Clover Hooper Adams

Biography

Clover Hooper Adams (1843–1885) was a Washington hostess and accomplished amateur photographer who played a significant role in the intellectual and cultural life of the nation's capital during the Gilded Age. Wife of the distinguished historian and man of letters Henry Adams, she was known for her wit, intelligence, and artistic pursuits.

As an early practitioner of photography, Clover demonstrated considerable skill and artistic sensibility in her work, documenting life in Washington society and contributing to the medium during its formative years. Her salon became a gathering place for prominent figures in politics, literature, and the arts, reflecting her refined taste and cultivated mind.