| London would become the Hoover's
Home base for the next few years. They moved into a flat at 39 Hyde
Park Gate, but Lou knew they'd be traveling again shortly. She hadn't
lost her spirit of adventure.
Over the next few years the Hoovers traveled
the world. As Herbert inspected mines for Bewick, Moreing and Company,
Lou accompanied him. Some of the places they went included:
Australia |
New Zealand |
Japan |
Nothing kept Lou Hoover from a trip with Bert. After giving birth to
their first son, Herbert Jr. on August 4, 1903, Lou was ready to travel
within five weeks. The baby, a nurse, and the Hoovers left for Australia
with baby Herbert in a traveling basket. Home became the place that
the Hoovers were sent. By the time Herbert Jr. was one year old, he
had been around the world twice.
While doing some research at the British Museum in
London, Lou came across a book entitled, Agricola de re Metallica.
This work had been published in Latin in 1556, and was a manual of mining
and metallurgy. This book had fascinated Lou since she had originally
seen a copy of it in Professor Branner's laboratory at Stanford. After
securing a copy of it for themselves from an antiquarian book dealer,
Lou and Herbert began to translate the book into English. It was at
this time that Lou's Latin language course came in so handy. The Hoovers
worked on the translation over the next five years. It became their
leisure time activity. The translation was published in 1912. Not only
did this collaboration bring the Hoovers pleasure, but also it brought
them a gold medal for achievement from the Mining and Metallurgical
Society of America.
During her time in London, Lou also began to collect
porcelains. She studied the histories and manufacturing processes of
each piece of Ming and early Ch'ing porcelain that she acquired. She
also developed a love of photography, and began to take photographs
and create scrapbooks of pictures.
Allan Hoover was born on July 17, 1907 in London. Not
to be out done by his brother Herbert Jr., Allan was packed off to Burma
before he was six weeks old.
In 1908, Herbert left Bewick Moreing and Co. to form
his own consulting firm. It was at this time that Lou found a big house
on Hornton Street that would be their London home. It was dubbed
the Red House. It was set in a garden, had a steam heat and large
bathrooms. This house became the Hoover's headquarters when they weren't
traveling around the world.
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