Alice Vansittart Strettel Carr

Born Alice Laura Vansittart Strettell on January 1, 1850, she later became known as Alice Comyns Carr after marrying Joseph Comyns Carr. Reliable reference sources describe her as a British writer who published fiction, travel writing, and memoir, and she is also remembered as a theatrical costume designer closely associated with the Aesthetic movement.

Her books include Margaret Maliphant, North Italian Folk, Cottage Folk, and J. Comyns Carr: Stray Memories, by His Wife. That range helps explain her appeal: she could turn from storytelling to social observation and personal recollection with equal ease.

She died on October 11, 1927. For readers coming to her now, she offers a window into late Victorian and early 20th-century cultural life, with a perspective shaped by both literary work and firsthand experience of the art and theatre circles of her time.