Anna Cora Ogden Mowatt Ritchie

Born in Bordeaux, France, on March 5, 1819, to American parents, she grew up in New York and began publishing while still young. She became known not only as an author and playwright but also as a public reader and actress, creating a career that crossed several parts of literary and theatrical life.

Her best-known work is Fashion (1845), a satirical comedy about social ambition and New York society that helped secure her place in American theater history. She also wrote poetry, fiction, essays, and memoir, including Autobiography of an Actress; or, Eight Years on the Stage, which gives readers a vivid account of her years in performance.

After her success as a playwright, she spent time on the stage and remained a notable cultural figure of her era. She died in London on July 21, 1870, but her work still stands out for its wit, energy, and its rare view into the world of a 19th-century woman making a public literary career.