The Four Girls

The titular protagonists of Four Girls at Chautauqua are pictured here prior to their two-week spiritual journey in the popular novel written by "Pansy," the pen name of Isabella Macdonald Alden. Founded in 1874, the Chautauqua Institution synthesized aspects of camp meetings, religious education, and tourism. Its setting, alongside a picturesque lake, preserved elements of nature--as in a "grand temple" of trees that later became the Hall of Philosophy, an open-air Grecian structure set amidst the grove that captivated Alden. In her novel, moments of spiritual trial and revelation often are set amidst Chautauqua's natural locations. Five years later, the Cassadaga Lake Free Association at Lily Dale--for the exploration of Spiritualism and Freethinking--was founded nearby with its own Forest Temple.

Library of Congress via Internet Archive

Engraving

4 x 5 in.