It was a time when aviation was a spectacle, a marvel of human ingenuity that drew throngs of curious onlookers to airfields and exhibition grounds. The Wright brothers had proven that man could fly. And in the coming early years of the 20th century, it was just that: a pursuit for the most daring of men.

Then came Harriet Quimby. Poised, confident, utterly undeterred, and unboundedly adventurous. Harriet would not only fly, she would also become the “First Lady of Aviation.” And perhaps more broadly, she represented the changing nature of what it meant to be a lady.

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Harriet was born in Arcadia, Michigan, on May 11, 1875, into a family that struggled with stability but, in some ways, channeled these challenges into adventure. The Quimbys moved from New York to Michigan and then went off to California, the golden land of opportunity. Harriet’s father attempted farming and business, neither of which led to much success. Then, Harriet’s mother opened a company that sold herbal medicine, and the family experienced financial stability for the first time. For Harriet, she got to see what was rare then, a woman as the breadwinner of a home.

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