Alice Bertha Gomme, Lady Gomme (née Merck), was a pioneering British folklorist who made significant contributions to the study of traditional culture during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Born in London on January 4, 1853, she spent her life in the capital, where she also passed away on January 5, 1938. Throughout her career, she established herself as a leading authority in folklore, particularly through her groundbreaking research into the history and preservation of children's games.\n\nBeyond her landmark work on children's play, Gomme was also instrumental in the study of traditional culinary arts. She served as the inaugural president of the English Folk Cookery Association, an organization founded by Florence White to document and promote traditional English recipes and cooking methods. Through these diverse avenues of research, Gomme championed the academic value of everyday domestic traditions and folklore, leaving a lasting legacy in the field of cultural preservation.
