Emily Post, the socialite and writer best known for Etiquette: "The Blue Book of Social Usage," in 1912. Photographer unknown.

Emily Post is among the most widely read authors of American etiquette, and her name is still invoked whenever manners are discussed. The daughter of a Baltimore architect, Post was well-educated and immersed in the rituals and social obligations of the well-to-do. She did not write extensively until 1905, when, after divorcing her husband of 14 years, she began publishing articles and short stories on travel, interior design, and architecture. Her first etiquette book was published in 1922, when she was fifty, and it became an instant hit. Biographer Laura Claridge credits Post's usage of fictional prose for the book's success, as well as the abundance of young millionaires and immigrants in the early 20th century who were eager to fit into the upper echelons of society.

Post continued to be active, appearing on radio and in newspapers, until her death in 1960. She founded the Emily Post Institute in 1946, which continues to publish etiquette books, host seminars, and maintain an extensive library. Her descendants are still active in the field, writing for such periodicals as The Boston Globe and Good Housekeeping, contributing to blogs and websites such as Brides.com, or publishing their own books of etiquette.