Ruth Bowers had a dream of becoming a professional violinist. In 1910,
when traditional careers for women included nursing or teaching, Ruth
joined the chautauqua and lyceum tour circuit and hit the road. In the
first part of the twentieth century, these popular tours brought music,
education and entertainment to millions of people in rural North
America. But chautauquas and lyceums also provided employment and fame
for many female lecturers and performers. At a time when women did not
even have the right to vote, musicians like Ruth Bowers were travelling,
becoming financially independent and expanding ideas of what women could
do-they were part of the first wave of the women's liberation of the
twentieth century. A remarkably talented violinist from Erie,
Pennsylvania, Ruth Bowers performed at venues across North America, from
the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, and from Texas to British Columbia.
Ruth shared the bill with famous people like orator William Jennings
Bryan, illusionist Eugene Laurant and impersonator Elma B. Smith. While
on tour, Bowers collected photographs, postcards and memorabilia and
sent letters home. Using this material from his family archives, along
with newspaper articles from the 1900s and research files from the
chautauqua collection at the University of Iowa, author-historian Jay
Sherwood pieces together the unique life of his grandmother. With over
125 previously unpublished photographs and images, CHAUTAUQUA SERENADE
offers readers a backstage pass to the iconic chautauqua tour through
the eyes of a young woman with a big dream.
