Dispensing Beauty in New York and Beyond:: The Triumphs and Tragedies of Harriet Hubbard Ayer

Harriet Hubbard Ayer moved to New York City by 1883 and established Recamier Preparations, Inc., the earliest cosmetic company owned and operated by a woman. First with her creams and balms and then with her words about women's health and beauty, she influenced several generations of women to look and feel good about themselves. The jealous and vindictive men in her life punished her for her ambition, accomplishments and independence by attempting to steal her lucrative business and seize her children. After she successfully sued them, they had her committed to an insane asylum. Indomitable, this former Chicago socialite reinvented herself as the highest paid newspaperwoman in the United States, editing the women's pages of Joseph Pulitzer's New York World. Her incredible story is presented here as never before.