Miss Grahn alias Theodora de Verdion

A print from an extra-illustrated unbound volume of 'The cries of London'. Dr. de Verdion was a woman from Berlin who dressed as a man. Theodora de Verdion, or Miss Grahn, as she was also known, is shown wearing an embroidered waistcoat. She worked in London as an exchange broker, secretary and a teacher of languages. During the 19th century it was very difficult for a woman to independently pursue a profession. Authors such as Mary Ann Evans and Charlotte Bronte initially took male names, respectively George Eliot and Currer Bell, in order to get their work published. Dressing as a man was a more unusual option.