INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand corner and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Each original is also photographed in one exposure and is included in reduced form at the back of the book. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6" x 9" black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. University Microfilms International A Bell & Howell Information Company 300 North Zeeb Road. Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 USA 313/761-4700 800/521-0600 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with with permission permission of the of copyright the copyright owner. owner.Further reproductionFurther reproduction prohibited without prohibited permission. without permission. Order Number 1351191 Unsung heroines: Women patrons and the development of modernism in America Lesinski, Carolyn Homan, M.A. The American University, 1992 Copyright ©1992 by Lesinski, Carolyn Homan. All rights reserved. UMI 300 N. Zeeb Rd. Ann Arbor, MI 48106 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with with permission permission of the of copyright the copyright owner. owner.Further reproductionFurther reproduction prohibited without prohibited permission. without permission. UNSUNG HEROINES: WOMEN PATRONS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF MODERNISM IN AMERICA by Carolyn H. Lesinski submitted to the Faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences of The American University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Performing Arts.: Arts Management Signatures of Committee: Chair: 71c? cT^ZZ Q> s c mjJL Dean ofl the College / / J 1 3 Date* 1992 The American University 73? 0 Washington, D.C. 20016 t ; ; : : j ..-.. I-,:....; -...rv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. © COPYRIGHT by CAROLYN H. LESINSKI 1992 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UNSUNG HEROINES: WOMEN PATRONS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF MODERNISM IN AMERICA BY Carolyn H. Lesinski ABSTRACT This thesis addresses the question as to the role of women as art patrons from 1871 through the mid-l900s. Important women patrons have been largely ignored by history. The lives and roles of six women who made catalytic contributions to the development of modernism in America are examined: Louisine Havemeyer, who helped introduce Impressionism to America; Elizabeth Coolidge, who introduced chamber music to the American public; Gertrude Whittall, who supported free public concerts and early broadcasting of chamber music; Katherine Dreier, who pioneered traveling exhibits support for the Avant Garde; and Gertrude Whitney and Juliana Force, who provide critical support to contemporary artists. These women provided visionary support for the arts. They broke from the traditional roles for women of their times as well as the traditional tastes of their times. They were leaders in arts patronage and social change, but maintained their positions in their social circles. They affected great change through thoughtful and deliberate philanthropy. ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my appreciation and gratitude to those who have studied these women individually, for my efforts would have been greatly hampered without the work they did before me. The archives and libraries that hold materials on these women have been invaluable, especially the Library of Congress. I would like to express my deep appreciation and respect for Dr. Naima Prevots, who has been a constant source of knowledge, inspiration and support. Finally, I would like to thank my family for their patience, understanding and support. iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT................................................. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS........................................iii Chapter 1. An Historical Overview......................... 1 2. Louisine Elder Havemeyer (1855-1929) The Introduction of Impressionism to America.........................................9 3. Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge (1864-1953) Patron of New Music........................... 29 4. Gertrude Clarke Whittall (1867-1965) Giving Public Access to the Arts & Letters........................................46 5. Katherine Sophie Dreier (1877-1952) Champion of the Avant Garde.................. 56 6. Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney (1875-1942) and Juliana Reiser Force (1876-1948) Promoting Modern and American.................72 7. Conclusion 9 3 BIBLIOGRAPHY............................................. 98 iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. CHAPTER I HISTORICAL OVERVIEW The significant role of women as art patrons from 1871 through the mid-1900s has been neglected. Much is written of the famous, wealthy men of this country and their role in supporting high culture in America. Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, John Pierpont Morgan and John D. Rockefeller are among the most famous who, with great fortunes, made donations and created foundations to fund the arts, the sciences and education. This study focuses on six women patrons who have been largely ignored by historians. In examining the pivotal role of women patrons in the evolution of the modern age in the arts in America, it is important to present their patronage in the context of the economic, social and political environment of the time. During the half century following the American Civil War (1861-1865), this country experienced what is now referred to as the Industrial Revolution with an accompanying "revolution" in American society, affecting, among other things, the distribution of wealth, the uses of excess wealth, the roles of women, and the concept of public service. The post-Civil War period came to be known as "The Gilded Age," a term coined by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner in 1873 when they published 1 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 2 a book with that title and satirized the new industrial, urban society in America. The late 1800s were a time of great economic growth, fueled by the multitude of immigrants who fed the expansion both as workers and as consumers. The population of the United States nearly doubled between 1870 and 1900, growing from 38.5 million to 76 million. By 1900, 40% of the population lived in urban areas, and 34% of the population had foreign born parents. The cost of living and the hours spent working declined, while real income rose.1 A new class of millionaire industrialists appeared, with such excess wealth that even the most conspicuous o spending did not diminish their fortunes. The social attitudes of these new millionaires varied greatly. Some plowed large portions of their earnings back into their businesses, expanding their holdings and profits even further. Others hoarded the money for themselves, living lavishly and putting little back into their businesses, or into the communities that supported them. There were also 1Charles Sellers and Henry May, A Synopsis of American History, (Chicago: Rand McNally & Company, 1963), 209; and Harold U. Faulkner, Politics, Reform and Expansion, (New York: Harper Torchbooks, Harper & Row, 1963), 5. 2 In 1861 it was estimated that there were only 3 millionaires in the U.S. By 1900, that number was increased to at least 3800 millionaires in the U.S. T. Walter Walbank and Alistair M. Taylor, Civilization Past and Present, (Chicago: Scott, Foresman & Company, 1963), 373. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 3 some, like Andrew Carnegie, who gave great sums for libraries, museums, educational institutions and other causes for the public good. The rapid industrialization and economic expansion that helped create these millionaires also created an urban under-class. Protests and strikes over working conditions became common along with crime, disease and early death for the poor. During the 1890s, the nation experienced three economic depressions (1894, 1895 and 1897-98 )3. This decade was characterized by economic instability, labor and political unrest and general dissatisfaction amongst the American people.