Donna Lee Dicksson

While my goal as a kid was to sit in the back of the classroom and keep my mouth shut, I always managed to end up in the front row, arm raised, waving madly, blurting out questions.

I just never could get excited about history.

To my delight, history finally came alive for me with “Mattie Lee Price, The Forgotten Georgia Wonder.” As I researched her amazing life, I found myself lost for hours in the current events surrounding her short but exciting life.

During that research, I found Charles White (menagerie manager) and Annie White (wardrobe mistress) of the 1898 Barnum and Bailey show. I believed they were Mattie's in-laws. I dug deeper. They were not related, but when I pulled on that little red thread of history, I found a treasure trove of untold Victorian circus culture. The more I looked, the more interesting details emerged. Thus “Pet Lions & Well-Dressed Elephants, a Circus Journey to Greatness 1846-1873” was born of my need to share their amazing story. (A percentage of all royalties will be donated to 501C3 organizations who care for retired circus animals.)

When not researching, writing, gardening, cooking or taking care of my two African Grey parrots (Lucy and Gracie), I’m running around taking photographs of people and animals, birds in particular… bald eagles when I can find them!

WEBSITE: www.dicksson.com