Mary Louise Booth wrote her own story. A single woman from Long Island, she rose to prominence in the world of New York publishing as an acclaimed author, translator, and founding editor of Harper’s Bazaar. She was also a friend and champion of many prominent women, from Susan B. Anthony and Louisa May Alcott to Sarah Tuthill and Dr. Marie Zakrzewska.

Tricia Foley, a designer and former magazine editor herself, moved next door to Booth’s childhood home in Yaphank and became fascinated with the story. What followed was a decades-long hunt to piece together her legacy through archives and special collections around the country. The result is the comprehensive and beautifully illustrated book, Mary L. Booth: The Story of an Extraordinary 19th-Century Woman.

Further Research

• Tricia Foley
  • Mary L. Booth

Her New York

• History of the City of New York , 1867 ed. (Google Books)
• Harper’s Bazaar (Cornell University)

Her Long Island

• Yaphank Historical Society
• Sylvester Manor

Her Friends

• Louisa May Alcott
• Susan B. Anthony
• The Blackwell Sisters
• Dr. Marie E. Zakrzewska
• Sarah Strong Tuthill
• Sister Poets – Alice and Phoebe Cary

Audio Footnotes

• Gaynell Stone on Long Island manors
• Natalie Naylor on Long Island’s notable women