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
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
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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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
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.
November 12, 1919
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