Revealing a household of intimate friendship, mutual inspiration, shared ideas, and love, The Red Rose Girls unfolds against a backdrop of the emerging women's rights movement in an era when female sexuality was still little understood or publicly acknowledged. It is an unforgettable story of three extraordinary women artists who achieved success on their own terms.

Full-color reproductions of the Red Rose Girls' artwork and wonderful archival photographs bring these women and their milieu to life.

175 illustrations, 60 in full color, 8 1/2 x 11"

ALICE A. CARTER is a professor at the School of Art and Design at San Jos State University. An award-winning illustrator who has done extensive work in the entertainment industry and in advertising, she is also the author of The Art of National Geographic.

The strength and success of these women artists is an inspiration to everyone regardless of their sex or chosen occupation. The "Red Rose Girls" is a must have for any library. The quality of writing and research in this book makes it hard to put down and I am looking forward to seeing more publications by this author.


great story, too much speculation   February 8, 2002
 11 out of 12 found this review helpful

The story of these illustrators is wonderful; 3 women who had the talent and tenacity to find a way to become successful professional artists, independent of men at a time when that was near impossible. I love this book for its collection of photographs of the women, their home life, and their art, arranged chronologically, so that it becomes apparent how much they affected and influenced each others work.

My complaint is that the writing is completely preoccupied with the question of the women's physical sexuality. Ms Carter more than implies a kind of polygamous group intimacy and belabors her point by projecting her assumptions into the photographs and writings over and over. And yet there is no basis for this theory, except Ms Carters own idea that no person can possibly have an asexual lifestyle, and because they weren't married, they must have been sexual with each other.

It is entirely possible that some, or even all of the women were sexually involved, but I find that unanswerable question so much less important than the facts of how they were able to avoid falling into social conventions by banding together financially and emotionally as an artistic cooperative, and a family. I wish Ms Carter had spent less time speculating and more time discussing things like what mediums the women were working in, which, oddly, I still don't know after reading the whole 216 pages of this preoccupied and strangely organized book. I am glad to own it for the collection of photos and art work, and for that I give it 3 stars.


Tree-mendous!   May 4, 2000
 9 out of 11 found this review helpful

This extraordinary book combines the traditional biographical format with the visual splendor of color reproductions traditionally found in a museum style art book. "The Red Rose Girls" is in a league all its own, combining history, biography, and art in order to recreate the lives of this amazing group of women. This book brings the reader into the world of these talented artists and goes further to explore the complexities faced by women striving for professional execellence. Carter's book definitely hits the mark, recounting the past and presenting themes that reverberate into present day society. Great!


Red Rose Girls   April 2, 2000
 9 out of 11 found this review helpful

This is an exceptional book. Carter has meticulously documented three significant women in the history of American art and illustration, Jessie Willcox Smith, Elizabeth Shippen Green, and Violet Oakley. It is a must have for anyone interested in the entwined lives and careers of America's first and most successful female artists as the country entered the 20th century. I found the book to be thoroughly researched and thoughtfully written. The Red Rose Girls does a fine job fully

detailing their outstanding contributions to the art world and of their life long intimate love. Inspiring are the pages upon pages of lavish reproductions which display their paintings, sketches, research materials, and the revealing personal photographs. Carter's complete documentation satisfies my needs as an artist, educator, and as a witness to America's ever changing social history. This book is the definitive account of the Red Rose Girls' role in American art and I am elated for the long due recognition they so fully deserve. You will not be disappointed in this wonderful book.


The Red Rose Girls   April 3, 2000
 7 out of 9 found this review helpful

My partner and I are thrilled with this excellent book on these major players in the history of American art and culture. It is an extremely valuable book that brings their remarkable lives to public attention after too many years of neglect. We feel Alice Carter finally does justice to their true story of love and success. These women provided the foundation for so many others in the 20th century and this book finally gives them the recognition they deserve. We love the way the book covers their dramatic struggles to be successful and to have a loving, fulfilling, relationship. The reproductions of their work are some of the best we've seen and there are many images that we've never seen anywhere previously. Only one of us is an artist but we both think that the book will be enjoyed by anyone. It is thoughtfully written and a sensational page turner that we rate at 5 stars.