Portrait of Helen Fiske Hunt Jackson, author of Ramona, [s.d.]

Photographic portrait of Helen Fiske Hunt Jackson, author of "Ramona", [s.d.]. Mrs. Jackson is pictured standing, wearing an elaborate dress with a huge bustle, made of what appears to be silk or satin. Her hands are folded across her waist while she looks to the right. She appears to be in her middle-age and wears the large locks of her curly hair pulled back from her face. She can be seen smiling, while a chair supports her dress to the right. Picture file card reads: "An American novelist, poet, and general writer, born at Amherst, mass. October 18, 1831; died at San Francisco, CA, August 12, 1885. She was the daughter of Professor Fiske, of Amherst. He first husband, Capt. E.B. Hunt, died in 1863. In 1870, she published a volume entitled "Verses". Her first prose volume, "Bits of Travel" (1872), was followed by "Bits of Talk About Home Matters" (1873), and "Bits of Travel at Home" (1878). In 1875 she married Mr. W.S. Jackson, of Colorado Springs. Here, she published "A Century of Dishonor", relating to the dealings of the U.S. Government with the Indians. This led to her appointment in 1883 as a special commissioner to examine into the condition and needs of the Mission Indians. After visiting the different tribes, she wrote "Ramona"(1884), a novel relating to the Mission Indians. Mrs. Jackson had previously written two novels in the "no Name" seires: "Mercy Philbric's Chioce" ["Choice"?] (1876) and "Hetty's Strange History"(1877). Besides these works, she published "The Story of Boon", a poem (1879), the training of children(1882), and several books for young people: "Nellie's Silver Mine" (1878), "Mammy Tittleback and her Family" (1881), and "The Hunter Cats of Connorloa" (1884). Since her death have appeared "Glimpses of Three Coasts", "Sonnets and Lyrics", "Zeph", a novel (1886), and "Between Whiles" (1887)".