"IN A HUNDRED DIFFERENT WAYS WOMEN HAVE HELPED TO SHAPE OUR COUNTRY'S COURSE…"
MELTZER, Milton, editor. Women of America Series. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1969-78. Eighteen volumes. Octavo, original cloth, original dust jackets. $4800.
First editions, first printings of 18 (of 22) titles from the Women of America series, including two review copies and three titles inscribed by the author.
From 1969 to 1978, Thomas Y. Crowell published 22 titles in its "Women of America" series. "The part women have played in American history has been given little attention up to now. Yet in a hundred different ways women have helped to shape our country's course… Portrayed here — often for the first time — are women who refused to accept things as they were, who took great chances and offered bold challenges." Series editor Milton Meltzer was a respected popular historian who authored books for both children and adults, often with a focus on social justice; he is best known for histories focusing on the African-American and the Jewish experience. Included here are 18 of the 22 titles, attractively issued, and with an impressively broad array of female subjects (one-third of which were given female authors). The series also included books on Mary Elizabeth Lease, Margaret Chase Smith, Lydia Maria Child and Abbey Kelley Foster.
Listed alphabetically by subject:
(BUCK, Pearl) BLOCK, Irvin.
The Lives of Pearl Buck. 1973. Novelist; the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for literature.
(CARSON, Rachel) STERLING, Philip.
Sea and Earth. 1970. Scientist, writer, and inadvertent founder of the modern environmental movement. Inscribed by the author.
(CASSATT, Mary) McKOWN, Robin.
The World of Mary Cassatt. 1972. A portrait of the bold 19th century expatriate impressionist.
(GOLDMAN, Emma) SHULMAN, Alix.
To the Barricades. 1971. Activist, agitator, and anarchist.
(GRAHAM, Martha) TERRY, Walter.
Frontiers of Dance. 1975. Legendary founder of the modern dance movement.
(JACKSON, Mahalia) JACKSON, Jesse.
Make a Joyful Noise Unto the Lord! 1974. The "Queen of Gospel." Inscribed by the author.
(MOTHER JONES) WERSTEIN, Irving.
Labor's Defiant Lady. 1969. Union organizer and champion for the causes of workers in the fields of coal, steel, textiles, railroads, and an advocate against child labor.
(KEMBLE, Fanny) SCOTT, John Anthony.
Fanny Kemble's America. 1973. Actress and author of the anti-slavery book Journal of a Residence on a Georgian Plantation in 1838-1839. With review slip laid in.
(RINCON de GAUTIER, Felisa) GRUBER, Ruth.
Felisa Rincon de Gautier. 1972. The first woman mayor of San Juan. Inscribed by the author in 1973.
(RUBINSTEIN, Helena) FABE, Maxene.
Beauty Millionaire. 1972. Portrait of the Polish-America entrepreneur and philanthropist.
(SABIN, Florence) PHELAN, Mary Kay.
Probing the Unknown. 1969. Medical scientist and public health advocate.
(SANGER, Margaret) LADER, Lawrence and MELTZER, Milton.
Margaret Sanger. 1969. Early and influential champion of birth control.
(SMITH, Bessie) MOORE, Carman.
Somebody's Angel Child. 1969. "Empress of the Blues."
(STEIN, Gertrude) ROGERS, W.G.
Gertrude Stein is Gertrude Stein is Gertrude Stein. 1973. American expatriate modernist writer. With review slip laid in.
(STOWE, Harriet Beecher) SCOTT, John Anthony. Woman Against Slavery. 1978. American abolitionist and author.
(TARBELL, Ida) FLEMING, Alice. Ida Tarbell. 1971. Pioneer of investigative journalism.
(WALD, Lillian) BLOCK, Irvin. Neighbor to the World. 1969. Nurse and public health advocate.
(WRIGHT, Frances) STILLER, Richard. Commune on the Frontier. 1972. Scottish-American social reformer.
Books generally near-fine to fine, dust jackets very good to fine. Most copies of these titles went to libraries, with little exposure in the retail book trade: few copies survive in collectible condition.