Reflecting on Anne of Green Gables

Lucy Maud Montgomery

Lucy Maud Montgomery-publicly known as L.M. Montgomery, but always called Maud by family and friends-was born in Prince Edward Island in 1874. From a young age, she showed literary inclinations: reading voraciously, keeping a journal, and writing poems and stories.

Montgomery found inspiration for her writing in glossy magazines, the same ones that published her stories. At the age of 28, she discovered the striking photograph of New York model Evelyn Nesbit in a magazine. Nesbit heralded the changing times, but portrayed a nostalgic and sensuous beauty. Decades later, Montgomery wrote in her journal that this photo was the inspiration for Anne’s face.