With its proximity to the cultural hub of New York City and its quieter suburban and rural landscapes, Connecticut was fertile ground for artists and writers in the period of Modernist movements between 1913 and 1979. Many of these cultural figures are well known through biographical and critical studies. Creative Places seeks to show how place played a significant role in creative work, and how in turn the artists and writers influenced communities in Connecticut.
Ida Tarbell
Journalism/Non-Fiction
1857 – 1944
Tarbell was the only woman among an elite group of progressive journalists who wrote about problems in the US during the early twentieth century, exposing corruption in order to promote a fairer society. Starting in 1906, her work, including “Father Abraham” (1909), “The Business of Being a Woman” (1912), and her autobiography, “All in the Day’s Work” (1939), were written entirely in her study at Twin Oaks.
- Biography/Description of Work
After teaching for two years following graduation from Allegheny College in 1880, Tarbell joined a monthly magazine, Chautauqua, where she moved from editorial secretary to writer over the course of eight years. By 1894 she had begun writing for McClure’s magazine, and worked on a series of articles about the Standard Oil Company. Later published in 1904 as the two volume, The History of the Standard Oil Company, it exposed the corrupt and often immoral practices of the giant trust. Her work helped lead to anti-trust legislation and the break-up of a number of monopolies. Tarbell decided to purchase the Easton farm with the royalties from her books to serve as a respite from her troubles and the problems of living in New York City. She called it Twin Oaks and often invited her friends and family to stay with her. During World War I, Tarbell traveled to Europe and was deeply affected by what she saw there. She became active in ending the war, later joining in the many efforts to insure that such a war would never be repeated. Tarbell essentially retired to her farm after 1924. She died of pneumonia in Bridgeport.
- Sources view
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ida_Tarbell_House, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ida_Tarbell, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/biography/rockefellers-tarbell/, http://www.biography.com/people/ida-tarbell-9502126
Ida Tarbell House National Historic Landmark Nomination No. 93001602, National Park Service, 1993 - Associated Resource(s)