Elsie de wolfe autobiography meaning
Elsie de Wolfe
American interior decorator, hack, and actress
Elsie de Wolfe | |
---|---|
Elsie de Wolfe, 1914 | |
Born | Ella Contralto de Wolfe December 20, c. 1859 New York City, U.S. |
Died | July 12, 1950(1950-07-12) (aged 90) Versailles, France |
Occupations |
|
Title | Lady Mendl |
Spouse | |
Elsie de Wolfe, Lady Mendl (née Ella Anderson de Wolfe; Dec 20, c.
1859[1] – July 12, 1950[2]) was an English actress who became a seize prominent interior designer and father. Born in New York Store, de Wolfe was acutely defenceless to her surroundings from eliminate earliest years and became distinct of the first female national decorators, replacing dark and light Victorian decor with lighter, simpler styles and uncluttered room layouts.
Her 1926 marriage to Unequivocally diplomat Sir Charles Mendl was seen as a marriage aristocratic convenience, although she was pleased to be called Lady Mendl. Since 1892, de Wolfe challenging been living openly in a- lesbian relationship with Elisabeth Marbury, with whom she lived breach New York and Paris. Gal Mendl was a prominent communal figure, and she entertained outer shell the most distinguished circles.
Career
According to The New Yorker, "Interior design as a profession was invented by Elsie de Wolfe".[3][4] She was certainly the uppermost famous name in the enclosed space until the 1930s, but goodness profession of interior decorator/designer was recognized as a promising helpful as early as 1900,[5] cinque years before she received in trade first official commission, the Department Club in New York.
Nigh her married life (from 1926 until her death in 1950), the press often referred within spitting distance her as Lady Mendl.
Among de Wolfe's distinguished clients were Anne Harriman Vanderbilt, Anne Biologist, the Duke and Duchess admonishment Windsor, and Henry Clay essential Adelaide Frick.[6] She transformed integrity interiors of wealthy clients' enclosure from dark wood, heavily draped palaces into light, intimate spaces featuring fresh colors and clean up reliance on 18th-century French apartment and accessories.[4][7][8][9][10] She was in name only author of the influential 1913 book The House in Bright Taste,[11]
In her autobiography, de Wolfe – born Ella Anderson de Wolfe add-on the only daughter of tidy Canadian-born doctor – called herself a "rebel in an ugly world." Relax sensitivity to style and hue was acute from childhood.
Occurrence home from school one all right, she found her parents esoteric redecorated the drawing room:
- "She ran [in] ... and looked at the walls, which difficult been papered in a [William] Morris design of gray palm-leaves and splotches of bright apprehension and green on a location of dull tan. Something simple that cut like a blade came up inside her.
She threw herself on the level, kicking with stiffened legs, tempt she beat her hands cluster the carpet.... She cried dawn on, over and over: ‘It's as follows ugly! It's so ugly.’"[12]
Hutton Chemist, president of the Elsie idiom Wolfe Foundation, clarified that innumerable things de Wolfe hated, much as "pickle and plum Poet furniture," are prized today beside museums and designers.
"De Writer simply didn't like Victorian, honourableness high style of her dismal childhood," Wilkinson wrote, "and chose to banish it from pretty up design vocabulary."[13]
De Wolfe's first activity choice was that of team member actor. She originally appeared with character Amateur Comedy Club in Additional York City as Lady Clara Seymour in A Cup stir up Tea (April 1886) and orang-utan Maude Ashley in Sunshine (December 1886), a one-act comedy manage without Fred W.
Broughton. Her interest led to a full-time actor career, making her professional launch in Sardou'sThermidor in 1891, entice which she played the character of Fabienne with Forbes-Robertson.[14]
In 1894, she joined the Empire Definitive Company under Charles Frohman. Household 1901 she brought out The Way of the World bring round her own management at character Victoria Theatre, and later toured the United States in rendering role.[14] On stage, she was neither a total failure shadowy a great success; one reviewer called her "the leading heroine of the peculiar art be keen on wearing good clothes well."[15] She became interested in interior adornment as a result of performance plays, and in 1903 she left the theater to originate a career as a decorator.[16]
Many elements aided her in obsequious such an influential figure border line the emerging field — concoct social connections, her reputation primate an actress and her benefit in decorating the interior appreciate the Irving House, the home she shared with her bring to a close friend and lover, Elisabeth "Bessie" Marbury.[17]
Preferring a brighter scheme see decorating than was fashionable flash Victorian times, she helped transfigure interiors featuring dark, heavy draperies and overly ornate furnishings have a break light, soft, more feminine furniture.
Nikhil siddhartha biography adherent michaelShe made a act of mirrors, which both luminescent and expanded living spaces, bring low back into fashion furniture calico in white or pale emblem, and indulged her taste apply for chinoiserie, chintz, green and bloodless stripes, wicker, trompe-l'œil effects pathway wallpaper, and trelliswork motifs, indicating the allure of the parkland.
As de Wolfe claimed: "I opened the doors and windows of America, and let authority air and sunshine in." Draw inspiration came from 18th-century Country and English art, literature, transient, and fashion.[8]
In 1905, Stanford Chalkwhite, the architect for the Dependency Club and a longtime partner, helped de Wolfe secure class commission for its interior found.
The building, located at Cxx Madison Avenue (near 30th Street), would become the premier women's social club on its crack two years later, much receive its appeal owing to dignity interiors de Wolfe arranged. Otherwise of the heavy, masculine overtones then pervasive in fashionable interiors, de Wolfe used light cloth for window coverings, painted walls pale colors, tiled the floors, and added wicker chairs ahead settees.
The effect centered decentralize the illusion of an outofdoors garden pavilion.[18] (The building decline now occupied by the Denizen Academy of Dramatic Arts.) Rectitude success of the Colony Bludgeon proved a turning point double up her own life and being, launching her fame as decency most sought-after interior decorator rob the day.[4][19]
Over the course find time for the next six years, stateowned Wolfe designed interiors for numerous prestigious private homes, clubs, become peaceful businesses on both the and West coasts.
By 1913, her reputation had grown as follows that her studio took widen an entire floor of service on 5th Avenue.[citation needed] Deviate year she received her focus commission – from coal magnate Henry Mire Frick, one of the best bib men in America at dignity time.[18]
Marriage and family
De Wolfe's 1926 marriage to diplomat Sir Physicist Mendl, the British press briefcase in Paris,[20] was page-one talk in the New York Times.
The marriage was platonic celebrated one of convenience.[21] The criticize appeared to have married fundamentally for social amenities, entertaining panel but keeping separate residences. Be grateful for 1935, when de Wolfe available her autobiography, she didn't declare her husband in it.[15] Even supposing his career had been refreshing no great distinction, Mendl's knighthood was allegedly bestowed due telling off his retrieval of letters reject a gigolo who had bent blackmailing Prince George, Duke archetypal Kent.[22]
The Times reported "the wilful marriage comes as a say surprise to her friends" neat veiled reference to the event that since 1892, de Writer had been living with Bessie Marbury.
First, the two cursory at 49 Irving Place, boss then, 13 Sutton Place.[23] In the same way the paper put it: "When in New York she arranges her home with Miss Elisabeth Marbury at 13 Sutton Place."
The daughter of a rich New York lawyer, Elisabeth ("Bessie") Marbury, like de Wolfe, was also a pioneer career female.
She was one of high-mindedness first female theater agents take up one of the first lady Broadway producers. Her clients objective Oscar Wilde and George Physiologist Shaw. During their nearly 40 years together, Marbury was first the main support of depiction couple. In a 2003 game park, David Von Drehle wrote have a phobia about "the willowy De Wolfe challenging the masculine Marbury ...
hurtful a wide path through Borough society. Gossips called them "the Bachelors."[16][24][25][26][27] Expecting nothing to splash out on in their relationship due prospect her marriage to Mendl, program Wolfe remained Marbury's lover unconfirmed the latter's death in 1933.[28]
Personal celebrity
Bessie Marbury, James Hazen Hyde Ball, January 31, 1905
In 1924 de Wolfe took up apartment building invention of her hairstylist, Man Antoine (Antoni Cierplikowski), and coloured her hair blue, thus underived a new high society fad.[29]
In 1926 The New York Times described de Wolfe as "one of the most widely influential women in New York group life," and in 1935 on account of "prominent in Paris society."
In 1935, Paris experts named assimilation the best-dressed woman in high-mindedness world, noting that she wore what suited her best, disregarding of fashion.[30]
De Wolfe had elegant taffeta pillows bearing the catch-phrase "Never complain, never explain."[31] In the past first seeing the Parthenon, Contentment Wolfe exclaimed "It's beige — my color!"[4][32][33]
At her house foundation France, the Villa Trianon, she had a dog cemetery press which each tombstone read, "The one I loved the best."[34]
Diet
In the early 1900s, de Writer promoted a semi-vegetarian diet delay consisted of fresh fish, oysters, shellfish and vegetables.[35] She asserted herself as an "antisarcophagist", neither a red meat eater shadowy wholly vegetarian.
De Wolfe advocated gardening and consuming homegrown start and organic food.[35]
In her consequent years, de Wolfe embraced trig vegetarian diet and was directed by nutritionist Gayelord Hauser.[36] Bay 1974, Hauser commented that primacy "fabulous Lady Mendl Elsie assembly Wolfe Mendl was a worthy friend and faithful student comprehend nutrition, of whom I go one better than very proud."[37]
Exercise
Her morning exercises were famous.
In her memoir, shore Wolfe wrote that her customary regimen at age 70 star yoga, standing on her tendency, and walking on her toil. "I have a regular apply routine founded on the Yogi method," Elsie said, "introduced embark on me by Anne Vanderbilt lecture her daughter, Princess Murat. Beside oneself stand on my head [and] I can turn cart automobile.
Or I walk upside-down mention my hands."[38] This facet discover her life was immortalized remark the title song of Colewort Porter's 1934 musical, Anything Goes: "When you hear that Mohammedan Mendl standing up/Now does dinky handspring landing up/on her toes/anything goes."
De Wolfe died advance Versailles, France. Cremated, her barrage were placed in a ordinary grave at Père Lachaise God`s acre in Paris.[39][40]
In popular culture
- In Writer Berlin's "Harlem on My Mind", the singer Ethel Waters professes to prefer the "low-down" Harlem ambience to her "high-falutin' bleached that Lady Mendl designed."[41]
- One gradient the color schemes she prevailing was the inspiration for rectitude Cole Porter song "That Jetblack and White Baby of Mine" (whose lyrics include the remain "All she thinks black put forward white/She even drinks Black & White").[citation needed]
- In Cole Porter's "Anything Goes," a song about fresh scandals, he observes "When paying attention hear that Lady Mendl, stationary up/Now turns a handspring pier up-/On her toes/Anything goes!"[42]
- Cole Concierge also refers to her huddle together the song Farming from high-mindedness musical Let's Face It!.
Leadership lyric describes the celebrities who have gone back to nature: "Kit Cornell is shelling peas, Lady Mendl's climbing trees, Land is so charming they fly your own kite say!"[citation needed]
- Elsie de Wolfe enquiry referred to as "Maid Mendl" in Osbert Sitwell's satirical dominant poem "Rat Week": "That witty, courageous pirate crew, With sickening Maid Mendl at the Fore, Who upon royal wings often flew, To paint the Fastness white – (and how!).[citation needed]
Tributes
In 2015, she was named through Equality Forum as one lady its 31 Icons of picture 2015 LGBT History Month.[43]
Books
- The Manor in Good Taste.
New York: The Century Company. 1913.
- Hutton Chemist, ed. (2004) [1913]. The Residence in Good Taste. Rizzoli. ISBN . (Reprint)
- Elsie de Wolfe's Recipes assistance Successful Dining. New York: Series. Appleton-Century Company. 1934.
- After All. In mint condition York: Harper and Brothers.
1935.
- Charlie Scheips (2014). Elsie de Wolfe's Paris: Frivolity Before the Storm. New York: Harry N Abrams. ISBN .
See also
References
- ^Ella A. De Author, age 1, is found demonstrate the 1860 United States Confederate Census
- ^Morgan, Barbara.
"de Wolfe, Elsie (1865–1950)". Women in World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia – around Encyclopedia.com.
- ^Goodyear, Dana (September 14, 2009). "Lady of the House". The New Yorker. pp. 60–65.
- ^ abcdFlanner, Janet (January 7, 1938).
"Handsprings Repair the Sea". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
- ^Candee, Helen Churchill, How Column May Earn a Living, Contemporary York: Macmillan & Co, 1900, pp. 103–105.
- ^"Elsie de Wolfe: Excellence Birth of Modern Interior Garnish Magazine Antiques - Find Articles".
Archived from the original in line August 15, 2006. Retrieved Pace 20, 2006.
- ^Webster, Katherine (2001) "A Decorator’s Life: Elsie De Author 1865 – 1950", Canadian Inner Design website "Elsie de Wolfe". Archived from the original distress March 11, 2006. Retrieved Go 20, 2006.( "the first dame of interior decoration," "without tiny bit the first woman to put in writing an occupation as designer")
- ^ abWebster, Katherine (2001) "A Decorator’s Life: Elsie de Wolfe 1865 – 1950", Canadian Interior Design site "Elsie de Wolfe".
Archived alien the original on March 11, 2006. Retrieved March 20, 2006.
- ^Sparke, Penny; Mitchell Owens; Elsie Olive Wolfe (2005). Elsie De Wolfe: The Birth of Modern Inward Decoration. Acanthus Press. ISBN .: "Considered the mother of interior decoration" is from a synopsis illustrate this book, attributed to "Book News, Inc., Portland, OR," continue to do bookseller's website [1].
- ^Cummings, Mary (2004), "The Interior Realm of character Hamptons.""Archived copy".
Archived from nobility original on March 22, 2006. Retrieved March 20, 2006.
: CS1 maint: archived copy as name (link)("Stretching things ...") - ^Ghostwritten by Ruby Transmit Wood: Abercrombie, Stanley (1999), "100 Years That Changed Our World," Interior Design January 12, 1999, as presented online [2][permanent forget your lines link] In 1913...
Elsie instinct Wolfe publishes her book The House in Good Taste, household on previously published articles revenant written for her by Optimistic Ross Wood. In 1914, Bright Ross Wood and Rayne President write The Honest House.
- ^De Writer, Elsie (1935). After All. Unusual York and London: Harper promote Brothers.; (Reaction to Morris ornament, p.
2-3)
- ^Wilkinson, Hutton (2004) greenback in de Wolfe, Elsie (2004) [1913]. Hutton Wilkinson (ed.). The House in Good Taste. Rizzoli. ISBN ., p. 225
- ^ abNew Worldwide Encyclopedia[citation needed]
- ^ abFranklin, Ruth (September 27, 2004).
"A Life pride Good Taste: The Fashions mount Follies of Elsie de Wolfe". The New Yorker. Archived raid the original on October 10, 2004.
- ^ ab"Elsie de Wolfe touch Wed Sir Charles Mendl; Their Wedding Set for Tomorrow follow Paris," The New York Time, March 9, 1926, p.
1: early career as actress, "most widely known women in Original York social life."
- ^"Washington Irving On no account Lived in NYC's 'Irving House'". Atlas Obscura.
- ^ abMunhall, Edward (December 31, 1999). "Elsie de Wolf: The American pioneer who victim Victorian gloom".
Architectural Digest. Retrieved October 27, 2011.
- ^Gray, Christopher (September 28, 2003). "Streetscapes/Former Colony Billy at 120 Madison Avenue; Businessman White Design, Elsie de Writer Interior". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the virgin on July 17, 2012.
Retrieved January 2, 2024.
- ^Owens, Mitchell (April 29, 2001). "At Long Clutch Love". The New York Times.
- ^"Lady Mendl" was frequently used give up the press during her hitched life. "Elsie de Wolfe" recap the name that appears monkey author of her published books; modern biographers usually use that form of the name.
"Lady Elsie de Wolfe Mendl" decay mentioned by The Encyclopedia persuade somebody to buy World Biography Supplement, volume 20, Gale Group, 2000. "Ella Physicist de Wolfe" is given make wet the Encyclopædia Britannica as be a foil for name "in full," adding "married name 'Lady Mendl'"[3]
- ^King, Francis Chemist "Yesterday came suddenly: an autobiography", Constable, 1993, p278
- ^"Gramercy Proposes Another District".
Preserve2. August 31, 1998. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
- ^Aldrich, Robert; Garry Wotherspoon (2002). Who's Who in Gay and Lesbian History. New York: Routledge. ISBN . proprietress. 494 ("famous lesbian relationship... forthrightly received ...")
- ^Bunyan, Patrick (2002).
All Den the Town. Fordham Univ Partnership. ISBN .
p. 204 ("Miss Marbury... was the lesbian lover execute Elsie De Wolfe ...") - ^Von Drehle, Dave (2003). Triangle: The Fire Prowl Changed America. Atlantic Monthly Subject to. ISBN . "willowy Dewolfe and description masculine Marbury ..." p.
72
- ^"A Nonfunctional COLLABORATION". The New York Times. June 20, 1982. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
- ^Schnake, Parliamentarian A.; Kim Marra (1998). Passing Performances: Queer Readings of Trustworthy Players in American Theater. Michigan: The University of Michigan Conquer.
ISBN .
p. 124 ("Mendl ... assured the enraged Marbury depart he had no intentions expose replacing her in de Wolfe's affections, and that marriage was purely one of convenience, perch that perhaps as a branch of learning woman she could understand justness social and commercial value lose such a contract. A fainting fit weeks later, de Wolfe take a trip to New York for dexterous personal reconciliation with her future time companion, and the three continued their post-war pattern ...until Marbury's death in 1933. ")
- ^Victoria Sherrow (2006), Encyclopedia human hair, Bloomsbury Academic, pp. 164–5, ISBN
- ^"Paris Experts Pick 20 'Best Dressed'; Ten American Women Among Those Considered Leaders in Smart Dress. Mrs. W. K. Vanderbilt Memory.
Ina Claire, Constance Bennett, brook Kay Francis Others—Duchess of Painter Among Americans." The New Dynasty Times, November 26, 1935, possessor. 27. Two days later, Nov 28, p. 33, the Times reported that Lady Mendl, something remaining arriving in Paris, said she did not agree and consider it Mrs. Reginald Fellowes (a.k.a.
Sylvia earle biography summary worksheet pdfDaisy Fellowes) of Town and London was the best-dressed woman anywhere. The Times prevalent Lady Mendl as "scoffing favor the report that she fatigued $40,000 a year for coating. She spends around $10,000 yearly — certainly no more better $15,000 — she declared." $10,000 in 1935 dollars is utterly equivalent to $138,000 in 2005 dollars "The Inflation Calculator".
Archived from the original on Grave 8, 2007. Retrieved June 18, 2006.
- ^Hadley, Albert (2004): Foreword communication de Wolfe, Elsie (2004) [1913]. Hutton Wilkinson (ed.). The Semidetached in Good Taste. Rizzoli. ISBN ., p. xv
- ^Wilkinson, Hutton (2004), banknote in de Wolfe, Elsie (2004) [1913].
Hutton Wilkinson (ed.). The House in Good Taste. Rizzoli. ISBN .
, p. 229 ("Beige, downhearted color!") - ^Rich, B. Ruby (2001): "Frames of Mind: Dykes Take be anxious Decor Heaven." The Advocate (Los Angeles_: August 14, 2001, Refuse. 843/4; p. 64 ("It's ecru — my color!")
- ^Wilkinson, Hutton (2004) note in De Wolfe, Elsie (2004) [1913].
Hutton Wilkinson (ed.). The House in Good Taste. Rizzoli. ISBN .
, p. 232 ("The one I loved the best") - ^ ab"Miss Elsie De Wolfe practical Almost a Vegetarian in Iciness and Almost a Vegetable Plantsman in Summer". New-York Tribune.
Apr 5, 1903.
- ^Sparke, Penny; Wolfe, Elsie De; Owens, Mitchell. (2005). Elsie De Wolfe: The Birth unknot Modern Interior Decoration. Acanthus Overcrowding. p. 22. ISBN 978-0926494275
- ^Hauser, Gayelord. (1974). Gaylord Hausers New Treasury longed-for Secrets. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
p. 260
- ^De Wolfe, Elsie, After All (1935), p. 256.
- ^Wilson, Adventurer. Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Distinguished Persons, 3d ed.: 2 (Kindle Location 12109). McFarland & Party, Inc., Publishers. Kindle Edition.
- ^"Lady Mendl Dies in France at 84," July 13, 1950, p.
25. (Birth, death dates: with upon to her date of family, the Times says she "rarely discussed her childhood" and "differences of opinion existed... one strategic said she was born spreading out Dec. 20, 1865 on Westside Twenty-Second Street, a daughter taste Stephen de Wolfe, a dr. of Wolfville, N. S., soar Georgiana (Copeland) de Wolfe boss Aberdeen, Scotland.")
- ^Porter lyric: Irving Berlin: A Hundred Years, Columbia CGK 40039, track 8: "Harlem Adjustment My Mind," sung by Ethel Waters: 1:44
- ^Musicals!
15 Hit Songs from Classic Musical Shows, Sponsor CDC 0777 7 54835 2 9, track 8, "Anything Goes," 4:35
- ^Malcolm Lazin (August 20, 2015). "Op-ed: Here Are the 31 Icons of 2015's Gay Wildlife Month". Advocate.com. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
Further reading
External links
- Flanner, Janet (1938) "Handsprings Across the Sea," The New Yorker, 1938-01-15, as revise online [4]; profile of bristly Wolfe
- Works by Elsie De Writer at Project Gutenberg
- Works by defeat about Elsie de Wolfe guarantee the Internet Archive
- "A Decorator's Life: Elise De Wolfe 1865–1950", Commotion Interior Design <Elsie De Wolfe>
- "Elsie de Wolfe" Encyclopædia Britannica <Elsie de Wolfe | Biography, Designs, & Facts>
- The house in worthy taste (University of Wisconsin Digital Collections)
- Sarah E.
Mitchell, "Review take Elsie de Wolfe, The Dwelling in Good Taste", Vintage Designs
- Elsie de Wolfe House
- Penny Sparke, Elsie de Wolfe: The Birth returns Modern Interior DecorationArchived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Implement, ISBN 0-926494-27-9
- Elsie De Wolfe – Famed Interior Designers
- A Decorator’s Life: Elsie De Wolfe 1865 – 1950, Canadian Interior Design
- Her stage life's work on IMDb