BGuthrie Photos: DC -- Dupont Circle -- Society of the Cincinnati (Anderson House) -- Exhibit: Adventurous Life of Isabel Anderson

DC -- Dupont Circle -- Society of the Cincinnati (Anderson House) -- Exhibit: Adventurous Life of Isabel Anderson:

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Description of Pictures: The Adventurous Life of Isabel Anderson
March 24 — September 18, 2016

Philanthropist. War nurse. Political commentator. World traveler. Patriot. Author. Arts patron. Isabel Anderson filled her life — spanning the centennial of the American Revolution and World War II — with pursuits that both fulfilled and challenged the expectations for a woman of her generation. She valued history and tradition, but refused to follow what she considered outdated customs. She embraced the duties of a society wife and hostess, but sought more meaningful work outside the home. And while she maintained that women's suffrage was not necessary, she supported other Progressive causes, including public health and prison reform.

Isabel Anderson's story and personality have remained hidden behind the glamour of her roles as a wealthy heiress and society wife. She was an important philanthropist, giving to churches, hospitals, universities, and museums. She was active in humanitarian causes, including World War I relief and education for the poor. She followed national politics and participated in political life, even before women could vote. She traveled the world, exploring majestic, exotic, and rugged destinations on five continents. And she wrote more than forty books, delighting children with fantastical tales and adults with accounts of her many adventures.

A defining moment in her life came in the spring of 1937, when her beloved husband, Larz, died. In the months that followed, Isabel Anderson made arrangements to donate her Washington mansion, Anderson House, to the Society of the Cincinnati to become its headquarters and museum. Larz Anderson was a dedicated member of the Society, and their Washington home was adorned with symbols of their patriotism and devotion to the Society's principles. When the gift was finalized in May 1938, the Society's leaders declared it to be the most important event in the history of the organization since George Washington signed its foundin ...More...

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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. CINCIA_160826_007.JPG: The Adventurous Life of Isabel Anderson Philanthropist. War nurse. Political commentator. World traveler. Patriot. Author. Arts patron. Isabel Anderson filled her life -- spanning the centennial of the American Revolution and World War II -- with pursuits that both fulfilled and challenged the expectations for a woman of her generation. She valued history and tradition, but refused to follow what she considered outdated customs. She embraced the duties of a society wife and hostess, but sought more meaningful work outside the home. And while she maintained that women's suffrage was not necessary, she supported other Progressive causes, including public health and prison reform. Isabel Anderson's story and personality have remained hidden behind the glamour of her roles as a wealthy heiress and society wife. She was an important philanthropist, giving to churches, hospitals, universities, and museums. She was active in humanitarian causes, including World War I relief and education for the poor. She followed national politics and participated in political life, even before women could vote. She traveled the world, exploring majestic, exotic, and rugged destinations on five continents. And she wrote more than forty books, delighting children with fantastical tales and adults with accounts of her many adventures. A defining moment in her life came in the spring of 1937, when her beloved husband, Larz, died. In the months that followed, Isabel Anderson made arrangements to donate her Washington mansion, Anderson House, to the Society of the Cincinnati to become its headquarters and museum. When the gift was finalized in May 1938, the Society's leaders declared it to be the most important event in the history of the organization since George Washington signed its founding document in 1783. Isabel Anderson remains one of the Society's most significant benefactors. Her donation of Anderson House spurred the Society's growth as a public institution and gave the organization a prominent home in the nation's capital.
2. CINCIA_160826_015.JPG: Isabel Anderson (1876-1948) Isabel Anderson, born Isabel Weld Perkins in Boston, was descended from prominent families with strong ties to America's founding generations. Her privileged upbringing included a grand tour through Western Europe, during which this pastel portrait was painted in Rome. By Christian M. Ross, 1896
3. CINCIA_160826_023.JPG: Isabel Anderson In the early 1920s, DeWitt M. Lockman captured a mature and confident Isabel Anderson in this portrait, painted when she was in her mid-forties. She wears a fashionable evening dress and large sapphire pendant and shares the composition with her pet parrot, Anna. Attributed to DeWitt M. Lockman, ca. 1920
4. CINCIA_160826_031.JPG: The "Good Fairy of American Literature" Isabel Anderson had long been drawn to writing. At one time she expressed interest in a career as a newspaper reporter or magazine editor. Instead, she became an independent author -- considered a more appropriate pursuit for a woman of her status. She wrote nearly fifty books and articles over a span of almost forty years. Her works ranged from children's literature, drama, and poetry to travelogues and family history. She chose her topics "to march with the times," drawing on her experiences to produce stories she hoped would delight, instruct, and inspire the public. Some of her books were published more because of her wealth and prominence than her prose, but they attracted readers among middle and upper class families, especially on the East Coast. Today, Isabel's works are a valuable record of the age in which they were written and document some of the interests and ideals of both their readers and author. Isabel was inspired to begin writing while sailing in Florida around 1907. "While my husband angled," she later wrote, "I looked down into the water and studied the fish and became so interested in them that I started some fairy stories about them." Her friend Maud Howe Elliott, a prolific author, encouraged Isabel to publish what she had written and introduced her to Little, Brown and Company, the Boston firm that had published several of Maud's books. These initial stories became part of Isabel's first book, The Great Sea Horse, a compilation of fantastical tales for children published by Little, Brown and Company in 1909.
5. CINCIA_160826_038.JPG: The Great Sea Horse Edward F. Caldwell and Company, New York ca 1912 Larz Anderson commissioned sculptures of several characters from The Great Sea Horse as presents for Isabel and as gifts for close family and friends.
6. CINCIA_160826_045.JPG: The Great Sea Horse Isabel Anderson wrote nearly fifty books ranging from children's literature, drama, and poetry to travelogues and family history. Her first book, The Great Sea Horse, was a compilation of fantastical tales for children. By Isabel Anderson Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1909
7. CINCIA_160826_051.JPG: Polly the Pagan: Her Lost Love Letters by Isabel Anderson, 1922
8. CINCIA_160826_060.JPG: Captain Ginger's Fairy by Isabel Anderson, 1910
9. CINCIA_160826_070.JPG: Patron of the Arts
10. CINCIA_160826_094.JPG: Isabel Anderson as a Venetian maiden by Jose Villegas y Cordero, 1906
11. CINCIA_160826_100.JPG: Exploring the World
12. CINCIA_160826_111.JPG: Terrestrial globe Isabel and Larz Anderson were world travelers of remarkable importance. They traveled through five continents -- from the comfortable bounds of North America and Western Europe to more exotic destinations in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East -- and etched the paths of some of their journeys on their globe. Made by Gilman Joslin, Boston, 1890s
13. CINCIA_160826_118.JPG: Travel clock
14. CINCIA_160826_132.JPG: The Spell of Japan by Isabel Anderson, 1914
15. CINCIA_160826_141.JPG: How It Feels to be the Husband of a Suffragette by Him (Arthur Raymond Brown), 1938
16. CINCIA_160826_147.JPG: Western Union Telegram Washington DC June 4-16 via Brookline Mass Mrs. Isabel Anderson, Care Larz Anderson, Hotel Blackstone Chicago Ills After a conference with some party leaders, I believe that if honorable Larz Anderson will permit his name to be used he can receive the nomination for vice president of the United States. Beg him to consent and I shall go to Chicago on the first train in his behalf upon receipt of his consent. Arthur E Randle Arthur E. Randle to Isabel Anderson June 4, 1916 The convention, which Isabel attended, nominated Supreme Court justice Charles Evans Hughes for president and former senator Charles Fairbanks for vice president. The Republican ticket went on to lose the election to the incumbent president, Woodrow Wilson.
17. CINCIA_160826_154.JPG: Wedding dress Isabel married Larz Anderson, a young American diplomat, in June 1897. She wore this fashionable silk Duchesse satin dress -- one of two Worth dresses she ordered for her wedding day -- to the reception at her parents' townhouse in Boston's Back Bay. Made by the House of Worth, Paris, 1897
18. CINCIA_160826_161.JPG: New England Roots
19. CINCIA_160826_165.JPG: Dining Room and Drawing Room at Weld Photographs by Thomas E. Marr 1905
20. CINCIA_160826_174.JPG: Soup tureen ca 1870
21. CINCIA_160826_178.JPG: Daughters of the American Revolution ribbon and medals ca 1896
22. CINCIA_160826_189.JPG: National Society Colonial Dames of America medal ca 1899
23. CINCIA_160826_194.JPG: Isabel and Larz Anderson During the winter social season, Isabel and Larz Anderson lived in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C. This photograph of the couple standing on the west terrace in the garden at Anderson House was taken on May 29, 1905 -- two months after the house was completed. Photograph by Henry F. Withey, 1905
24. CINCIA_160826_204.JPG: The First Lady of Massachusetts Avenue
25. CINCIA_160826_215.JPG: Soup ladel Tiffany & Company, New York ca 1870
26. CINCIA_160826_218.JPG: "A Book of Dinner lists … " Isabel Anderson orchestrated all aspects of social entertaining, which ranged from formal dinners, receptions, and luncheons to musical performances, garden parties, and after-theater gatherings. She used this book to make guest lists and seating arrangements for hundreds of dinners and luncheons in the Anderson House Dining Room 1915-1929
27. CINCIA_160826_222.JPG: "Table of Precedence of America" Early 20th Century Formal custom -- established by White House protocol, which was adapted from European court traditions -- dictated how Isabel and Larz Anderson entertained their guests. For dinners and other events to which diplomats and government officials were invited, the official table of precedence was a vital reference for Washington hostesses. It established the ceremonial order for domestic and foreign government officials, military leaders, and "guests in private life" -- particularly for introductions and seating. Isabel used this copy at Anderson House.
28. CINCIA_160826_229.JPG: Watch ring Swiss ca 1920
29. CINCIA_160826_236.JPG: Menu card In Spring 1931, the Andersons lent their Washington house to the federal government for the use of the king and queen of Siam (now Thailand) during their official visit to the United States. The Andersons hired a professional chef to work with their cook in preparing meals like this seven-course lunch. April 29, 1931
30. CINCIA_160826_251.JPG: Menu card
31. CINCIA_160826_255.JPG: Press badge Isabel Anderson attended the 1912 Republican National Convention as a member of the press, identified by this bronze badge.
32. CINCIA_160826_257.JPG: Program of the Republican National Convention The contentious presidential campaign in 1912 spurred Isabel to become involved in politics. She attended the Republican National Convention in Chicago and joined the party's Committee on Women's Work to campaign for William H. Taft, who ultimately lost to Woodrow Wilson. 1912
33. CINCIA_160826_266.JPG: "Scrap Book of the President Campaign of 1912"
34. CINCIA_160826_269.JPG: A Woman in Political Life
35. CINCIA_160826_285.JPG: Current Exhibition GALLERY Isabel Anderson During World War I, Isabel Anderson answered the American Red Cross's call for volunteers to serve on the western front. She spent eight months serving in canteens and military hospitals in France and Belgium, wearing uniforms like the one in this oil portrait. By Philip de L�szl�, 1925
36. CINCIA_160826_288.JPG: Going to War
37. CINCIA_160826_298.JPG: Handkerchief This fine linen handkerchief was given to Isabel Anderson in 1918 by Queen Elisabeth of Belgium, who worked with Isabel in the hospital at La Panne during World War I. Belgian, Early 20th century
38. CINCIA_160826_318.JPG: Belgian War Mission at Anderson House April 1917
39. CINCIA_160826_328.JPG: Zigzagging by Isabel Anderson, 1938
40. CINCIA_160826_341.JPG: A Philanthropic Life
41. CINCIA_160826_345.JPG: Isabel Anderson and Bryce Metcalf April 19, 1939
42. CINCIA_160826_350.JPG: Society of the Cincinnati Eagle Insignia ca 1910
43. CINCIA_160826_360.JPG: Isabel Anderson in academic regalia In recognition of her contributions and achievements, Isabel Anderson received honorary doctorates from the George Washington University in 1918 -- the first woman so honored by the school -- and Boston University in 1930. Photograph by William H. Towles, 1918
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Same Subject: Click on this link to see coverage of items having the same subject: [Museums (History)]
2016 photos: Equipment this year: I continued to use my Fuji XS-1 cameras but, depending on the event, I also used a Nikon D7000. Seven relatively short trips this year: two Civil War Trust conference (Gettysburg, PA and West Point, NY, with a side-trip to New York City), my 11th consecutive San Diego Comic-Con trip (including sites in Utah, Nevada, and California), a quick trip to Michigan for Uncle Wayne's funeral, two additional trips to New York City, and a Civil Rights site trip to Alabama during the November elections. Being in places where people died to preserve the rights of minority voters made the Trumputin election even more depressing. Number of photos taken this year: just over 610,000.
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