a Lady's Travelogue

The Porter-Phelps-Huntington family has been one of privilege, education and wealth which has afforded them extraordinary opportunities. The women of this large extended family were accomplished, well-educated and well-traveled. They were sent to Germany to study music, toured the great European cities and did missionary work in Syria. These are the travelogues of seven unique and unmarried women. Traveling alone was a bold choice with obstacles for these women as they navigated foreign countries in the 19th and early 20th century. The sensational trips and beautiful locations they visited are chronicled in the archives they left behind.

How to Use the Exhibit

As you explore this online exhibit notice that each woman has a dedicated page that contains their archival material, contextual information, detailed photographs and citations for further exploration of the documents. The high resolution photographs accompanied by captions guide your eyes through the documents finding key parts in understanding the document as a whole. Citations at the bottom of each photograph and artifact allows for future research in the archives. Citations, listed as (100.1a) indicate both box number (100) and folder number (1a) allowing individuals to visit the Archives and Special Collections at Amherst College and quickly find the artifact of their interest. Biographies of each woman are also linked to their archival pages providing their relationship to the Porter-Phelps-Huntington family and other important information when exploring their travels abroad.

Our Mission

A Lady's Travelogue is an archival showcase of the Porter-Phelps-Huntington House Museum's collection that is currently housed at Amherst College's Archives and Special Collections. The mission of this online exhibit is to encourage Porter-Phelps-Huntington visitors to utilize the archival resources available, to inspire original research within the collection and to share new information found with the visiting public.

Special Thanks

Special Thanks to the Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum and Amherst College's Archives and Special Collections for providing the resources and support to make this online exhibit possible.