Book World, in a recent post, mentioned Lady Ottoline Morrell. Lady Ottoline was a fascinating, flamboyant, and influential woman who cast a large net during the early part of the 20th century. I found Lady Ottoline's Album in an antique store a few years ago and was delighted because she is so often mentioned in literary circles of her time, and an accomplished photographer, she took wonderful snapshots of friends
and frequent visitors - including T.S. Eliot, Siegfried Sassoon, W. B. Yeats, Virginia Woolfe, Vanessa Belle, Thomas Hardy, Lytton Strachey, Bertrand Russell, and on and on.You will need to click on the images for the quotes by Bertrand Russell and Virginia Woolf.
Lytton Strachey was a particular friend and the photos of Strachey and Woolf are plentiful in this "album."
There are a number of photographs of T. S. Eliot.
Three of my favorite poets - Eliot, Yeats, and Sassoon - were frequent visitors of the Morrells and favorite photographic subjects of Ottoline.
Alduous Huxley and D.H. Lawrence returned her friendship with unflattering fictional portraits in Chrome Yellow and Women in Love, but evidently most of her friendships endured, even if sometimes tempestuous. The photos of Huxley make him look like a giant! Very tall, very skinny.
This looks like such a wonderful book!
ReplyDeleteHadn't heard of her but she sounds like a fascinating woman. Great old pictures.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting. I'd like to read more about her time and her social circles. Nice pictures!
ReplyDeleteReminds me of the main character in Murder in the Garden, not in looks maybe, but her photos...Very cool book you have there...
ReplyDeleteI mean Death in the Garden...=-)
ReplyDeleteJen, my introduction to the Lady lets me know she was a riot and this is one very special find...reminds me of the woman, a friend of your family's, that passed away and you posted a picture of her in that gorgeous pink suit...women who live life large and with well fed spirits!
ReplyDeleteLady Ottoline was quite a character and in love with the arts, but I'm especially glad to see the casual photos of so many famous people.
ReplyDeleteKaroda - you are right, Miss Doris lived large in a much smaller setting, but her vivacity and love for life was similar!
What a terrific treasure you have with this book, Jenclair. The pictures would help me remember the people who are contemporaries.
ReplyDeletecheya - There are so many famous contemporaries in her "album." Can't imagine what her house parties must have been like - sitting in a lawn chair with Yeats, or Thomas Hardy, sharing a cigarette with Virginia Woolfe, and a drink with Robert Graves and Walter de la Mare... What a range of personalities!
ReplyDeleteWow, what a fascinating book! Wish I could peruse it in person - lucky you!
ReplyDeleteI'm very late to find this, but do you actually have Ottoline Morell's photo album!!!! How many photos are there? Do you still have it? I'm extremely interested in the whole cirle and would love to know more...
ReplyDeleteJoe C