Anderson, Isabel

Isabel Weld Perkins Anderson, born into a prominent Boston family in 1876, inherited significant wealth from her grandfather. She married Larz Anderson, a diplomat, and together they led a life of travel and social engagement, undertaking numerous global journeys. Anderson was a prolific writer, producing works that included family histories, travelogues, poetry, and children's stories. Her writings often focused on her family's legacy and her experiences abroad, particularly in Japan and Europe. She also contributed to public service, volunteering with the American Red Cross during World War I and providing aid in France and Belgium. Her philanthropic efforts extended to public endowments, including significant contributions that led to the creation of parks and museums.

Born Isabel Weld Perkins in Boston in 1876, she hailed from a wealthy lineage of Boston merchants and her father was Commodore George H. Perkins, a Civil War naval officer. At a young age, Isabel inherited a substantial fortune from her grandfather, William Fletcher Weld. While initial reports of her inheritance were inflated, historical records clarify the actual distribution of the estate. Her childhood was marked by extensive travel during summers in Newport and winters in Boston, with additional time spent at the Perkins family estate in New Hampshire. At nineteen, she embarked on a year-long European tour, during which she met her future husband, Larz Anderson, in Rome.

Isabel Anderson authored several books, with those detailing her family history being of particular interest to historians. Her notable works include 'Under the Black horse flag: Annals of the Weld family and some of its branches,' which chronicled the transportation empire founded by her great-grandfather. She also edited and published the papers of her father-in-law, General Nicholas Longworth Anderson. Anderson's literary output also encompassed travelogues such as 'The Spell of Japan' and 'Circling Africa,' alongside volumes of poetry and children's stories. Much of her personal documentation is preserved at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum and the New England Historic Genealogical Society.

During World War I, Isabel Anderson dedicated herself to volunteer work with the American Red Cross. She led relief efforts in Washington D.C. and spent eight months in France and Belgium providing care for the sick and wounded. Upon her return, she also assisted during an influenza epidemic in Washington. Her humanitarian service earned her several honors, including the American Red Cross Service Medal and the French Croix de Guerre. Post-war, Anderson continued her philanthropic endeavors, contributing significantly to public works. Her legacy includes the creation of Larz Anderson Park in Brookline, Massachusetts, and the donation of the Anderson House in Washington D.C. to the Society of the Cincinnati, which now operates as a museum. She also established the Larz Anderson Auto Museum, housing a collection of antique vehicles.

“these Andersons? They were idle rich, born to money and accustomed to privilege -- but they were interesting people who left us something...Isabel did what rich young women did back then -- she "came out," summered in Newport, "springed" in New Hampshire, wintered in Boston, partied aplenty. In 1896, the debutante went to Europe, a young attractive woman with a considerable inherited fortune. She met Larz; he was smitten; they were married. He did the diplomat thing; she wrote books and plays. They split their time between Washington, D.C., and Brookline.”