In 1946, Emily Post founded the Emily Post Institute to ensure her legacy would endure. Now managed by the fifth generation of the Post family, the Institute offers a wealth of resources on topics from business etiquette to parenting. [1]
American author, novelist, and socialite, Emily Price was born on 27 October 1872, into an affluent family in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. The daughter of a successful banker, she grew up surrounded by privilege and social status. Her early education was private, as was common for girls of her social standing at the time. She attended a prestigious finishing school in New York, where she was trained in the arts of etiquette, social grace, and refinement—an education that would shape her future career.
In 1896, at the age of 24, Emily married lawyer Edwin Post. A modern woman ahead of her time, she divorced her husband at a young age and, as a single mother turned to writing once her two sons were old enough to attend boarding school. Her early work included humorous travel books, newspaper articles on architecture and interior design, and magazine serials. After going on to produce five novels, Emily found her true calling when she began writing about manners and etiquette. The more she explored this subject, the more she had to say.
In 1922, at the age of 50, Emily Post published Etiquette: In Society, in Business, in Politics, and at Home, which quickly became a bestseller, topping the nonfiction list. It’s said that her book, at 627 pages, also became the second most stolen book from public libraries, after the Bible.
Emily’s personality and relatable approach won her many fans. Her advice, delivered with humour and practicality, made people feel confident and considerate. Her book, Etiquette, has been updated through 19 editions to date.
Emily Post died in her New York City apartment in 1960 at the age of 87.
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