Isabella Bird

Date of Birth: October 15, 1831

Zodiac Sign: Libra

Date of Death: October 7, 1904

Biography

Isabella Lucy Bird was a pioneering English explorer, writer, photographer, and naturalist. Born on October 15, 1831, in Boroughbridge, Yorkshire, she was the daughter of a clergyman. Bird’s early life was marked by health issues, which led her to travel as a means of recuperation. These travels sparked a lifelong passion for exploration and adventure. Bird’s first major journey was to North America, where she traveled extensively across Canada and the United States. Her observations and experiences were documented in her first book, “The Englishwoman in America” (1856). She continued her travels throughout her life, visiting places that were largely inaccessible to most women of her time, including Hawaii, Japan, India, Tibet, Persia (modern-day Iran), and the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Her most famous work, “A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains” (1879), details her journey through the American West, where she befriended mountain man Jim Nugent and embraced the rugged outdoor life. She also wrote extensively about her travels in Asia, with notable works including “Unbeaten Tracks in Japan” (1880), “The Golden Chersonese and the Way Thither” (1883), and “Journeys in Persia and Kurdistan” (1891). Bird’s contributions to travel literature were recognized by the Royal Geographical Society, which made her the first woman to be admitted as a fellow in 1892. She continued to travel and write until her health declined in her later years. She passed away on October 7, 1904, in Edinburgh, Scotland.

5 Interesting Facts about Isabella Bird

1. Isabella Bird was the first woman to be admitted as a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society in 1892.

2. Despite her chronic health issues, Bird traveled extensively, often alone, to some of the most remote regions of the world.

3. Bird’s book “A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains” provides a vivid account of her adventures in Colorado, including her interactions with notorious outlaw Jim Nugent.

4. She took up photography later in life and her photographs from her travels are considered valuable historical records.

5. Bird was also a philanthropist, founding a hospital in Srinigar, Kashmir, India, which provided medical services to local communities.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Isabella Bird

1. “I have found a dream of beauty at which one might look all one’s life and sigh.”

2. “Traveling is the ruin of all happiness! There’s no looking at a building here after seeing Italy.”

3. “It is very hard to say what one means, and yet harder still to say what one does not mean.”

4. “It is impossible to convey any idea of the utter desolation and loneliness of the place, with its long, dreary, uninhabited wastes.”

5. “The world is a great book, of which they that never stir from home read only a page.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

There is no accurate record of Isabella Bird’s net worth during her lifetime, and it is likely that she did not accumulate significant wealth from her travels and writings. Her contributions were more cultural and educational rather than financial.