Customer Reviews

Bylines: A Photobiography of Nellie Bly (Photobiographies)

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Nellie Bly, a determined young journalist who would take the world by storm, was born Elizabeth Jane Cochran into a large family in a quiet Pennsylvania town. Although she was the thirteenth child of her father, she was the third child and first daughter of her mother Mary Jane. All the other girls were dressed in plain dresses, but Elizabeth wore pink. Naturally "Pink" Cochran would stand out from the crowd and would have a tendency to do just that for most of her life. When her father died his inheritance was divided among his children, but later, when she went to school to become a teacher, it was discovered a banker had squandered much of it and she was not able to complete her education.

Undaunted, Nellie was determined to find a way to earn money to support herself and contribute to the family finances. Erasmus Wilson was writing, in her eyes, nonsense about how "women should stay out of the workplace and instead focus on cooking, cleaning, sewing and keeping a nice home." Her jaunty objections to his column actually landed her a job. Her byline? Nellie Bly. She was soon taking on some "gritty topics" along with the regular home and garden fare. Later when she took a big step and moved to New York, she ran up against another opinionated man named Dr. George Hepworth. He claimed that "it was improper for a woman to cover a story about a crime or a scandal." Nellie got a job on the New York World and set out to prove them all wrong. Oh, were they ever wrong!

This is a marvelous photobiography of a young, determined groundbreaking journalist. This is only the second I've read in the National Geographic photobiography series and I've been quite impressed with both of them. The story was well researched, well written and very interesting. I loved the way the author brought Nellie to life and felt an affinity for this almost forgotten woman. The book is peppered with period photographs, reproductions of ephemera, and has numerous informative sidebars. Perhaps the most interesting photographs were those of women working in factories. In the back of the book is a chronology, an index and additional recommended book, video, and website resources. This is an amazing photobiography that will appeal to young and old alike!

This is a fascinating biography by an author who is rapidly becoming a "library must-have" in the field of women's history. Nellie Bly's story is an inspiration for anyone--girls, boys and adults--and her life as a crusading journalist is so rarely found in library collections. The photos are a nice addition, and the book by National Geographic virtually attests to its quality.

I'm actually thrilled with this book! I have over 30 Nellie Bly books and this is superb!