The 21st century is alive with scurrying, jet-setters of all breeds. If copies of SkyMall are to be trusted as an accurate litmus test, wayfaring travelers of the modern age are a diverse bunch of intrepids, ranging in myriad tastes, backgrounds and motivations. The modern journeyman can snooze easily through 10,000 miles with minimal fear of pirates, scurvy or the clap. Minimal. But our casual (dare I say blasé?) relationship with world-traversing voyages is yet another extremely recent development thanks to human ingenuity (a.k.a innovations for the sake of being as lazy – excuse me, “efficient” – as possible). It was not long ago that a zealous traveler needed cutlass, courage and male parts to conquer the globe.
Enter Jeanne Baret. Sporting a sailor’s disguise, with an attitude to match, Frenchwoman Jeanne Baret would become the first woman to circumnavigate the globe in 1766, joining a list of real life wonder women kicking-ass in a haze of testosterone. Join University of Louisville professor Glynis Ridley as she discusses the life and discovery of this remarkable sailoress at Historic Locust Grove’s Afternoon Lecture Series this Wednesday, June 6th, at 1pm.
Based on her 2010 release, the book The Discovery of Jeanne Baret, Dr. Glynis Ridley’s presentation will explore the 18th Century voyage that would place Baret on the map – literally. Posing in disguise as a man, Jeanne Baret joined Bougainville’s expedition and found her place working as an assistant to the mission’s botanist. Completing a journey both dangerous and daring, Ridley will tell Jeanne’s story, discuss her book and explain the process of reconstructing what really happened on the voyage.
Admission to the Afternoon Lecture Series is $3 for Friends of Historic Locust Grove and $5 for the rest of us. Delectables in the form of dessert and coffee will kick off the discussion at 1pm, with Dr. Ridley’s presentation beginning following the nibbles at 1:15pm. Been a while since you braved the seven seas? Make the journey to Locust Grove this week and marvel at the badass-ery of one of history’s most intrepid travelers – and all without a single SkyMall.
Historic Locust Grove is located on 561 Blankenbaker Lane.
For more information, visit Locust Grove’s website.
Image: Courtesy of www.amazon.com
