Biography
Born in Bordeaux, France, Anna Cora Ogden came to New York at the age of six. Educated at home for the most part, she was allowed to range widely in her readings and she participated in family theatricals. At the age of fifteen, she eloped with James Mowatt, a wealthy New York attorney who was twenty-eight. Through this marriage, she entered the upper-class Long Island society circles.
Her publications include Pelayo, of the Cavern of Covadonga (1836), poetry published under the pen-name of "Isabel," and the following year the well-received volume of poetry, Reviewers Reviewed. In 1841, James Mowatt lost their fortune through speculation; Anna Cora Mowatt rescued them financially by beginning a series of public poetry readings that lead to her acting and playwrighting careers. She published two novels, The Fortune Hunter (144) and Evelyn (1845), but she best known for her play Fashion (1845), an international success which satirizes New York society, and her memoirs, Autobiography of an actress (1854). After the Civil War and a second, unsuccessful marriage, she continued publish novels, short fiction, and occasional poems. She died of tuberculosis.Residence
New York
Writings
Poems
Papers
Bibliography