Marian V. Dorsey (Mary Virginia Dorsey)
Marian V. Dorsey was a founding member of the WLCB and sister of Club co-founder Hester Dorsey Richardson. She was born Mary Virginia Dorsey on Maryland’s Eastern shore in Dorchester County, the subject of much of her writing.
Dorsey published dozens of articles in newspapers and magazines, many dealing with “feminine subjects” including home decoration, cooking, household management, and etiquette. Her work appeared in national magazines including Harper’s Bazar and Good Housekeeping as well as in syndication, and also was commissioned by publications including the Philadelphia Press and the New York Herald. Her work also appeared in publications closer to home, including the Patriotic Marylander and the Baltimore American newspaper. She published several pieces about antiques and home furnishings in the Baltimore Sun under the name Constance Chisholm.
Dorsey also was a valued member of local historical societies and organizations including the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Maryland Folklore Society, the Edgar Allan Poe Association (founded by Club president Letitia Wrenshall), and the Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore, which appointed her in 1927 to be one of a 3-member committee to curate the first public exhibition of Poe memorabilia. Her research on historical subjects won the somewhat grudging respect of members of the Maryland Historical Society and other historical associations.
Dorsey was a lifelong member of the Club but shared her work on only rare occasions. When she did, she presented her more “serious” historical research rather than sharing her columns on cooking, home decoration, or antiques.
Dorsey never married and was buried, along with her sister Hester, in the family plot on Church Creek in her beloved Dorchester County.
Relation
Hester Crawford Dorsey Richardson
Sources
“Mary Virginia Dorsey.” Maryland Women, ed. Margie Luckett (1931-1942), 108-112.
Contributors
Marina Fazio