Description
MARIA MITCHELL (1818-89) SIGNED CARD, “Maria Mitchell”, on a card 3.25 x 1, by the American astronomer, librarian, naturalist, and educator who discovered a comet that was named in her honor “Miss Mitchell’s Comet”. Mitchell was the first internationally known woman to work as both a professional astronomer and a professor of astronomy at Vassar College. She was also the first women elected Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She was raised in the Quaker religion which valued access to the same education as boys and grew up in the whaling port of Nantucket that encouraged relative independence and equality for women. She became a celebrity following her discovery and awards, with hundreds of newspaper articles written about her in the subsequent decade. She attended the anti-slavery convention in Nantucket where Frederick Douglas made his first speech, and she also became involved in the anti-slavery movement by refusing to wear cloths made of Southern cotton. She also became involved in women’s suffrage and help found the Association for the Advancement of Women (AAW). The card is in fine condition, with minor age toning.
$300 #12597
