Natalie Vivian Scott: the Origins, People and Times of the French Quarter Renaissance (1920-1930)
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Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1999 Natalie Vivian Scott: The Origins, People and Times of the French Quarter Renaissance (1920-1930). John Wyeth Scott II Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Scott, John Wyeth II, "Natalie Vivian Scott: The Origins, People and Times of the French Quarter Renaissance (1920-1930)." (1999). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 6924. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/6924 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 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NATALIE VIVIAN SCOTT: THE ORIGINS, PEOPLE AND TIMES OF THE FRENCH QUARTER RENAISSANCE (1920-1930) VOLUME I A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of History by John Wyeth Scott II B.A., Tulane University, 1969 Juris Doctorate, Louisiana State University, 1972 M.A., Louisiana State University, 1995 May, 199 9 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 9926425 Copyright 1999 by Scott, John Wyeth, II All rights reserved. UMI Microform 9926425 Copyright 1999, by UMI Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. UMI 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, MI 48103 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ® Copyright 1999 John Wyeth Scott II All rights reserved 11 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. XXI Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Dedicated to my family, - the Scotts, Hammonds, Provostys and Phelps XV Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS One of the great pleasures in this project has been my association with Dr. Charles Shindo, the chairman of my dissertation committee, whose high competence, sincere interest, and sound judgment, particularly in reference to the direction and boundaries of my work, were crucial to the final product. I extend my grateful appreciation to Dr. Shindo and his L.S.U. colleagues on my committee. Dr. Stanley Hilton, Dr. Penelope Harper, and Dr. John Rodrigue. My aunt Bé Thomas, who, among Natalie Scott's many god-children, was so close to her, deserves special recognition. Bé has encouraged my enthusiasm for writing Natalie's biography, often calling my attention to old photographs, letters and mementos to help me in my constant search for facts. My discussions with Bé, and her willingness always to digress, have been invaluable and a personal joy to me. Likewise, I am grateful to my brother Nauman Scott for his willingness to critique every draft and share his substantial knowledge of Natalie and her French Quarter compadres. I also owe sincere thanks to my busy daughter Natalie Scott for reading my manuscript, offering suggestions and pointing out flaws for correction. Lee Miller of the Special Collections Department of Tulane University has taken a special interest in Natalie V Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Scott since August, 1995 and has provided expedited assistance on innumerable occasions. Penny Chittim Morrill and Taylor Littleton, both scholars and authors in this field, have generously exchanged with me the fruits of their own years of work, for which I am grateful. My thanks also to David Read for his hospitality in Taxco, his anecdotes, and for reading, correcting and encouraging my work. Debbie Harper's word processing and computer skills, her wonderful temperament and willingness to sacrifice her time at all hours, has made this project possible. There are many others to whom I also extend thanks, including the helpful personnel of Newcomb College, the Historic New Orleans Collection, the New Orleans Public Library, Tulane University, and the Middleton and Hill Libraries at L.S.U. I owe thanks to Antonio Gallegos of Taxco and to the many old friends of Natalie Scott who have kindly met with me for interviews to share their memories. I am grateful to my father, my sister Ashley, my brother Hammond, my son John and my daughter Elizabeth, who have encouraged me by their interest and questions. Finally, I offer credit to my wife Cyndy. She has cheerfully borne a husband's return to the classroom, helping to make this effort fun, sharing our mutual amazement and satisfaction when exciting new facts emerged VI Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. from research. As a final solution, she enrolled as a graduate student and we shared together the highways and overnights away from home. Now, as we approach our twenty- ninth wedding anniversary, we will receive our diplomas together from L.S.U., neither of us knowing where this new direction in our lives will take us - sharing, perhaps, a portion of Natalie Vivian Scott's adventurous faith in destiny. John W. Scott April, 1999 VI r Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS VOLUME I FRONTESPIECE : NATALIE VIVIAN SCOTT (BY WILLIAM SPRATLING, 1922) .............. iix DEDICATION....................................... IV ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................. V LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS ............................. ABSTRACT......................................... XXI1 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ......................... 2 THE AWAKENING OF THE VIEUX CARRÉ (1919-1921)............................ 30 3 THE EARLY PHASE: PEGGY PASSE PARTOUT, THE DOUBLE DEALER AND THE VISIT OF SHERWOOD ANDERSON (1921-1922) ........ 66 4 NATALIE SCOTT AND THE RENAISSANCE: HOME AND ABROAD (1922-1923) .......... 111 5 THE SECOND PHASE: SPRATLING, THE ANDERSONS, BLOM AND LA FARGE (1922-1925) 159 PHOTOGRAPHS ..................................... 216 VOLUME II 6 WILLIAM FAULKNER, OLD PLANTATION HOUSES. AND FRENCH QUARTER RESTORATIONS (1924-1925) ........................... 232 7 TRAGEDY, MEXICO, AND SPRATLING AND FAULKNER'S LITTLE BOOK (1926) ........ 2 7 0 vxxx Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 8 THE THIRD PHASE: EUROPE AND THE TRANSITIONAL YEARS (1927-1930).... 315 9 MEXICO................................... 375 10 EPILOGUE................................. 404 PHOTOGRAPHS ....................................... 422 NOTES ............................................. 443 BIBLIOGRAPHY....................................... 490 VITA............................................... 504 IX Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. PHOTOGRAPHS VOLUME I Natalie with brothers Jack (left) and. Nauman Bay St. Louis (circa 1897)...................... 216 Natalie, age 11. Newspaper clipping. Bay St. Louis (1902)..................................... 217 Class of 1909 basketball team, Newcomb College. Hilda Phelps holding the ball. Natalie, second row on far left in light jersey, played center (circa 1908)................ '....................... 218 Portrait of Natalie Scott (circa 1912).......... 219 Natalie's parents "Boss" and "Muddie". Nathanial and Martha Scott........................