Eva Dickson
Encyclopedia
Eva Dickson, born Eva Lindström (Steninge Slott, Sigtuna
1905 - Calcutta, India, 22 April 1938), was a Swedish explorer, rally driver and writer. She was the first woman to have crossed the Sahara
desert by car. She was the perhaps first female rally driver in Sweden (1925), and the third female aviator
in Sweden (1923).
Eva Dickson was the daughter of the wealthy Albert Lindström, who managed stud farms for Horse breeding
, and Maria Lindström. She married the rally driver Olof Dickson in 1925, and the former spouse of Karen Blixen
, Baron Bror von Blixen-Finecke
, in 1936.
Eva Dickson travelled by car from Nairobi
to Stockholm
in 1932, and from Belgium
to Calcutta in 1937. Her travels attracted great attention, and she published several travel guides and descriptions of her experiences. She made her travels by making bets with various wealthy society people.
In 1937, she planned to travel from China to Sweden by the Silk Road
. After having reached Calcutta, however, she was reached by the news of the Second Sino-Japanese war
and was therefore forced to change her plans. Shortly after, she was taken ill and treated with a cure of arsenic in a hospital in Calcutta, which worsened her condition. She left the hospital, and died in a car accident while driving shortly thereafter.
Sigtuna
Sigtuna is a locality situated in Sigtuna Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 18 inhabitants in 2005. It is the namesake of the municipality even though the seat is in Märsta....
1905 - Calcutta, India, 22 April 1938), was a Swedish explorer, rally driver and writer. She was the first woman to have crossed the Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
desert by car. She was the perhaps first female rally driver in Sweden (1925), and the third female aviator
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
in Sweden (1923).
Eva Dickson was the daughter of the wealthy Albert Lindström, who managed stud farms for Horse breeding
Horse breeding
Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses...
, and Maria Lindström. She married the rally driver Olof Dickson in 1925, and the former spouse of Karen Blixen
Karen Blixen
Baroness Karen von Blixen-Finecke , , née Karen Christenze Dinesen, was a Danish author also known by her pen name Isak Dinesen. She also wrote under the pen names Osceola and Pierre Andrézel...
, Baron Bror von Blixen-Finecke
Bror von Blixen-Finecke
Baron Bror von Blixen-Finecke was a Swedish baron, writer, and African big-game hunter.Born to an aristocratic Swedish family, he married his Danish second-cousin Karen Blixen in 1913...
, in 1936.
Eva Dickson travelled by car from Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
to Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
in 1932, and from Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
to Calcutta in 1937. Her travels attracted great attention, and she published several travel guides and descriptions of her experiences. She made her travels by making bets with various wealthy society people.
In 1937, she planned to travel from China to Sweden by the Silk Road
Silk Road
The Silk Road or Silk Route refers to a historical network of interlinking trade routes across the Afro-Eurasian landmass that connected East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean and European world, as well as parts of North and East Africa...
. After having reached Calcutta, however, she was reached by the news of the Second Sino-Japanese war
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
and was therefore forced to change her plans. Shortly after, she was taken ill and treated with a cure of arsenic in a hospital in Calcutta, which worsened her condition. She left the hospital, and died in a car accident while driving shortly thereafter.
Sources
- Lena Wisaeus & Ann Bjerke: Eva Dickson – ett bedårande barn av sin tid (Eva Dickson - a delightful child of her time) (2000)
- http://www.nordicacademicpress.com/o.o.i.s?id=43&vid=1614
- Lindorm, Erik: Gustaf V och hans tid. 1928-1938 (The epoch of Gustav V 1928-1938) (1979)