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November 14, 1889, Nellie Bly (1864-1922) American journalist, author, industrialist and charity worker, leaves New York for her 24,899 miles journey Around the World, that would end up in a (short-lived) new record of 72 days, 6 hours, 11 minutes and 14 seconds. Her travels brought her to England, France (where she met Jules Verne), Italy, the Suez Canal, Ceylon, Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan.
More longlasting fame she got for something totally different, the opposite of all that travel and openess: her undercover report in which she faked insanity to study and investigate reports of brutality and neglect at the New York Women's Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell’s Island in 1887. After ten days of this rather modern approach of journalism, she was released. Her report, later published in the book ‘Ten Days in a Mad House’, caused a nationwide sensation and embarrassement among the physicians and staff. It also got her recommendations established, and a 850,000 dollars increase in the Department of Public Charities and Corrections’ budget. That must be today’s equivalent of 8.5 million? You can’t call that ‘nuts’ for 10 days of being a looney! Image by Photobucket/xXBloodRoses28Xx
More longlasting fame she got for something totally different, the opposite of all that travel and openess: her undercover report in which she faked insanity to study and investigate reports of brutality and neglect at the New York Women's Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell’s Island in 1887. After ten days of this rather modern approach of journalism, she was released. Her report, later published in the book ‘Ten Days in a Mad House’, caused a nationwide sensation and embarrassement among the physicians and staff. It also got her recommendations established, and a 850,000 dollars increase in the Department of Public Charities and Corrections’ budget. That must be today’s equivalent of 8.5 million? You can’t call that ‘nuts’ for 10 days of being a looney! Image by Photobucket/xXBloodRoses28Xx
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