In further covering the topic of aging as women, we wanted to highlight women who have made a difference in the world. There are plenty of them and even though we didn’t learn about most of them in school, we can find out about them now if we look.
But, what about the women who had something to contribute and weren’t really spring chickens?
A google search turns up great women, but none who were older. One woman who doesn’t come up on a search, but we can ALL definitely thank, is Febb Burn, the mother of Harry Burn who encouraged her son to do the right thing. Harry Burn, changed his mind and was the tie breaker vote granting the right for women (white women that is) to vote.
So, I asked Ellen, our resident history buff on all things women. She was almost stumped as well. She did mention Grandma Moses though and the name sounded familiar. But what was she famous for?
So, YAY, we got to learn something.
Meet Grandma Moses ...
Critically acclaimed artist who started painting at 78!
Grandma Moses
Born as Anna Mary Robertson
in 1860Greenwich, NY
Died in 1961 at the age of 101
Grandma Moses only attended school off and on, mostly working on her family’s farm until 12 when she then went to work as a hired girl before she married her husband, Thomas Moses in 1887. They farmed in Virginia and then back up to New York near her birthplace. Her husband died in 1927 and Grandma Moses kept right on working and didn’t retire until 1936. If you are doing the math, she was 75 years old at the time.
When she started painting seriously at 78 years old, she first tried copying her favorite prints by Currier and Ives, but later moved on to re-creating scenes of the farmlands and rural areas from her childhood. Her style of art is typically called primitive folk art.
She sold paintings at about 150 solo shows and 100 group exhibits, plus, her paintings were shown throughout the US and Europe. Her art was often reproduced in prints and on Christmas Cards. Over her painting career, she produced about 2,000 paintings… again, starting at age 78!
I think the lesson here is to do what calls to you, do what you love. That is our greatest contribution at any age!
