Two Lucys in Europe 1884

In the summer of 1884, two Lucys from Virginia – Lucy Minor Davis (1840-1925) and Lucy Lee Trice (1857-1897) - took a grand tour of Europe. They followed a well-beaten path: home – New York – Ireland - Scotland – England - Netherlands – Belgium – Germany – Austria – Italy – Switzerland – France – England – Scotland – New York - home. The tour featured some rare and unforgettable moments. For example: performances by the legendary actresses Sarah Bernhardt and Mary Anderson, a meeting with the American sculptor Longworth Powers (son of Hiram Powers) at his studio in Florence, a minor eruption of Mt. Vesuvius at the crater’s rim, a sermon delivered by the famous preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon in London, and a moving recital in Lucerne by Professor Meyer, the most noted organist of the day. These experiences were in addition to planned encounters with famous buildings, cities, natural wonders, and works of art. The Lucys traveled to Europe on the S. S. Furnessia, a steamer of the Anchor Line, and returned on the S. S. City of Rome. They were more than just traveling companions; they were close friends and first cousins, both descended from Thomas Jefferson’s sister Martha Jefferson Carr. Each Lucy possessed a keen mind, a passion for reading, a profound Christian faith, and deep interests in art, literature, and history. They were well-read with some French, Latin, and a little German at their disposal. In other words, they were intellectually armed for Europe. With more than 160 illustrations.