Travels with Grace: New York, 1919 Part 2
Welcome to our 2019 #TravelTuesday series: Travels with Grace, where we’re sharing (and annotating) posts from the travel diaries of Grace Amelia Hecht, native Baltimorean, b. 1897 and d. 1955. As mentioned in my introductory post transcription errors sometimes occur and I’ve made my best guesses where possible, denoted by [brackets]. – Rachel Kassman, marketing manager
November 8, 1919
Stayed in today and received our friends. They have a famous painting in this hotel in the bar which is now closed, it is “Old King Cole and his Fiddlers Three” [1] by Maxfield Parrish. Caruso and wife have an apartment here and I saw June Caprice, the movie star in the Elevator!
November 9, 1919
View of Bronx River, Bronx Park, New York, 1910. Courtesy of The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection, The New York Public Library digital collections.
Went to see Uncle Mayer [Heowberger?] nice old man. Took Aunt Julia for a ride. In the afternoon visited the botanical gardens[2][3] in the Bronx Park. This is the prettiest natural park I have seen. The Bronx River runs thru it and forms a series of beautiful cascades. The Guggenheim family have given some new hot houses for orchids and the displays of rare specimens are charming. We then rode thru Van Cortland Park where they have fine golf links free to the public. Saw a new suburban development called Fieldstone but do not think it as pretty as our Balto suburbs. Saw Alice Joyce in movies tonight at the Broadway – The Vengeance of Durand.
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Advertisement for the American silent drama film The Vengeance of Durand (1919) with Alice Joyce, on page 82 of the November 1919 Shadowland. Via.
November 10, 1919
Spent this morning at Dr. [Fraueuthal’s] hospital. He is one of the leading orthopedic surgeons in New York and has done some wonderful work. Took dinner at the Plaza. This evening we went to the Plymouth theater to see the Barrymores in “The Jest” a most marvelous play which is the sensation of the present theatrical season. I have never witnessed such wonderful acting.
November 11, 1919
Wannamaker’s Department Store at Broadway and 9th street, 1913. Courtesy of the Irma and Paul Milstein Division of United States History, Local History and Genealogy, The New York Public Library digital collections.
We spent the morning at Wanamaker’s. They have on their pre-xmas toy display and it is fascinating, especially the fairy tales enacted by electrically propelled figures. Stayed here for lunch. This afternoon I was Mrs. [Leerburger’s] guest at the Waldorf-Astoria for a dramatic reading by Jane [Mauners] of Hervieaux’ “The Torch.” This evening the Maas family entertained us at a huge dinner at a Rumanian restaurant in Broom St.
The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York, 1908. Courtesy of The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection, The New York Public Library digital collections.
November 12, 1919
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1910. Courtesy of The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection, The New York Public Library digital collections. While the Met was between special exhibits during her visit, check out their 1919 Guide to the Collections for some of what Grace may have seen on her visit! (Thanks to Melissa Bowling at the Met Museum Archives for pointing me to this great resource!)
We devoted the entire day to a tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art which was a real revelation to me. Aunts Julia and Henriette joined us there and we had lunch together. Saw so much that I can scarcely remember it all. Only sorry that I cannot come here every day. Tonight we went to see Francine Larrymore in “Scandal” at the 39th St. theater.
[1] Up Close: Maxfield Parrish’s King Cole Bar Mural
[3] Secrets of the NY Botanical Garden