Dorsey, Marian V. (1858-1947)
 | Marian V. Dorsey was a founding member of the Woman's Literary Club of Baltimore and sister of Club co-founder Hester Dorsey Richardson. She was born Mary Virginia Dorsey on the 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 feminine 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. She also published in publications closer to home, including the Patriotic Marylander and the Baltimore American. She published several pieces 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. |
"Salutations and Inscriptions" (Decorator and Furnisher, June 1888); nonfiction.
"The Poe Monument and Memorial Volume" (Homemaker, Jan. 1893); nonfiction.
"A Daughter of the Cavaliers" (Kate Field's Washington, May 9, 1894); nonfiction.
"Mythology in the Public Schools" (Journal of Education May 9, 1894); nonfiction.
"Birthday Parties for Old People" (Ladies' Home Journal, Jan. 1899); nonfiction.
"Folk Lore" (Dixie, July 1899); nonfiction.
"In Corn Pone Land, Part I" (The Northwestern Miller, Apr. 3, 1901); nonfiction.
"Decorations of a Boy's Room" (Washington Herald, Feb. 18, 1902); nonfiction.
"'Aunt Tempy's' Maryland Dishes" (Good Housekeeping, Dec. 1902); recipe.
"From 'Aunt Tempy' Again" (Good Housekeeping, Jan. 1903); recipe.
"My Lavender Garden" (Good Housekeeping, Mar. 1904); nonfiction.
"From a Southern Kitchen" (Delineator, Oct. 1904); nonfiction..
"Telling the Time at 'Controversie'" (Northwestern Miller, July 8, 1908); history.
"Blue China Old and New" (Harper's Bazar, Sept. 1908); nonfiction.
"Fried Chicken" (in Good Housekeeping Everyday Cookbook, 1909); recipe.
"Raising Lavender" (Harper's Bazar, May 1910); nonfiction.
"The Summer Girl Who's Popular" (Minneapolis Star-Tribune, July 2, 1911); nonfiction.
"Maxims for Summer Guests" (Chicago Tribune, July 30, 1911); nonfiction.
"Boyville in Your Back Yard" (Suburban, Aug. 1911); nonfiction.
"Joys for the Stay-at-Homes" (Chicago Tribune, Aug. 13, 1911); nonfiction.
"You Can Easily Be Charming" (Chicago Tribune, Aug. 27, 1911); nonfiction.
"Heirlooms from the Handsomest Drawing Room in America" (Baltimore Sun, Oct. 8, 1911); nonfiction.
"Getting Ready for College" (Washington Herald, June 9, 1912); nonfiction.
"Possibilities of the Veranda" (Atlanta Constitution, July 21, 1912); nonfiction.
"Decorating with House Plants" (Washington Herald, July 28, 1912); nonfiction.
"The Collecting of Old Lustre Ware" (Baltimore Sun, Aug. 11, 1912); article (as Constance Chisholm).
"The Fad for 'Green India Ware'" (Baltimore Sun, Sept. 29, 1912); article (as Constance Chisholm).
"Your Old Silver Spoons" (Baltimore Sun, Nov. 10, 1912); article (as Constance Chisholm).
"Bayberry Candles Burnt at Christmas Bring Good Luck To House" (Baltimore Sun, Dec. 15, 1912); article (as Constance Chisholm).
"The Interest that Attaches to Silhouettes" (Baltimore Sun, Jan. 26, 1913); article (as Constance Chisholm).
"The Bonnet of 1830 Versus the Saucer Hat" (Baltimore Sun, Mar. 30, 1913); article (as Constance Chisholm)
"A Steele Tradition of Lafayette" (Maryland Original Research Society of Baltimore, May 1913); history.
"Why Not the Picture Loan Service from Our Libraries?" (Baltimore Sun, Apr. 25, 1915); editorial (as Constance Chisholm).
"The Washington Bust in the Monument" (Patriotic Marylander, Sept. 1915); history.