Introduction
Mary Blair Rice, better known by the pen name Blair Niles (1880–1959) was an American novelist and travel writer. She was a founding member of the Society of Woman Geographers. The name Blair Niles was adopted from her late second husband's name, Robert Niles, Jr.
History
The first wife of oceanographer William Beebe, Niles also wrote under the name of Mary Blair Beebe. She lived among indigenous peoples in Mexico, South America, and Southeast Asia. In 1923, she published Casual Wanderings in Ecuador. Colombia: Land of Miracles followed in 1924, and Peruvian Pageant in 1937. In these books she linked contemporary culture with the past by exploring history, traditions, and legends. She visited the notorious Devil's Island in 1926 and recorded the life of a prisoner there (René Belbenoit) in her 1928 best selling biography: Condemned to Devil's Island. The international sensation caused by this book led to prison reforms. Her 1931 book, Strange Brother, was a gay-themed novel (her only work in that genre) set in New York City during the Harlem Renaissance.
Honorable recognition
In 1944, Blair Niles was awarded the Gold medal of the Society of Woman Geographers.