“Dashwood’s Drag; or, the Derby and What Came of it.”

Ouida’s lucrative career as an author began at the young age of twenty. She moved from Bury St. Edmunds to London in 1857 with her mother and grandmother after her father, Louis Ramé, abandoned the family. While in London, Ouida became acquainted with Dr. William Francis Ainsworth, who provided medical advice for Ouida’s ailing grandmother. By connecting with Ainsworth’s cousin, Harrison, the relationship produced her first publication. Seen here, “Dashwood’s Drag” was an immediate success.