Isabelle Massieu (born Bauche, 3 April 1844 - 1932)[1] was a French traveler, writer and photographer. Massieu became the first French woman to travel to Nepal, which she wrote about in Népal et pays himalayens. She became a member of the Legion of Honor in 1906.

Isabelle Massieu
Born
Isabelle Massieu Bauche

(1844-04-03)3 April 1844
Died1932
NationalityFrench
Occupation(s)writer, photographer
SpouseJacques Alexandre Octave Massieu
AwardsLegion of Honor

Biography edit

Massieu was born in Paris on 3 April 1844.[2] She married a lawyer, Jacques Alexandre Octave Massieu, who took her on his trips through Europe and the Middle East.[2] When she was widowed at the age of 50, Massieu continued to travel.[2] Starting in 1892, she began to travel to Asia.[3] She traveled through French Indo-China and British-ruled Burma in 1896.[4] She released an account of her travels to India in "A Frenchwoman at Ladak."[5] Massieu became the first French woman to travel to Nepal.[3] She described her journey in 1908 to Nepal, through India, Bhutan and Sikkim and into Tibet in the book, Népal et pays himalayens.[3]

Massieu became a Legion of Honor member in 1906.[2] Massieu died in 1932 and was buried in the Carnot cemetery in Suresnes.[6] Some of her photographs are part of the collection of the Musée de l'Homme.[7]

References edit

  1. ^ "Massieu". www2.culture.gouv.fr. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
  2. ^ a b c d "Isabelle MASSIEU fut la première occidentale à se rendre, non seulement au Laos, en 1897, mais dans bon nombre de contrées lointaines de l'Inde, de l'Asie, de la Chine…". Lao Mag (in French). 2016-05-12. Archived from the original on 28 August 2018. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
  3. ^ a b c "Nepal and the Himalayan Countries". World Digital Library. 1914. Archived from the original on 8 July 2017. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
  4. ^ "New Books". The Scottish Geographical Magazine. 18 (56): 56. January 1902 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ "Summaries of Foreign Periodicals". The London Quarterly and Holborn Review. 89: 197. 1897 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ "SURESNES (92) : cimetière ancien". Cimetières de France et d'ailleurs. Archived from the original on 17 September 2018. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
  7. ^ Timby, Kim (1996-11-01). "Les albums photographiques du musée de l'Homme". Études photographiques (in French) (1). ISSN 1270-9050.