Jarena Lee, 1849. In 1887 Cochrane left Pittsburgh for New York City and went to work for Joseph Pulitzers New York World. [14] It was customary for women who were newspaper writers at that time to use pen names. Kroeger, Brooke. Nellie Bly: Around the World in 72 Days. Senator John Heinz History Center. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. In 1911, she returned to journalism as a reporter for the New York Evening Journal. Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division Washington, D.C. McLoughlin Bros., Round the World with Nellie Bly, 1890. Nellie Bly: Around the World in 72 Days. Senator John Heinz History Center. How many children did Coretta Scott King have? Bly later compiled the articles into a book, being published by Ian L. Munro in New York City in 1887. Unable to maintain the land or their house, Bly's family left Cochran's Mill. Unknown photographer, A Typical Boomer Family, ca. In 1880, the family moved to Pittsburgh where Elizabeth supported her single mother by running a boarding house. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. As a child she wore it so often she was nicknamed Pinky. Gertrude Kasebier, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution. In 1887, Bly relocated to New York City and began working for the New York World, the publication that later became famously known for spearheading "yellow journalism." How many siblings did Eleanor Roosevelt have? Nellie Bly was born Elizabeth Jane Cochran on May 5, 1864 in Cochrans Mill, Pennsylvania. Bly went on to patent several inventions related to oil manufacturing, many of which are still used today. In 1887, Bly stormed into the office of the New York World, one of the leading newspapers in the country. She also interviewed and wrote pieces on several prominent figures of the time, including Emma Goldman and Susan B. Anthony. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. New York: Crown, 1994. Nellie Bly was the most famous American woman reporter of the 19th century. How many siblings did Rosalind Franklin have? Her trip around the world in 72 days brought her even further fame. Corrections? How many siblings did Mary McLeod Bethune have. [20] Penniless after four months, she talked her way into the offices of Joseph Pulitzer's newspaper the New York World and took an undercover assignment for which she agreed to feign insanity to investigate reports of brutality and neglect at the Women's Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell's Island, now named Roosevelt Island. [47], The New York Press Club confers an annual Nellie Bly Cub Reporter journalism award to acknowledge the best journalistic effort by an individual with three years or fewer of professional experience. She covered a number of national news stories, including the Woman Suffrage Parade of 1913 in Washington, D.C. Elizabeth often referred to suffrage in her articles, arguing that women were as capable as men in all things. The newspapers editor, George A. Madden, was so impressed with the letter that he published a note asking the Lonely Orphan Girl to reveal her name. Nellie Blys Book: Around the World in Seventy-two Days (1890) was a great popular success, and the name Nellie Bly became a synonym for a female star reporter. "[18] She then traveled to Mexico to serve as a foreign correspondent, spending nearly half a year reporting on the lives and customs of the Mexican people; her dispatches later were published in book form as Six Months in Mexico. How has Title IX impacted women in education and sports over the last 5 decades? Elizabeth traveled light, taking only the dress she wore, a cape, and a small travelers bag. Bly's expos, published in the World soon after her return to reality, was a massive success. At New York, she soon found herself a job at Joseph Pulitzers newspaper, New York World. One of her early assignments was to investigate reports of brutality and neglect at the Women's Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell's Island. The newspapers editor, George Madden, saw potential in her piece and invited her to work for the Dispatch as a reporter. History 101: Nellie Bly. Toshiko Akiyoshi changed the face of jazz music over her sixty-year career. Women in Art and Literature: Who Said It? [48], Bly was the subject of the 1946 Broadway musical Nellie Bly by Johnny Burke and Jimmy Van Heusen. At the age of 30, Bly married millionaire Robert Seamen and retired from journalism. Pace, Lawson. Second, she wanted to prove that women were capable of traveling just as well asif not better thanmen. How many siblings did Dorothy Vaughan have? How many siblings did Elizabeth Blackwell have? Elizabeth marched into the Dispatch offices and introduced herself. Here are 10 facts about Nellie Bly. National Women's History Museum, 2022. Elizabeth too began writing under the pen name Nellie Bly after the Stephen Foster song. When she returned, she was again assigned to the society page and promptly quit in protest. The editor was so impressed with her writing that he gave her a job. Before becoming an investigative journalist and travelling around the world in 72 days, Nellie Bly had a childhood. The New York World published daily updates on her journey and the entire country followed her story. Bly told the assistant matron: "There are so many crazy people about, and one can never tell what they will do. Elizabeth Jane Cochran was born on May 5, 1864 in Cochran's Mill, Pennsylvania (now Burrell Township), and during her youth, she had the nickname, "Pinky" (wore pink a lot). [29][30] During her travels around the world, Bly went through England, France (where she met Jules Verne in Amiens), Brindisi, the Suez Canal, Colombo (in Ceylon), the Straits Settlements of Penang and Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan. The evening world. Wanting to write pieces that addressed both men and women, Bly began looking for a newspaper that would allow her to write on more serious topics. Unable to maintain the land or their house, Blys family left Cochran's Mill. She was a pioneer in investigative journalism. Elizabeth Jane Cochran, a.k.a. Her real name was Elizabeth Jane Cochrane; Nellie Bly was her pen name and the name under which she is most well-known. University of Chicago Library, Special Collections Research Center. The Sibling Society The Sibling Society Reconsidering the Siblings, a Critical Study of Robert Bly's The Sibling Society The Sibling Society Mirabai Iron John Leaping Poetry A Little Book on the Human Shadow Morning Poems The Teeth-Mother Naked at Last Growing Yourself Back Up Talking Into the . How many siblings did Benazir Bhutto have? New-York Historical Society Library. Bly's celebrity reached an international level with her mission to travel around the world in 80 days, just as the character Phileas Fogg did in Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days. .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}Who Is Dilbert Cartoonist Scott Adams? How many siblings did Susan B. Anthony have? In an effort to accurately expose the conditions at the asylum, she pretended to be a mental patient in order to be committed to the facility, .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}where she lived for 10 days. Bly continued to produce regular exposs on New Yorks ills, such as corruption in the state legislature, unscrupulous employment agencies for domestic workers, and the black market for buying infants. Seaman died in 1904, and Bly took over his firm, the Iron Clad Manufacturing Company. In business, her curiosity and independent spirit flourished. Michael married twice. Though New York World continuously covered her travel diaries, it was later in 1890 that Bly published a book about the experience, titling it Around the World in 72 Days. Nellie Bly's stint in the facility wasn't necessarily how she envisioned making a name for herself. However, the newspaper soon received complaints from factory owners about her writing, and she was reassigned to women's pages to cover fashion, society, and gardening, the usual role for women journalists, and she became dissatisfied. Before becoming an investigative journalist and travelling around the world in 72 days,. Christina Ricci starred as Bly and Transparent's Judith Light played the role of the head nurse. Safely home, she accused Daz of being a tyrannical czar suppressing the Mexican people and controlling the press. Bly crafted a fiery rebuttal that grabbed the attention of the paper's managing editor, George Madden, who, in turn, offered her a position. How many sisters did Susan B. Anthony have? [9] In 1879, she enrolled at Indiana Normal School (now Indiana University of Pennsylvania) for one term but was forced to drop out due to lack of funds. Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division Washington, D.C. Brief Life History of Jonathan J As was the trend then, women writers wrote under pen names. Bolstered by continuous coverage in the World, Bly earned international stardom for her months-long stunt, and her fame continued to grow after she safely returned to her native state and her record-setting achievement was announced. Chicago- Norwood, Arlisha and Mariana Brandman. At 15, Bly enrolled at the State Normal School in Indiana, Pennsylvania. To sustain interest in the story, the World organized a "Nellie Bly Guessing Match" in which readers were asked to estimate Bly's arrival time to the second, with the Grand Prize consisting at first of a trip to Europe and, later on, spending money for the trip. The New York World completely supported her ambitious feat. Unfortunately, Bly did not manage the finances well and fell victim to fraud by employees that led the firm to declare bankruptcy. How many siblings did Queen Elizabeth I have? For 72 days, as she jumped cargo ships, trains, tugboats, and rickshaws, newspaper readers had. [55], Anne Helm appeared as Nellie Bly in the November 21, 1960, Tales of Wells Fargo TV episode "The Killing of Johnny Lash". "Pink," as she was known in childhood, was the youngest of 13 (or 15, according . [13] Her first article for the Dispatch, titled "The Girl Puzzle", argued that not all women would marry and that what was needed were better jobs for women. How many siblings did Dorothy Height have? She moved to New York City in 1886, but found it extremely difficult to find work as a female reporter in the male-dominated field. Born Elizabeth Jane Cochran, Nellie Bly was famed for pioneering new investigative journalism when she worked as an undercover journalist in New York's most notorious mental institution. Madden offered her an opportunity to write another column, and after she submitted her column on how divorce affects women, he hired her for the newspaper (giving her the pseudonym Nellie Bly). Elizabeths mother soon remarried, but quickly divorced her second husband because of abuse, and relocated the family to Pittsburgh. When Cochrane introduced herself to the editor, he offered her the opportunity to write a piece for the newspaper, again under the pseudonym "Lonely Orphan Girl". Elizabeth had fourteen siblings. How many siblings did Lucretia Mott have? How many siblings did Catherine of Aragon have? Her report of the horrifyingly appalling conditions prevailing inside the asylum was an eye-opener for the general public and authorities alike. Elizabeth hoped the massive newspaper industry of New York City would be more open-minded to a female journalist and left Pittsburgh. Elizabeth is often described as a muckraker. Ten Days in the Madhouse. Nellie Bly, was one of fourteen siblings growing up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. claimed that women were best served by conducting domestic duties and called the working woman "a monstrosity." Nellie Bly was known for her pioneering journalism, including her 1887 expos on the conditions of asylum patients at Blackwell's Island in New York City and her report of her 72-day trip around the world. She used the pen name Nellie Bly, which she took from a well-known song at the time, Nelly Bly. Bly was a popular columnist, but she was limited to writing pieces that only addressed women and soon quit in dissatisfaction. A young journalist looks behind the curtain of a nearby mental hospital, only to uncover the grim and gruesome acts they bestow upon their "patients". [4][5][6] Her father, Michael Cochran, born about 1810, started out as a laborer and mill worker before buying the local mill and most of the land surrounding his family farmhouse. Elizabeth Cochran Seaman (born Elizabeth Jane Cochran; May 5, 1864 - January 27, 1922), better known by her pen name Nellie Bly, was an American journalist, who was widely known for her record-breaking trip around the world in 72 days, in emulation of Jules Verne 's fictional character Phileas Fogg, and an expos in which she worked undercover to Blys husband died in 1903, leaving her in control of the massive Iron Clad Manufacturing Company and. How many siblings did Cleopatra VII have? How many brothers and sisters did Abigail Adams have? [36], Bly was, however, an inventor in her own right, receiving U.S. Patent 697,553 for a novel milk can and U.S. Patent 703,711 for a stacking garbage can, both under her married name of Elizabeth Cochrane Seaman. Amid their grief, Michael's death presented a grave financial detriment to his family, as he left them without a will, and, thus, no legal claim to his estate. She wanted to write a story on the immigrant experience in the United States. She was the daughter of Michael Cochran and Mary Jane Kennedy Cochran (second wife). Nellie (her pen name) is the best known of these children, and there is not much information about her 14 siblings. How many sisters did Charles Dickens have? [11], In 1885, a column in the Pittsburgh Dispatch titled "What Girls Are Good For" stated that girls were principally for birthing children and keeping house. New-York Historical Society Library. Michael Cochrans rise from mill worker to mill owner to judge meant his family lived very comfortably. He later became a merchant, postmaster, and associate justice at Cochran's Mills (which was named after him) in Pennsylvania. http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/bly/madhouse/madhouse.html. What does that mean, and how did her writing contribute to reform efforts on a variety of issues? [33] Bly was 31 and Seaman was 73 when they married. [68], Bly is one of 100 women featured in the first version of the book Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls written by Elena Favilli & Francesca Cavallo. But Bly held the record for only a few months before it was broken by businessman George Francis Train who completed the journey in 67 days. [37], She ran her company as a model of social welfare, replete with health benefits and recreational facilities. Into the Madhouse with Nellie Bly: Girl Stunt Reporting in the Late Nineteenth Century America., Nellie Bly PBS: American Experience, Accessed 23 March 23, 2017, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/world/peopleevents/pande01.html. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. How many siblings did Queen Liliuokalani have? Nellie Bly was an unwavering advocate for social change, a journalistic dynamo, and a force of nature. Conduct a close examination of. Shop eBooks and audiobooks at Rakuten Kobo. "Bly, Nellie (1864-1922), reporter and manufacturer. [46] The Girl Puzzle opened to the public in December, 2021. One of her first undertakings for that paper was to get herself committed to the asylum on Blackwells (now Roosevelt) Island by feigning insanity. [38], Bly wrote stories on Europe's Eastern Front during World War I. How many siblings did Martha Washington have? 2022. www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/nellie-bly. (June 2002) 217-253. [40], On January 27, 1922, Bly died of pneumonia at St. Mark's Hospital, New York City, aged 57. Following her marriage, she retired from journalism and became the president of her husbands Iron Clad Manufacturing Company. She only attended one year of boarding school, because the financial burden placed on the family following her father's death forced her to quit school. After her return, she toured the country as a lecturer. Chapultepec Castle, Mexico City. Her trip only took 72 days, which set a world record. It shed light on the disturbing living condition of patients, the neglect on part of the authorities and the physical abuse meted out to patients. Cochrane rode on ships and trains, in rickshaws and sampans, on horses and burros. 1890. of Congress. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Nellie Bly became a star journalist by going undercover as a patient at a New York City mental health asylum in 1887 and exposing its terrible conditions in the New York World. Death date: January 27, 1922. Combine Elizabeth Cochranes life story with the life stories of, Connect Elizabeth Cochranes work to that of fellow muckraker, Elizabeth Cochrane was one of many Americans who fought to eradicate what she perceived as the evils of modern life. MLA Norwood, Arlisha and Mariana Brandman. Oil on canvas. [20], In 1893, Bly used the celebrity status she had gained from her asylum reporting skills to schedule an exclusive interview with the allegedly insane serial killer Lizzie Halliday.[25]. Ten Days in a Mad-House was a raging success and brought Nellie Bly immense fame and recognition as a writer and civil rights activist. How many siblings did Emily Dickinson have? Just two years after reviving her writing career, on January 27, 1922, Bly died from pneumonia in New York City. The editor chose "Nellie Bly", after the African-American title character in the popular song "Nelly Bly" by Stephen Foster. Kroeger, Brooke. Does Nellie have any. Nellie Bly was born as Elizabeth Jane Cochran on May 5, 1864 in Cochrans Mills, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, to a mill worker Michael Cochran and his wife Mary Jane. Her report was compiled into a book, Ten Days in a Mad-House (1887), and led to lasting institutional reforms. In 1887, 23-year-old reporter Nellie Bly had herself committed to a New York City asylum to expose the horrific conditions for 19th-century mental patients. Date accessed. New-York Historical Society Library. These changes included a larger appropriation of funds for the care of mentally ill patients, additional physician appointments for stronger supervision of nurses and other healthcare workers, and regulations to prevent overcrowding and fire hazards at the city's medical facilities. ", Lutes, Jean Marie. 1. She met Jules Verne at his home in France. In conjunction with one of her first assignments for the World, she spent several days on Blackwell's Island, posing as a mental patient for an expos. How many siblings did Wilma Rudolph have? [28] Bly's journey was a world record, though it only stood for a few months, until George Francis Train completed the journey in 67 days.[31]. [8], As a young girl, Elizabeth often was called "Pinky" because she so frequently wore that color. She went undercover to expose an insane asylums horrors. How many children did Laura Ingalls Wilder have? After a ten-day stay at the asylum, it was at the behest of the newspaper that Bly was freed. Elizabeth Cochran (she later added a final e to Cochran) received scant formal schooling. Elizabeths investigations brought attention to inequalities and often motivated others to take action. [74], Cover of the 1890 board game Round the World with Nellie Bly. This is a short thirty-minute lesson on Frances Ellen Watkins Harper. How many siblings did Rachel Carson have? The editor, Joseph Pulitzer, declined that story, but he challenged Bly to investigate one of New Yorks most notorious mental asylums, Blackwells Island. [32] In 1893, though still writing novels, she returned to reporting for the World. Nicols Enrquez de Vargas (artist), Portrait of Sor Juana Ins de la Cruz, ca. [1] [2] In 1885, Elizabeth read an article in the Pittsburgh Dispatch that argued a womans place was in the home, to be a helpmate to a man. She strongly disagreed with this opinion and sent an angry letter to the editor anonymously signed Lonely Orphan Girl.. When Robert died in 1904, Elizabeth briefly took over as president of his companies. She was arrested when she was mistaken for a British spy. Unfortunately, he died when Elizabeth was only six years old and his fortune was divided among his many children, leaving Elizabeths mother and her children with a small fraction of the wealth they once enjoyed. [citation needed] The character of Lana Winters (Sarah Paulson) in American Horror Story: Asylum is inspired by Bly's experience in the asylum. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. 10 Days in a Madhouse: Directed by Timothy Hines. Nellie Bly tied the nuptial knot in 1895 with the millionaire manufacturer Robert Seaman. Bly not only accepted the challenge, she decided to feign mental illness to gain admission and expose firsthand how patients were treated. She had circumnavigated the globe, traveling alone for almost the entire journey. In 1880, her mother moved the family to Pittsburg, and Nellie Bly caught the eye of "The Pittsburg Dispatch" editor George Madden, when she wrote a response to the article "What Girls Are Good For." Thought lost, these novels were not collected in book form until their re-discovery in 2021.[75]. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. She married millionaire Robert Seaman in 1895, but after his death she suffered financial reverses, and she returned to newspaper work on the New York Journal in 1920. Taking on the pen name by which she's best known, after a Stephen Foster song, she sought to highlight the negative consequences of sexist ideologies and the importance of women's rights issues. "Pink Cochrane" was a great name, but almost every woman journalist writing in the 19th century used a pseudonym. One of the protagonist's adventures in the 2003 film "The Adventures of Ociee Nash" is meeting Nellie Bly (Donna Wright) on a train. Her illustrious career also included a headline-making journey around the world, running an oil manufacturing firm, and reporting on World War I from Europe. 2022. This article was most recently revised and updated by, 8 of Nellie Bly's Most Sensational Stories. [53] In 2019, the Center for Investigative Reporting released Nellie Bly Makes the News, a short animated biographical film. Portrait of Nellie Bly. But her negligence, and embezzlement by a factory manager, resulted in the Iron Clad Manufacturing Co. going bankrupt. How many siblings did Mary Livermore have? How many children did Catherine Parr have? How many siblings did Deborah Sampson have? Cochran's Mills, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Burrell Township, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Escaping the Madhouse: The Nellie Bly Story, An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster, "She went undercover to expose an insane asylum's horrors. July 28, 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2019/07/28/she-went-undercover-expose-an-insane-asylums-horrors-now-nellie-bly-is-getting-her-due/. Unable to maintain the land or their house, Bly's family left Cochran's Mill. After her ten-days-in-a-madhouse stunt and her circumnavigation of the globefeats that would make her a household nameshe went on to do many other things. In 1887, Bly stormed into the office of the, Blys six-part series on her experience in the asylum was called. How might Elizabeths position as a woman have helped her investigative reporting? [74] From early in the twentieth century until 1961, the Pennsylvania Railroad operated an express train named the Nellie Bly on a route between New York and Atlantic City, bypassing Philadelphia. The story of an investigative journalist who used her career to shed light on the horrors of urban life and break gender stereotypes. Chicago- Norwood, Arlisha and Mariana Brandman. It was initially published as a series of articles for the New York World. She used the pen name Nellie Bly, which she took from a well-known song at the time, Nelly Bly. Bly was a popular columnist, but she was limited to writing pieces that only addressed women and soon quit in dissatisfaction. Her image was used on everything from playing cards to board games.

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