Helen West Stewart Ridgely traveled extensively throughout her life, both in the United States and in Europe. As was typical of well-to-do young ladies of that era, she went abroad at age 16 to complete her education, spending three years in Lausanne, Switzerland. By the 1880s, she was taking multiple trips per year, especially to New York and New England during the summers, but some to Europe as well.
Helen was comfortable traveling on her own, which was fairly unusual for women during the Victorian Era and shows her independent spirit. She took frequent trips to visit relatives and friends, traveling by carriage, train, boat, cart and, in the early 20th century, by automobile. Helen was an annual visitor to Narragansett, Boston, Maine, New York and Atlantic City. Nearer to home, she thought nothing of catching a train to go from Towson to Baltimore for shopping or from Baltimore to Philadelphia for an exhibit or lecture.
Pencil drawing on paper, 1871 (HAMP 4382)
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Helen frequently sketched the historic Swiss city of Lausanne where she studied as a young woman. The image showing a city scene of buildings and a prominent church, is signed in the lower left corner, "Lausanne St. Francois." Other dated views from this time show Helen traveling in other countries such as Germany.
Diary, 1872-1877 (HAMP 16586)
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Helen Stewart penned this journal entry while abroad in 1872 describing a trip to Père Lachaise, the largest cemetery in Paris, France, and the tombs of notable people she saw there. She was about 18 years of age and excitedly includes that Mr. Ridgely (Charles and Margaretta’s son John) joined in on the trip. John Ridgley and Helen developed an interest in each other soon after meeting on their trips abroad, and the two began a courtship in 1872 after returning to the United States.
April 28th 1872 We children, Mr. Ridgely included(!) went to Père Lachaise which is not my idea of a burial ground at all. The family tombs look like rows of these shrines by the roadside in Italy – and are all along the principal avenues. Molière + Lafontaine are next to each other but then tombs are very simple. We saw those of Casimir Delavigne, Beranger, Balzac, Emil Souvestre, Casimir Pèrier- a celebrated barister + of course that of Abelard and Heloise.
Scrapbook, 1885 (HAMP 16579)
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This scrapbook titled "AGENDA-BUVARD DU BON MARCHE 1885," was kept by Helen Ridgely during her trips to France and England. It includes journal entries in which Helen describes her and her family’s dailey activities, newspaper clippings, and maps of France.
Pencil and ink wash on paper, 1887 (HAMP 4459) (left) Pencil and ink wash on paper, 1889 (HAMP 4471) (right)
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The New England coast, especially in Rhode Island and Maine, were favorite summer vacation spots for Helen Ridgely. A number of her surviving artworks record the pleasant, leisurely days she spent there escaping the Maryland heat and crowds at Hampton. The view on left described on the reverse “Leaving Portsmouth in the evening/ from memory." On the right is Star Island in the Isles of Shoals, a renowned artists’ colony off the cost of New Hampshire and Maine. The Oceanic Hotel seen on the right view is still in use today.
Scrapbook, c.1890 (HAMP 14710)
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In this scrapbook, Helen Ridgely collected postcards and photographs of sites and artwork throughout Europe circa 1890.
Photograph of Helen with automobile, c.1920 (HAMP 18596)
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Helen Ridgely was the first mistress or master of Hampton to learn how to drive a car, likely by 1920, an unusual accomplishment for an older lady at that time and yet another expression of Helen’s independent nature. Her first vehicle was a 1920 Model T Ford. In contrast, her husband Captain John never learned to drive, relying instead on horses, horse-drawn vehicles, chauffeurs, and his own legs for transportation.
