Clara Barrus at John Burroughs' Woodchuck Lodge, 1920

Summary

In 1901, Dr. Clara Barrus - one of few women to graduate from medical school in the late 19th century - wrote a fan letter to nature writer John Burroughs. The pair became close, and Burroughs relied increasingly on Barrus as his secretary and nearly constant companion until his death in 1921. Burroughs ultimately named Barrus his literary executor and official biographer.

In 1901, Dr. Clara Barrus - one of few women to graduate from medical school in the late 19th century - wrote a fan letter to nature writer John Burroughs. The pair became close, and Burroughs relied increasingly on Barrus as his secretary and nearly constant companion until his death in 1921. Burroughs ultimately named Barrus his literary executor and official biographer.

Artifact

Photographic print

Subject Date

October 1920

Creators

Unknown

 On Exhibit

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Object ID

00.1334.478

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.

Material

Paper (Fiber product)

Technique

Hand coloring
Gelatin silver process

Color

Multicolored
Black-and-white (Colors)

Dimensions

Height: 7.5 in

Width: 9.5 in

Connect 3

Discover curious connections between artifacts.

Learn More