A Life of Napoleon Bonaparte, with a Sketch of Josephine, Empress of the French.

Ida M. (Ida Minerva) Tarbell

1857–1944

A fearless reporter of the Progressive Era, she helped define investigative journalism by exposing the rise of Standard Oil in a groundbreaking series later published as The History of the Standard Oil Company. Her work mixed careful research, vivid storytelling, and a deep interest in how power shaped everyday American life.