The Pedestriennes, America's Forgotten Superstars

For four weeks frenzied fans packed Brooklyn's Mozart Garden to watch, "Madame" Ada Anderson battle fatigue, cold, hunger, and her most tenacious companion, loneliness. Failing would result in personal humiliation and set back women's athletics for decades. Success meant international fame and her taking home a fortune. In the late 19th century, Madame Anderson and a handful of other women dazzled America as professional women endurance walkers. Called pedestriennes, they engaged in walks that c