Harriet Hosmer, a highly famous sculptor of the nineteenth century, was the first woman to break into the all-male world of neo-classical sculpture, a situation that caused her much torment and teasing. She also determined not to marry, convinced that a talented woman had to choose between being a wife and mother and a professional and that it was not possible to do a good job of both.

Hosmer was raised in Watertown, Massachusetts by an indulgent father in a family where the mother and three other children had died of tuberculosis. He was determined to save this daughter and established a rigorous exercise program that included mountain climbing (a peak in Missouri is named for her) long bicycle rides, and shooting expeditions.
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