Fidelia Bridges

Fidelia Bridges was one of the small number of successful female artists in the 19th and early 20th centuries. She was a painter and illustrator, capturing small aspects of nature flowers, birds, and other plants in their natural settings. She first was an oil painter and later took up watercolor painting. She was known for her delicately detailed paintings. She was considered an expert and specialist in watercolor painting. She was the only woman in the group of seven notable 19thcentury artists in the American Watercolor Society. Her illustrations were published in books, magazines and were used for greeting cards.

Fidelia Bridges was born in Salem, Massachusetts, to a sea captain, Henry Gardiner Bridges and his wife Eliza Chadwick Bridges . She was orphaned by age fifteen after her mother and father died. Henry Bridges was taken ill and was taken to Portuguese Macau, where he died in December, 1849. Three months later, just three hours before the news of his death arrived in Salem, Eliza died in March, 1850.

Source: Wikipedia