Mary Dexter (born Bedford, Massachusetts, 1886)
Annotated Manuscript for In the Soldier's Service: War Experiences of Mary Dexter, England, Belgium, France, 1914-1918
Ink on paper
Macknight Room
Commentary
This document, typewritten with handwritten edits and pasted-in illustrations, details Mary Dexter’s wartime service. A friend of Isabella Stewart Gardner, the Massachusetts-born Mary Dexter moved to Europe at the outbreak of World War I to deliver medical care to wounded soldiers. During the war, Mary took on many roles, including nutritionist, psychiatrist, and ambulance driver. Her experiences are detailed in this manuscript, which was later published as In the Soldiers’ Service in 1918. The manuscript itself was likely a gift to Isabella Stewart Gardner from Emily Dexter, Mary’s mother and the book’s editor.