Janet Elliott Wulsin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Janet Elliott Wulsin
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Portrait, 1921
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| Born |
Janet January Elliott
October 17, 1894 |
| Died | November 15, 1963 (aged 69) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | nurse; explorer |
| Spouse(s) | Frederick Wulsin (1919—1929) Richard Hobart (after 1929) |
| Children | Muffie Cabot |
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Janet Elliott Wulsin (born October 17, 1894 – died November 15, 1963) was an amazing American explorer from the early 1900s. She was known for her exciting journeys to faraway places. Janet's adventures make her one of the important women explorers of her time.
Contents
Janet Wulsin's Early Life
Janet January Elliott was born into a wealthy family in New York. Her father, Howard Elliott, was a very important person who ran railroads. Even though she had a comfortable life, Janet wanted more than just social events. She dreamed of exploring the world.
Helping Out in World War I
In 1918, when she was 24, Janet decided to join the Red Cross. She became a nurse in France during World War I. This allowed her to help people and also be closer to her fiancé, Frederick Roelker Wulsin. They got married in 1919.
Amazing Expeditions to Asia
Janet and Frederick were inspired by other explorers like Roy Chapman Andrews. They decided to dedicate their lives to traveling the world and discovering new things.
Journeys to China and Mongolia
From 1921 to 1925, Janet and Frederick went on several big trips. They explored distant parts of China, Tibet, and Outer Mongolia. Their goal was to learn about the people, plants, and animals in these regions.
- They received money from the National Geographic Society to help with their trips.
- Their team included 28 camels, six horses, four Mongolian camel drivers, and 10 Chinese helpers.
- They collected 1,400 different plant and animal samples.
- They also learned about and documented Buddhist traditions.
- They took hundreds of photos of tribespeople and desert landscapes.
- They were even allowed to photograph inside some large Tibetan Buddhist monasteries. This was very rare for Westerners at that time.
Sharing Their Discoveries
In 1926, National Geographic published a story about some of their adventures. However, Janet's important contributions were not mentioned. Newspaper articles in the United States often got things wrong about their travels.
Janet and Frederick returned to the United States in 1925. They later divorced in 1929. Janet then married Richard Hobart, who was a banker and collected Chinese art.
Janet's Legacy
For a long time, Janet's big role in these expeditions was not widely known. This changed after she passed away in 1963. Her daughter, Muffie Cabot, found Janet's private letters and diaries.
Muffie then wrote a book called Vanished Kingdoms. This book finally told the amazing story of Janet's explorations and adventures. It showed the world how important Janet Elliott Wulsin truly was as an explorer.
