LADY HESTER STANHOPE

Lady Hester Stanhope was one of the earliest female explorers.

At age 33 she turned her back on 18th Century English high society, journeying to the Middle East in search of adventure.

Shipwrecked en route to Cairo and losing all her posessions, Lady Hester Stanhope wore local clothing as she continued her travels. She was so admired by the Bedouins they named her 'Queen of the Desert'.

The exotisim of 1940's Arabian films and Lady Hester Stanhope's sense of adventure are seen within this collection.