Not Just Bonnets and Bustles; Victorian Women Travellers in Africa

Victorian women travellers were not the docile creatures we imagine. Instead they were fearless women who ventured out when communication was a hand-carried letter, there were no telephones, no guidebooks and few who could give advice. Supplies and their transport needed military planning to ensure enough food, camping equipment and trading goods for self, guides, porters and to cover any unforeseen circumstances. Their experiences are raw and reveal a world more… (more)

Victorian women travellers were not the docile creatures we imagine. Instead they were fearless women who ventured out when communication was a hand-carried letter, there were no telephones, no guidebooks and few who could give advice. Supplies and their transport needed military planning to ensure enough food, camping equipment and trading goods for self, guides, porters and to cover any unforeseen circumstances. Their experiences are raw and reveal a world more untouched than any we will find today. How many of us would put up with rats running over our hair, cockroaches in our beds and cooks who clean dishes with spit? The bravery of these women cannot be denied. They truly went where few had been before.