My great-grandmother made it big in New York City in her early twenties, even though her mother had died when she was ten, her formal education had ended in the eight grade, and she had to support her sister who had contracted tuberculosis (and at times her father as well).
In digging into her life I’ve been surprised by how regularly she was written about in the NY Times and other large newspapers. I’ve also noticed from her photographs that she enjoyed dressing nice. Even though she lived for fifty years on a ranch in Montana, with no indoor plumbing or running water, she carried herself with grace and elegance, and liked nice clothes as these pictures testify.
She also loved the wild, going on long camping trips, spending days fishing, and hunting too. I hear she was quite a shot. Here is a picture of Fanny Y. a hunting party at the ranch (she is second from the left).
And here is a picture of Fanny with a deer she’s shot.
Her story is of a remarkable woman who overcame great odds, motivated by a a deep love for her family and a remarkable gift of art.
And I’m thrilled to share that I turned in the cover and content of her biography to the printer TWO DAYS ahead of schedule. The wonderful, fast-paced, engaging biography of Fanny Y. Cory will be released on Saturday, October 14th at Sunnyshore Studio.
