Introducing another of the strong women in Ralph Waldo Emerson’s life with a profile of his aunt Sarah Alden Bradford Ripley, a scholar and educator who was a lifelong friend and one of his staunchest supporters. Sarah loved learning and continued her own broad studies while caring for a growing family and working as an esteemed teacher. She was one of the five female members of the Transcendental Club.

Beginning a series on the strong women in Ralph Waldo Emerson’s life with a profile of his Aunt Mary Moody Emerson, who helped raise him after his father died and had a profound influence on his life and works. Credited as being his “earliest and best teacher,” Mary laid the foundation of Transcendentalism for her nephew and was an inspired writer in her own right. She was also active in the antislavery and women’s rights movements.

Emerson House guides share answers to some of the frequently asked questions by visitors to the house.

Ralph Waldo Emerson had a lifelong association with the town of Concord, descending from one of its founders and periodically living with relatives there before making it his permanent home in 1835. Emerson was actively engaged in the town’s intellectual and civic life and both he and Lidian were involved in social reform movements. Nicknamed the “Sage of Concord,” one of Emerson’s greatest impacts on the town was drawing many of the leading writers, educators and reformers of the 19th century to his Concord home.

Well-versed in classic poetry and philosophy—a literature rich with heroic, mythic, and sacred figures—Emerson also admired Renaissance art, particularly works by Michelangelo and Raphael inspired by the vast iconography of the ancient world. Among the images of heroes, angels, and gods at the Emerson House are prints of five famous portraits of sibyls by Italian painters. 

After she married and moved away, the Emersons’ younger daughter, Edith Emerson Forbes, was missed at home and the family looked forward to her visits. Born in late November, Edith’s birthday wishes included invitations to return to Concord for Thanksgiving, bringing her own growing family. The Emersons celebrated the holiday over two days and often hosted dozens of relatives for the occasion, preparing for weeks in advance.

This inaugural blog post shares a biographical profile of Ralph Waldo Emerson on the occasion of his 217th birthday.