Women’s History Month: Isabel Anderson

Philanthropist. War nurse. Political commentator. World traveler. Author. Horse lover. Car enthusiast. Let me introduce you to Isabel Anderson.

On a recent trip to Boston, I learned about a woman I had somehow never heard of… Isabel Anderson, born Isabel Weld Perkins.

_{Isabel Anderson by DeWitt M. Lockman, ca. 1915-1920. New Hampshire Historical Society.}

Born and raised in Boston, Isabel came from a family of wealthy sea merchants and war veterans whose roots in America stretched back to 1632. In 1881, when she was just five years old, she inherited 17 million dollars from her maternal grandfather, making her the wealthiest young woman in the country at the time. From her father’s side, she inherited a love of exploration. She traveled extensively throughout New England and even as far as China.

After graduating and making her debut in 1895 (yes, Bridgerton style with a ball and everything), Isabel toured Europe. It was in Rome that she met her future husband, Larz Anderson.

For years, much of her story has been overshadowed by the image of a glamorous heiress and society wife. But look closer, and a far more compelling person emerges.

_{Isabel Anderson by Philip de László, 1925. Larz Anderson Auto Museum, Brookline, Mass.}

During World War I, Isabel volunteered as a nurse both overseas and back home, helping care for people during the devastating influenza outbreak of 1917 and 1918.

Even before women gained the right to vote, Isabel was involved in politics. As a member of the Committee on Women’s Work, she led efforts in Massachusetts, organizing rallies, giving speeches, and handing out pamphlets. Interestingly, she was not a suffragette. She believed more in influencing the men in her life who could vote than in fighting publicly for the ballot herself.

Over forty years, she published more than 50 books and articles, ranging from children’s stories and poetry to travel writing and family history. Her first book, The Great Sea Horse, a collection of children’s stories, was published in 1909 by Little, Brown and Company.

Most of Isabel’s writing was inspired by her travels. Over her lifetime, Isabel visited five continents: North America, South America, Asia, Europe, and Africa. She explored by car and on horseback, including a cross-country ride through Glacier National Park in Montana.

_{The Society of the Cincinnati, Gift of Larz K. Anderson and Mary Lou Anderson, 2004}

If she had two great loves, they were cars and horses, though cars are definitely better documented. She was obsessed with automobiles and became the first woman to earn a driver’s license in Massachusetts. Her favorite was an all-electric (eat your heart out, Elon) 1908 Bailey, but she and her husband treasured their entire collection, which included several custom, one-of-a-kind vehicles.

_{Photo by Amanda Uechi Ronan}

That collection still exists today at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline, Massachusetts.

The museum is housed in the original carriage house of the Weld Estate, Isabel’s 64-acre horse property. The estate included a mansion, multiple barns, elaborate gardens, and even a polo field. The Anderson Carriage House, inspired by the Château de Chaumont in France, was built in 1888. The two-story building originally held horses, carriages, and living quarters for coachmen and barn staff, and, by 1899, it was also home to Isabel’s growing collection of cars.

_{Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=157658110}

_{Photo by Amanda Uechi Ronan}

The original tack room still holds the carriage harnesses, side saddles, and gorgeous originals Isabel brought back from Japan and Europe.

The entire building is remarkably well preserved. The brick stables even have the name placards from the last horses who lived there including my favorite, Thetis 2-16 1/4. Other names included The Duchess, Dowager, Dame, and Gold Mine.

_{Photo by Amanda Uechi Ronan}

Isabel was clearly a dedicated equestrian, but frustratingly, there’s very little in the way of recorded history. Even walking through the museum, I felt like I had to check every corner to piece together that part of her story. In one tiny cabinet, I found a small trophy for a first-place finish in Ladies Carriage, displayed beside a photo simply labeled, “Isabel Anderson driving her team of horses.”

After her death in 1948, Isabel Anderson left the entire Weld Estate to the town of Brookline. The grounds became a public park, and the stables were transformed into what is now the Larz Anderson Auto Museum. In her will, she specifically requested that the museum be named after her husband and that the cars, horse tack, and the building remain untouched except for necessary cleaning.

_{Photo by Amanda Uechi Ronan}

Amanda Uechi Ronan is an author, equestrian and wannabe race car driver. Follow her on Instagram @au_ronan.