persons had never heard of them. This journey was described in her book A Midsummer Ramble in the Dolomites (1873), later entitled Untrodden Peaks and Infrequent Valleys.
On 1 July 1872, after a three-day stay in Venice, Edwards and Renshaw left for the mountains, visiting Cortina d'Ampezzo, Primiero, Passo Fedaia, Sasso Bianco, and many other places, ending their journey in Bolzano.
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| Sasso di Ronch |
After her descent from the mountains, Edwards described civilized life as a "dead-level World of Commonplace". In the summer of 1873, dissatisfied by the end of their journey, Edwards and Renshawe took to a walking tour of France. However, this was interrupted by torrential rains, a factor that influenced them in looking towards Egypt. Her travels in Egypt made her aware of increasing threats to ancient monuments from tourism and modern development. She set out to hinder these through public awareness and scientific endeavour, becoming an advocate for research and preservation of them. In 1882, she co-founded the Egypt Exploration Fund . Her dedication to this science earned her the nickname of "the Godmother of Egyptology". It is for this that she is remembered today and less so for her groundbreaking exploration of the Dolomites.
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| Primiero (Wikipedia) |
Edwards also supported Somerville College Library, having left many books, papers and watercolours to Somerville College, Oxford,
