Amy Isabel Crocker was the most interesting woman no one has ever heard of. Born in Sacramento, California in 1864 to wealthy philanthropist parents, Amy was a millionaire at age 10 due to her father's death. Her mother sent Amy to finishing school in Dresden to tame her early teen wild ways. Amy was presented at court - and ended up engaged to Prince Alexander of Saxe Weimer. The engagement ended, and Amy returned home.
In 1883 she married a man named Porter Ashe. As she and Ashe traveled to Los Angeles for their honeymoon, the train broke loose of the tracks. Ashe helped pull passengers to safety. The couple parted after the birth of their daughter Alma. Amy traveled a great deal post divorce. Ashe decided to kidnap their daughter, because he believed Amy's traveling made her a negligent mother. After a custody battle Ashe won custody of Alma, despite his being a known gambler. Soon after Amy's mother adopted Alma and renamed her Gladys.
During her travels Amy journeyed to hawaii. She befriended King Kalākaua. She danced hula and was given the nickname Pallai Kalani - "Bliss of Heaven." She later returned to Hawaii and helped an imprisoned Queen Liliʻuokalani by donating food and money to poor, starving Hawaiians under white rule. Her generosity was appreciated by Hawaiians not used to having white people be sympathetic to their cause.
She married a second husband, Henry Gillig, in 1889. She toured "The Orient" for 6 years. Crocker visited Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, in India. In her memoir she claimed to have escaped headhunters in Borneo, a poisoning attempt in Hong Kong, and a week in a harem in Bhulana. Amy often appeared at society functions with jewel bangles featuring snakes. She sported tattoos and dressed in exotic native costumes of the lands she'd visited. She had an affair with Edgar Saltus, a leading member of the Decadent Movement.
The third phase of her life began with her third husband, Jackson Gouraud. The couple adopted three children Amy changed the spelling of her name to Aimée. She Gouraud lived in New York City and led an artistic and theater rich life ; as "first nighters" they attended premieres of all the latest operas and plays. They counted the Barrymores and Enrico Caruso amongst their friends. Many of their writer friends created characters based around Aimée for their shows. They hosted lavish parties ; Aimée arrived at one such party on the back of an elephant. Her behavior shocked other socialites, but the newspapers dubbed her "The Queen of Bohemia" and "The Most Fascinating Woman of Her Age."
After Gouraud died in 1910 A relocated to Paris. She published her memoir - and I'd Do It Again in 1936, as well as collections of short stories about her travels. She married a fourth, then a fifth husband - the last 26 years old to her 61. Aimée Crocker died in 1941 at age 78. Aimée Crocker left a legacy of adventure on her own terms, and taught women how to be fascinating. Even if she had to escape headhunters, her Bohemian life was one well-lived.
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