Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-08-12
Agnes Robbery Dies;
Author 81 Books on
Travel and Virginia
~ The Assseiossd Press

~ the Assoeiassd Press
CHARLOTTESVILLE. va.
Aug. II. Travel writer Agnes
Rothery. one Of virginia,s best.
known literary figures, Is dead.
She succumbed to cancer at her
home last night after q 16-year.
battle with the disease.
Funeral services for the 81
year-old authoress will be at IL
am. Saturday In the Catholic
Church Of the Holy Comforter,
with the Rev. j. Bernard Moore
ofiiciating. Burial will be In the
University Of Virginia Cemetery.
In private life she was Mrs.
Harry Rogers Pratt, wife Of a.
retired University Of Virginia
professor.
King Christian x Of Denmark
had decorated her in 1916 for her
series Of books on the Ave co,in-
tries OF modern Scandinavia.
Virginia Books Well known.
But she was better known to.
Virginians for her books on the
Old Dominion. her adopted State.
just last February She had
completed her third study of the
State and only a few weeks be-
fore her death she finished COR
recting the proofs. In November,
Rhinehart will bring out the
last of her "a books under the
title, Houses Virginians Have
Loved"
In 1929 was published her,
New Roads in Old Virginia,
with wood cut Illustrations by,
Mrs. Dean Acheson. She also
wrote Virginia, the New Domin-
ion," illustrated by the late E.
H. Suydam.
Residents of Charlottesville
knew her for her long presi-
dency Of the local chapter Of the
Society for the Prevention Of
Cruelty to Animals and her breed
Of Siamese cats.
Mrs. Pratt had long contrib
uted articles and stories to pc
riodicals. including the Readers
Digest, the Virginia Quarterly
Review and House Beautiful, Of
which she was travel editor for
q time.
Loved Writing Of Travel.
But her first love was travel
writing. Her first books on for
eign lands were about Latin
America and came long before
the airplane and modern hotels
made it familiar to tourists. She
was swung ashore in rope sling
on several West Coast ports Of
call and once was shipwrecked.
Even though stricken with
cancer, she few to Iceland and
Italy to gather material for two
books. These were Rome To-
day" and Iceland, New World
Outpost. which was brought
out in Londonas "Bastion Of the
North"
At home she wrote New York
Today" THE Joyful Gardener"
and her autobiography, Fitting
Habitation. ~ Many Of her books
appeared in England and several
years ago her Norway, Chang
ing and Changeless" was the
choice Of the London Book Of
the Month Club.
When the Association of Amer-
lean Publishers in 1887 donated
200 books to. the White House
for the establishment of a per-
manent national library, Agnes
Rothery was the only author to
have four books included.
Husband Aided Writer.
Her husband. Harry Rogers
Pratt, whom she married in 1917,
retired from the university fac
ulty last year after 80 years.
He accompanied her on most of
her travels and took photographs
to illustrate, many Of her books.
She was born in Brookline,
Mass, January 81, 1887, the
daughter Of John Jay Elmdorf
Rothery and Rosamond Dale
Pentecost Rothery Of Owens
boro, KY.
Mrs. Pratt was graduated from
Wellesley College in 1909 and
Joined the staff OF the Ladies'
Home Journal as an assistant
editor. After two years in Phila-,
delphia she returned to Boston
to be literary editor of the Bos-
ton Herald for three years and
wrote a daily column, agnes
Edwards Morning Talk"
A selection Of 100 of her col
umns was published in 1913
under the title. "Our Common
Road" her first book.
She is survived by her husband
and two sisters, Mrs. Ferrucio.
Vitale Of New York and Mrs.
Carl Burger Of Pleasantville,
N. Va