Eliza Scidmore was a remarkable woman. Adventurous and talented, she traveled around the world visiting interesting places. She wrote about her travels for newspapers and magazines, including the National Geographic Society magazine, where she was the first female writer and photographer. She published seven books, including the first guide to Alaska. After seeing the parks and riverbanks in Japan, she fell in love with the cherry blossoms there. They formed pink clouds around everything and were so beautiful that she wanted to bring them back to America. Her hometown of Washington, D.C. would surely benefit from these lovely trees. However, not everyone shared Eliza's vision, certainly not the parks supervisors. She met with every one of them, year after year, to explain her idea. When they didn't listen she asked Helen Taft, the President's wife, for help. It took more than twenty years for Eliza's cherry trees to become part of Washington, D.C.'s landscape. But thanks to her determination and love of Japan, residents and visitors to the nation's capital can appreciate these beautiful trees.
32 pages | 11 x 8.7 inches
