Mapping Success: plotting the career of the 19th century’s most famously forgotten woman writer
Location
SU-003
Start Date
1-5-2026 9:00 AM
Department
English
Abstract
This podium presentation is part of the SHARC student research panel. As research accelerates on the life and work of Elizabeth Oakes Smith, a prominent nineteenth-century author, lecturer, and advocate for women's rights, the extent of her success in converting her literary reputation to a presence on the national lecture circuit remains a mystery. After all, women had never been featured on the lyceum circuit, and like other women who dared to speak in public, she was denounced by the media — if not for the content of her lectures, then for her womanhood and the way she dressed. While commentators generally agree she succeeded, the details of her lecture career have never been compiled, nor has anyone ever calculated the profit or loss incurred over her major lecture career from 1851-57. In an effort to explore that more, I made a map for the years during which Oakes Smith travelled all across the country to deliver lectures. One of the goals of this project was to assess the extent of Oakes Smith's career and influence. To accomplish this, I combed through 3000+ existing entries in Google Sheets that documented her life and filtered it down to what's relevant. Adding to this database, I conducted primary research through digitized newspaper archives, locating original advertisements and lecture announcements, as well as reading and summarizing editorial reviews. Each verified appearance was plotted geographically, with date and description details, all of which produced a visual representation of her professional mobility. As such, the map serves a public-facing purpose. While spreadsheets provide depth, they can be frustrating to read and daunting to scroll (speaking from firsthand experience). By translating quantitative data into a visual and interactive format, the project invites both scholars and curious students, as well as other audiences, to grasp Oakes Smith’s career — and a very important part of her legacy — at a glance. (My map can now be found live on the Elizabeth Oakes Smith Society website.) As a SHARC panelist, I would talk about what my experience was like, obstacles and if I was able to overcome them, as well as give a future outlook.
Faculty Sponsor
Timothy Scherman
Mapping Success: plotting the career of the 19th century’s most famously forgotten woman writer
SU-003
This podium presentation is part of the SHARC student research panel. As research accelerates on the life and work of Elizabeth Oakes Smith, a prominent nineteenth-century author, lecturer, and advocate for women's rights, the extent of her success in converting her literary reputation to a presence on the national lecture circuit remains a mystery. After all, women had never been featured on the lyceum circuit, and like other women who dared to speak in public, she was denounced by the media — if not for the content of her lectures, then for her womanhood and the way she dressed. While commentators generally agree she succeeded, the details of her lecture career have never been compiled, nor has anyone ever calculated the profit or loss incurred over her major lecture career from 1851-57. In an effort to explore that more, I made a map for the years during which Oakes Smith travelled all across the country to deliver lectures. One of the goals of this project was to assess the extent of Oakes Smith's career and influence. To accomplish this, I combed through 3000+ existing entries in Google Sheets that documented her life and filtered it down to what's relevant. Adding to this database, I conducted primary research through digitized newspaper archives, locating original advertisements and lecture announcements, as well as reading and summarizing editorial reviews. Each verified appearance was plotted geographically, with date and description details, all of which produced a visual representation of her professional mobility. As such, the map serves a public-facing purpose. While spreadsheets provide depth, they can be frustrating to read and daunting to scroll (speaking from firsthand experience). By translating quantitative data into a visual and interactive format, the project invites both scholars and curious students, as well as other audiences, to grasp Oakes Smith’s career — and a very important part of her legacy — at a glance. (My map can now be found live on the Elizabeth Oakes Smith Society website.) As a SHARC panelist, I would talk about what my experience was like, obstacles and if I was able to overcome them, as well as give a future outlook.