Juliet Thompson

Juliet Thompson (1873–1956) was an American Bahá'í, painter, and disciple of `Abdu'l-Bahá. She is perhaps best remembered for her book The Diary of Juliet Thompson though she also painted a life-sized portrait of `Abdu'l-Bahá.

Thompson was born in Washington, D.C., in 1873. Her parents, James W. Thompson and Celeste, sent her to the Corcoran School of Art (before it was renamed as a college). Her father died when she was 12 and left little money for the family, but Thompson was already able to sell paintings. Thompson was an active member of the community of artists in Washington D.C. and painted a centerpiece of the 1897 Cosmos Club annual show.

After learning of the Bahá'í Faith in Washington DC near 1898 she traveled to Paris at the invitation of Laura Dreyfus-Barney's mother. Later in 1901 in Paris she met Thomas Breakwell, (see Bahá'í Faith in the United Kingdom), who gave her Arthur de Gobineau's description in French of the Execution of the Báb which confirmed her faith. Paris is where Charles Mason Remey first met Thompson when she was taking classes on the religion from Mírzá Abu'l-Fadl.

Among many talks `Abdu'l-Bahá gave in the United States he gave one at her residence on 15 November 1912 at 48 West Tenth Street, New York. At this meeting he described distinctive qualities of the religion.

During World War I she offered talks on a Bahá'í topic of the Most Great Peace. In the 1940s Thompson made several extended trips to Mexico to promulgate the religion. (See Bahá'í Faith in Mexico.)

Thompson recalled Khalil Gibran, a neighbor and acquaintance of hers, and reports several anecdotes relating to Gibran: She recalls Gibran met `Abdu'l-Bahá a couple times circa 1911-1912.

...
Wikipedia