Emma Gad

Emma Gad (January 21, 1852 - January 8, 1921), born Emma Halkier, was a Danish writer and socialite who wrote plays and books that were often satirical. Although she was a prolific writer, many of her works fell into obscurity after her death. One work that remained popular was Takt og Tone, a book of etiquette she wrote in old age.[1]

Emma Gad
BornEmma Halkier
(1852-01-21)January 21, 1852
Copenhagen
DiedJanuary 8, 1921(1921-01-08) (aged 68)
Copenhagen
Resting placeCemetery of Holmen
OccupationWriter
LanguageDanish
NationalityDanish
SpouseNicolas Urban Gad
ChildrenPeter Urban Gad, Henry Urban Gad

She received a gold Medal of Merit in 1905. Today her plays are preserved in Denmark's Royal Library.

Biography
Gravestone of Emma and Nicolas Gad in Copenhagen

Gad grew up in a relatively affluent home in Copenhagen. Her father and uncle were the owners of the trading house G. Halkier & Co..[2] She received a good education for a woman at the time and married Nicolas Urban Gad, a rear admiral, in 1872. They had two sons: Henry and Peter Urban Gad, who later became a filmmaker. She was a member of many trade unions and women's societies in Copenhagen,[3] and her home was an important meeting place for intellectuals in Denmark at the turn of the century.[1]

In 1886 she premiered as a dramatist at the Royal Danish Theatre's Ny Scene. In the mid-1890s, she was the driving force behind the successful 1895 Copenhagen Women's Exhibition. In 1898 she co-founded the Women's Trade and Clerical Association, which was the first professional organization of women in the office.[4]

Etiquette - About Dealing with People

Gad's book Etiquette - About Dealing with People (Danish: Takt og Tone - Om Omgang med Mennesker) was published in 1918. Her oft-repeated point is that when visitation is between considerate people then "etiquette" is not necessary. It is the indifferent, selfish, or directly ruthless people that create the need for a formal etiquette.

Legacy and memorials

Emma Gads Vej, a street in Ørestad, Copenhagen, is named after her. On January 21, 2013, Google made a doodle for Emma Gad's 161st birthday, in honor of her book of etiquette.[5]

References
  1. Katharina Wilson (1991). An encyclopedia of continental women writers. 1. A - K. Garland Publishing, Incorporated. pp. 436–. ISBN 978-0-8240-8547-6. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
  2. "Emma Gad (1852 - 1921)". kvinfo.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  3. Ethnologia Scandinavica. Royal Gustav Adolf Academy. 2003. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
  4. "Emma Gad (1852 - 1921)" (in Danish). Kvinfo. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  5. "Emma Gad's 161th Birthday". www.google.com. Retrieved 2019-05-25.
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