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Primary sourcePhotograph1889

Nellie Bly, Journalist

1889

A publicity photograph of Nellie Bly taken for her 1889 trip to travel around the world, which made her a national celebrity.

This publicity photo of Bly was used to promote her famous around-the-world journey for the New York World.

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Sepia studio portrait of a woman in a long checked coat and a striped cap, holding a dark handbag, standing before a painted garden backdrop with a tiled floor.
Nellie Bly, publicity photograph for her around-the-world voyage, 1889.

About this source

What it is

This is a studio photograph of journalist Nellie Bly, taken as publicity for her 1889 journey to circle the globe. The original caption notes she completed the trip in 72 days, 6 hours and 11 minutes.

Why it matters

The photograph shows Bly as the New York World presented her to the public: a bold, independent traveler with a single bag, racing against the clock. It captures how newspapers used personal stunts to build circulation and fame for their reporters.

Look closer

  • What does her clothing and single bag suggest about how she wanted to be seen?
  • Why would a newspaper want a striking portrait like this to accompany her travel reports?
  • What does the painted backdrop tell you about studio photography of this era?

This photograph is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Nellie Bly on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Front cover of a red leather-bound book with ornate gold tooling. Gold text reads 'Jules Verne, Le Tour du Monde en 80 Jours, Illustré' inside a central oval medallion, with decorative Greek key borders and floral roundels.Book

Secondary source

Around the World in Eighty Days

Jules Verne · 1872

Front cover of the book 'Ten Days in a Mad-House' by Nellie Bly. Decorative border with vines and a price label reading 'Price 25 Cents' at top. Title in large capitals in a framed panel, with 'by Nellie Bly' signature in script at bottom, above a wreath-like ornament with flowers.Book

Primary source

Ten Days in a Mad-House

Nellie Bly · 1887

Front cover of the Official Program for the Woman Suffrage Procession, Washington, March 3, 1913. A painted illustration shows a woman on a white horse blowing a trumpet and carrying a purple banner reading 'Votes for Women', with the Capitol dome at right and two women walking behind. Text reads 'Official Program, Woman Suffrage, Procession, Washington D.C. March 3, 1913'.Document

Primary source

Official Program, Woman Suffrage Procession, Washington, March 3, 1913

National American Woman Suffrage Association · 3 March 1913

Black-and-white studio portrait of a woman standing in a checked wool coat with large buttons, a cap on her head, and a crocodile-skin travel bag in her right hand. A painted backdrop of foliage and a patterned carpet surround her. Printed title above reads Nellie Bly; caption below describes her trip around the earth in 72 days, 6 hours, and 11 minutes.Photograph

Primary source

Nellie Bly, The New York Correspondent

1889

Black-and-white photograph of a woman standing in a full-length checked coat over a dark dress, raising a hat in one hand and holding a handbag in the other. A Library of Congress copyright stamp reading 'Feb 21 1890' appears at the bottom.Photograph

Primary source

Nellie Bly Bids Farewell

1889–1890

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