Emily Montague Bishop (née Mulkin; November 3, 1858 – November 22, 1916) was an American Delsartean lecturer and instructor in dress, expression and physical culture. She was recognized as one of the noted editors and authors on this subject in the United States,[1] commonly using the name Emily M. Bishop. She was also a pioneer suffragist.[2] Among her publications are Americanized Delsarte Culture (1892), Self-expression and Health: Americanized Delsarte Culture (1895), Interpretive Forms of Literature (1903), Seventy Years Young, or The Unhabitual Way (1907), Daily Ways to Health (1910), and The Road to "Seventy Years Young": Or, The Unhabitual Way (1916).

Emily Montague Mulkin Bishop
"A Woman of the Century"
BornEmily Montague Mulkin
November 3, 1858
Forestville, Chautauqua County, New York, US
DiedNovember 22, 1916 (aged 58)
New York City
OccupationLecturer, instructor, editor, author
LanguageEnglish
Alma materForestville High School
SubjectDelsarte educational movement
SpouseColeman E. Bishop

Early life and education

edit

Emily Montague Mulkin was born in Forestville, Chautauqua County, New York, November 3, 1858.[3] Her parents were Asa L. Mulkins (1827-1893) and Ann E. (De Witt) Mulkins (1827-1861).[4]

She was educated in the Forestville High School.[2]

Career

edit
 
Americanized Delsarte Culture (1892)
 
Self-expression and Health; Americanized Delsarte Culture (1895)
 
Daily ways to health (1910)
 
The road to "Seventy Years Young" (1916)

After leaving school, Bishop taught for four years, serving as assistant principal of the union school in Silver Creek, New York. She then gave several years to the study of Delsarte work in various cities.[3]

After marriage, she moved to Black Hills, South Dakota. Bishop was elected superintendent of public schools in Rapid City, South Dakota, being the first woman thus honored in the Dakota Territory.[3]

In 1885, she was invited to establish a Delsarte department in the Chautauqua School of Physical Education, in the Chautauqua Assembly, New York. She has had charge of that department for four seasons, and it steadily grew in popularity. In 1891, it was the largest single department in the Assembly. From the Chautauqua work grew a large public work in lecturing and teaching.[3] Her lectures were on literature and physical culture. She gave public readings at the Pratt Institute, Brooklyn; Drexel Institute, Philadelphia; Mechanics Institute, Rochester, New York; and in principal cities of the U.S. and Canada.[4] She was the originator and interpreter of the policical readings known as "Dramatic Scenes from the United States Senate", through which she gained national fame.[5]

She wrote a number of articles for various magazines and published several books, including Americanized Delsarte Culture.[3]

Personal life

edit

In 1884, she married Coleman E. Bishop, editor of the Judge, New York.[3]

In addition to the Dakota Territory, Bishop lived in New York City,[4] and in Washington, D.C.[3]

Just before her illness, Bishop became connected with the Women's Democratic League and spoke at meetings on behalf of President Wilson. She died November 22, 1916, at New York Hospital, in New York City, age 59.[2]

Selected works

edit
  • Americanized Delsarte Culture, 1892
  • Self-expression and Health: Americanized Delsarte Culture, 1895
  • Interpretive Forms of Literature, 1903
  • Seventy Years Young, or The Unhabitual Way, 1907
  • Daily Ways to Health, 1910
  • The Road to "Seventy Years Young": Or, The Unhabitual Way, 1916

References

edit
  1. ^ Logan, Mrs John A. (1912). "EMILY MULKIN BISHOP". The Part Taken by Women in American History (Public domain ed.). Perry-Nalle publishing Company. p. 785. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c "Mrs. Emily M. Bishop Dies. Author, Health Culturist, and Suffrage Pioneer Was 58". The New York Times. 23 November 1916. p. 13. Retrieved 8 November 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Willard & Livermore 1893, pp. 85–86.
  4. ^ a b c Marquis, A.N. (1909). Who's who in America (Public domain ed.). A.N. Marquis. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  5. ^ "Emily Bishop Dies in New York City Today". Wisconsin State Journal. 22 November 1916. p. 1. Retrieved 8 November 2021 – via Newspapers.com.

Attribution

edit
edit