Emily Post facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Emily Post
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Post in June 1912
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| Born | Emily Price c. October 27, 1872 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Died | September 25, 1960 (aged 87) New York City, U.S. |
| Resting place | St. Mary's-in-Tuxedo Episcopal Church Cemetery, Tuxedo Park, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Author, Founder of The Emily Post Institute |
| Subject | Etiquette |
| Spouse |
Edwin Main Post
(m. 1892; div. 1905) |
| Children | 2 |
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Emily Post (born Emily Price; around October 27, 1872 – September 25, 1960) was an American author. She was well-known for writing books and articles about etiquette, which means good manners and polite behavior.
Early Life and Family
Emily Bruce Price was born in Baltimore, Maryland. The exact date of her birth is not known, but it was likely in October 1872. Her father, Bruce Price, was a famous architect. He designed many fancy communities and buildings. Her mother, Josephine (Lee) Price, came from a wealthy family in Pennsylvania. Her grandfather owned a coal mine.
Emily was taught at home when she was young. Later, her family moved to New York. She then went to Miss Graham's finishing school. This type of school taught young women social skills and manners.
Emily grew up in a world of large, beautiful homes. Her life included many formal events, like fancy balls. These events had special dances and rules to follow.
Emily met her future husband, Edwin Main Post, at a ball. He was a well-known banker. They got married in 1892 and traveled through Europe for their honeymoon. After their trip, they lived in New York City near Washington Square Park. They also had a small country home in Tuxedo Park, New York. This home was one of four that Emily inherited from her father.
Emily and Edwin later moved to Staten Island. They had two sons: Edwin Main Post Jr. (born 1893) and Bruce Price Post (born 1895). Emily and Edwin divorced in 1905 due to personal problems in their marriage.
Emily Post's Career
Emily Post started writing after her two sons were old enough to go to boarding school. At first, she wrote fun travel books. She also wrote newspaper articles about architecture and home design. Her stories appeared in popular magazines like Harper's and Scribner's.
She wrote five novels: Flight of a Moth (1904), Purple and Fine Linen (1905), Woven in the Tapestry (1908), The Title Market (1909), and The Eagle's Feather (1910). In 1916, she published By Motor to the Golden Gate. This book was about a road trip she took from New York to San Francisco with her son Edwin.
When Emily Post was 50, she wrote her first etiquette book. It was called Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics, and at Home (1922). People often just called it Etiquette. This book became a huge success. Many new versions were printed over the years.
After 1931, Emily Post began speaking on radio shows. She also wrote a daily newspaper column about good manners. This column appeared in over 200 newspapers by 1932.
Her etiquette books were very popular because many people wanted to learn how to behave politely. America was a mix of people from different backgrounds. Many new wealthy families wanted to fit in with society. Emily Post's books helped them learn the rules of good manners. Her books were also fun to read. They were like short stories with different characters. These characters helped readers understand good and bad manners.
In 1946, Emily Post started The Emily Post Institute. This organization still teaches about etiquette today.
Later Life and Death
Emily Post passed away in her New York City apartment in 1960. She was 87 years old. She is buried in the cemetery at St. Mary's-in-Tuxedo Episcopal Church in Tuxedo Park, New York.
Cultural Impact
- A painting of Emily Post by Emil Fuchs (from around 1906) is kept at the Brooklyn Museum.
- In a 1938 cartoon called Have You Got Any Castles?, a drawing of Emily Post appears from her etiquette book. She scolds England's King Henry VIII for his bad manners.
- In 1950, Pageant magazine named her the second most powerful woman in America. Eleanor Roosevelt was named the most powerful.
- On May 28, 1998, the United States Postal Service released a stamp featuring Emily Post. It was part of their Celebrate the Century stamp series.
- In 2008, Laura Claridge wrote Emily Post: Daughter of the Gilded Age, Mistress of American Manners. This was the first full book about Emily Post's life.
See also
- Adolph Freiherr Knigge
- Amy Vanderbilt
- Book of the Civilized Man
- Brad Templeton—who posted Emily Postnews Answers Your Questions on netiquette on Usenet
- Letitia Baldrige
- Miss Manners
- Miss Porter's School
- Lillian Eichler Watson—Post's primary competitor from the 1920s through the 1950s
