They were beautiful, influential, and famous to all in their day. Some of the names we know, some are now obscure. But in 19th century America, they were the most talked-about and written-about women in the nation.Journalist Virginia Peacock rubbed shoulders with them and the people who knew them. In this lively and fascinating account of their lives, Peacock gives us the ravishing Jennie Jerome (mother to Winston Churchill) and the brilliant Kate Chase Sprague, who practically ruled Washington society during the Lincoln administration. Peacock also covers Madame Le Vert, Jesse Benton Fremont (wife of The Pathfinder), Baroness Curzon, and more.To be a belle was the pinnacle of society for these women but their influence on fashion and their powerful husbands made them forces to be reckoned with.

They were beautiful, influential, and famous to all in their day. Some of the names we know, some are now obscure. But in 19th century America, they were the most talked-about and written-about women in the nation. Journalist Virginia Peacock rubbed shoulders with them and the people who knew them. In this lively and fascinating account of their lives, Peacock gives us the ravishing Jennie Jerome (mother to Winston Churchill) and the brilliant Kate Chase Sprague, who practically ruled Washington society during the Lincoln administration. Peacock also covers Madame Le Vert, Jesse Benton Fremont (wife of The Pathfinder), Baroness Curzon, and more. To be a belle was the pinnacle of society for these women but their influence on fashion and their powerful husbands made them forces to be reckoned with. For the first time, this long out-of-print volume is available as an affordable, well-formatted book for e-readers and smartphones. Be sure to LOOK INSIDE by clicking the cover above or download a sample.

Forever Belle is the intriguing story of a nineteenth-century socialite, Sallie Ward Lawrence Hunt Armstrong Downs (1827–1896). Beautiful, charming, and kind—but also reckless and bold—she was born in Scott County, Kentucky, to a family of means beset by tragedy—early deaths, suicides, and even murders. Sallie basked in the national spotlight, appearing in newspapers as far-flung as Milwaukee and Charleston, written up for her exploits, which included such scandalous behavior as smoking cigars, dressing in “Turkish pantalets,” wearing rouge, and getting divorced. Such a character invites romanticizing, and in this new biography, Randolph Paul Runyon does much to ground Sallie Ward in reality, fact-checking stories such as her infamous horse ride through the Louisville market house and examining his subject in the context of her wealthy family. Runyon carefully details his subject’s life, beginning with her aristocratic origins as the descendant of slaveowners, merchants, and politicians who stole land from Native groups and grew rich off the labor of enslaved people. He accurately covers Sallie’s madcap adventures and charitable actions, faithfully representing her legacy as a Kentuckian, a mother, and a grandmother. Illustrated with images of the family, their property, and their lavish grave markers, this volume provides an entertaining and informative glimpse into the world of antebellum privilege in a border state, as well as an examination of the birth of celebrity for its own sake. Forever Belle, finally, is also the story of an early if conflicted feminist: a woman who believed she should have control over her own appearance, actions, political views, and marital status.

Arts.