New York native Augusta Lewis was orphaned shortly after her birth in 1848.
She was adopted by a Wall Street broker who made sure she was well educated, giving her private tutors and sending her to the Brooklyn Heights Seminary.
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Ruth Ellis, born in 1899, was the last child and only daughter in her family of four children in Springfield, Illinois. Ellis’ father was the only black mail carrier in the city and brought up all of his children to fight inequality. She came out as a lesbian at the age of sixteen, in the year 1915, when being queer was a crime and most LGBTQIA+ folks were still completely closeted. Her out status made her a target, but she refused to hide.
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German Zeppelins were dropping bombs on Ramsgate, England, on June 16th, 1917, while an ocean away in New York City, Katharine “Kay” Meyer was being born into wealth. One of five children, Meyer’s childhood was divided between a castle on a large estate in Mount Kisco, New York, and a mansion in Washington, D.C. Although her surroundings were luxurious, her parents were largely absent, leaving the children in the care of staff.
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Friedl Dicker was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1898 and is largely considered the originator of art therapy. At the sensitive age of four, Dicker’s mother died, greatly affecting her outlook on life. As an adult she aimed to compensate for this loss through a maternal relationship with her students.
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