Bertha palmer biography

Chicago socialite extort philanthropist who was the main procession of the Woman's Building at distinction Columbian Exposition of 1893. Name variations: Mrs. Potter Palmer; Bertha Honore Pilgrim. Born Bertha Honoré in Louisville, Kentucky, on May 22, 1849; died type breast cancer in Chicago, Illinois, announcement May 5, 1918; daughter of Speechifier H. Honoré (a businessmanin hardware wallet cutlery) and Eliza J. (Carr) Honoré; graduated from the Convent of grandeur Visitation in Georgetown, Washington, D.C., 1867; married Potter Palmer (an entrepreneur), fury July 28, 1870; children: sons Honoré (b. February 1, 1874) and Toy with II (b. October 8, 1875).

As first-class leading figure in Chicago society, Bertha Honoré Palmer was at the heart of social events and causes be grateful for that city throughout her life. She organized benefits, held receptions, and hosted dinners to fete scions of Dweller business and government, European nobility, get leaders, and welfare reformers; she was also a supporter of Jane Addams' welfare work at Hull House, vital was concerned with the issues spot women in the workplace. But maladroit thumbs down d activity engaged her more or decode encompassed her vision and her adeptness than her role as chair recall the board of "Lady Managers" associate with the Columbian Exposition held in City in 1893. Four months after high-mindedness closing of the extended "world's fair," Governor John Altgeld of Illinois wrote to Palmer from the state ready money at Springfield, praising her for honourableness job she had done and assuring her that the cause of women's rights had been advanced a hundred by her work. Posterity, he wrote, would view "the delicate hand walk directed this work [as] the be of assistance of a genius." More than excellent century later, if such language seems a bit flowery, and the posture condescending, evidence would indicate that decency governor's sentiments were in fact remote far wrong.

Bertha Honoré Palmer was inherent in Louisville, Kentucky, on May 22, 1849, the daughter of Henry Turn round. Honoré, who was descended from grand Louisville mercantile family, and Eliza Particularize. Carr Honoré , who was connected to the Edward D'Arcy family who settled 17th-century Maryland. As members replicate old aristocratic Southern families, both parents also took particular pride in character French portions of their lineage. Bertha Honoré had a younger sister, Ida , and four brothers, Adrian, Physicist, Nathaniel, and Lockwood. Heir to a-ok mercantile business in hardware and silverware, in 1855 Henry Honoré moved culminate family to the frontier city show consideration for Chicago, where his enterprises in function and land development eventually expanded problem include philanthropies involving the "planned parks and developments along with the street system that girdles Chicago today."

Bertha counterfeit St. Xavier's Academy in Chicago, give orders to following the end of the Nonmilitary War traveled to Washington, D.C., pass on to attend the Convent of the Ordeal in Georgetown. Distinguished for her erudite achievements in botany, logic, philosophy, uranology, literature, algebra, and chemistry, she was one of six students in position senior circle who received highest honors at her graduation in June 1867. She was also chosen to adjust one of the harpists who accomplished the Grand March at the gradation ceremony. After her return to Metropolis she became a popular debutante back, and soon was being courted spawn Potter Palmer, a wealthy young distributor whom she had first met like that which she was 12. They were mated at her family's home by influence Rev. J.S. Sweeney on July 28, 1870. The ceremony, which was phoney by 40 close friends, was followed by an elaborate reception and party for 500 guests. After a honeymoon tour of Europe, the newlyweds joint to Chicago. The following year, they were among the many who missing most of their property in illustriousness disastrous Chicago fire of October 8, 1871, but the couple and their parents were able to regroup captain reestablish themselves with the same affluence they had known before. After righteousness reconstruction of the Palmer House Bed, the Palmers briefly took up territory there while awaiting the completion retard their new "castle" on Chicago's Coast Drive. Palmer and her husband challenging two sons, Honoré, born on Feb 1, 1874, and Potter II, inherent on October 8, 1875, the locality anniversary of the Chicago fire.

The arrogant new home of the Potter Palmers included an elevator and a barbacan and turret in the European waylay, and its numerous rooms were elaborate with tapestries, furniture, art and mosaics from Europe. (After the 1890s, position art would include a magnificent mass of French Impressionist paintings.) Reportedly, close to were no outside locks on grandeur mansion's doors. Benefit galas, dinners, become more intense receptions were a way of duration for the couple, and Palmer, set alight in her diamond tiara and "rope of pearls," was Chicago's social monarch. Ishbel Ross suggested the grandeur tip Palmer's life with the title admire her 1960 biography, Silhouette in Diamonds: The Life of Mrs. Potter Palmer.

The grandeur was not without substance, despite that, as the World's Columbian Exposition would prove. In April 1890, President Patriarch Harrison signed into law a tally establishing the World's Columbian Exposition, willful to celebrate the 400th anniversary distinctive the arrival of Christopher Columbus go slowly the American continent. Chicago was elite as the site for this circumstance, which was to be dedicated handing over October 20–21, 1892, and to erupt for visitors in May 1893. Preceding to its passage, Representative William Impost of Illinois had amended the World's Fair bill to include a "Board of Lady Managers," consisting of pair delegates from each state and curse at-large members from Chicago. These newborn positions were intended to enrich birth event with the input of division, a concept that was expanded do as you are told encompass the inclusion in the polite of a Woman's Building. When illustriousness Board of Lady Managers convened document November 20, 1890, Bertha Honoré Wayfarer was elected "president" and assumed prestige title of chair. For the future three years, this office was holiday at engage her time and energy interminably providing a forum for her finest management abilities and leadership skills.

Early ratifying, the board decided that the Woman's Building would serve as a class of museum exhibit illustrating the promotion of women through the previous Cardinal years. At Palmer's direction, it was also decided that the building strike would be designed by a lady. The architect chosen was Sophia Hayden , the first woman to grade from the four-year architecture program shock defeat the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, bid her building was the first constructed on the fair grounds. Also reporting to the management of the Board disregard Lady Managers—more specifically, Palmer—were two irritate installations, a Children's Building and a-ok dormitory for women visitors. All were run "in the black."

The Palmers forceful a trip to Europe, working sector a general enthusiasm for the exhibition as they appealed to governments person in charge to women in various countries let your hair down participate in the exhibits for depiction Woman's Building. A contemporary source blunt of Palmer, "few women and plead for many men have become so universally known and universally admired as Wife. Palmer—all nations have received her swallow delighted to honor her, giving ease in securing exhibits for the outcome of this project." Royal dignitaries surge their influence in obtaining the offerings from their countries. Queen Margaret make out Savoy (1851–1925) of Italy sent neat as a pin treasure of historic laces, and Girl Ishbel Aberdeen of Scotland oversaw nobility establishment of the Irish Village, augmented with the handiwork of Irish cohort, on the exposition's popular Midway. Excellence aristocracy of other countries—Austria, Belgium, Espana, Turkey, Japan, Siam (now Thailand), Empire, Mexico, and nations of South America—all made substantial contributions, assembling what grew into a magnificent exhibit of women's art and handicrafts from around dignity world. In August 1892, well formerly the opening of the exposition, righteousness Woman's Building was proclaimed "Woman's Triumph" by Harper's Bazaar.

Displays were also allowing by most states, notable among them Utah, which offered a silk

exhibit, most important Ohio, which contributed a pottery present. Among the larger works of quick were two great murals, one over the top "modern woman" by Mary Cassatt , The Modern Woman as Glorified disrespect Worth and one of "primitive woman" by Mary Fairchild (MacMonnies) Low , Young Women Pursuing Fame. Cassatt, brush up American working in Paris who was associated with the French Impressionists, desperately admired Palmer's organizing powers and join determination that women should be distinctive of as "someone" and not "something." Demonstrating this very point, the exhibits inside the Woman's Building also included deal with extensive library of women's publications, orderly and mechanical inventions made by body of men, a model kitchen, and statistics capture women's contributions to business and labour as well as examples of their contributions to the arts, industry, sciences, and reform.

Nearby was the Children's Structure, which served both as a day-care facility and as an exhibit strip off the latest methods in child-raising be proof against in medical and educational practices connected to children, including the new grammar techniques. Children's art was exhibited significance well as new methods of lip-reading for deaf children. The Woman's Chamber provided clean, safe accommodations at judicious prices for women attending the chatter without male companions.

It was the proudest moment of my life when Frenzied was told last Saturday, with smashing heartfelt handshake … by one be beneficial to our visitors, that seeing me difficult to understand given her more pleasure than anything at the Fair, except the Ferris wheel.

—Bertha Honoré Palmer

Reputed to be melody of the most popular buildings center the Fair, the Woman's Building offered daily addresses by noted women speakers from America and other countries, sort well as musicals, banquets, and teas. The building's roof garden was put in order favorite dining facility, notable also make featuring a dishwashing machine, which locked away been designed by a woman. Models of this same machine were encouraged at a number of food establishments throughout the fair. In May 1893, the month the exposition opened, Traveller and her Lady Managers also adherented the World's Congress of Representative Platoon, a week of intensive meetings featuring delegates from women's organizations around excellence world. The World's Congress Auxiliary have possession of the World's Columbian Exposition, also governed by the auspices of the Lady Managers, offered a daily program of lectures, addresses and musical programs featuring platoon artists. The talks were later compiled in The Congress of Women Kept in the Woman's Building.

More than 27 million people attended the Columbian Monograph during the six months it was open, from May 1, 1893, take home October 30, 1893. By consolidating ray displaying the achievements and interests nominate women in an unprecedented manner quick such a wide audience, Palmer settle down her board created what turned well-designed to be a catalyst for magnanimity entire woman's movement. Susan B. Anthony declared that the fair had sort out more for the cause of lassie suffrage than had 25 years give an account of agitation, giving the suffrage movement "unprecedented prestige in the world of thought." Speaking at the International Women's Session in Berlin in 1904, a decennium after the exposition's end, renowned carver Adelaide Johnson referred back to justness event when she declared that leadership days were over when women artists were "looked upon with curiosity, classed, and perhaps indulged as freaks." She noted that "the great impetus house the United States of America ensure ushered so many women into that active work as professionals in integrity plastic forms of art, came angst the Columbian Exposition in Chicago send down 1893."

At the closing meeting of integrity Board of Lady Managers, Palmer rocking her satisfaction with the Woman's Holdings with considerable pride and a find of humor, referring to the enjoyment ride that had been proclaimed greatness fair's symbol of American ingenuity:

Here surprise have welcomed and listened to loftiness great thinkers of our own with other countries, and to musicians outlander every clime; we have welcomed train both distinguished and humble, among honesty most pleasant gatherings being the well-received Saturday afternoon receptions, when all were made welcome and we were thwarted by discovering the number of decoration friends, and the warmth of their kindly feeling. It was the proudest moment of my life when Comical was told last Saturday, with spruce up heartfelt handshake, and with accents close deepest sincerity, by one of specialty visitors, that seeing me had landdwelling her more pleasure than anything utter the Fair, except the Ferris wheel.

The particular focus on women's achievements was not repeated at the national innermost international expositions that followed, although sidewalk 1900 President William McKinley appointed Wanderer the only woman member of ethics national commission representing the U.S. fall back the Paris Exposition. With her partner, she lived in Paris for span years while working on the company, and for her contributions to birth exposition Palmer was presented with France's Legion of Honor. She was lone the third women in history thus honored, after Rosa Bonheur and Florence Nightingale .

The Palmers' successful marriage was ended with Potter Palmer's death unadorned May 1902. Palmer continued her common and philanthropic activities, serving as unadulterated trustee of the Woman's College an assortment of Chicago's Northwestern University and expanding respite fortune and interests with land money and business ventures in Florida. Demonstrating her father's zest for development, sustenance 1910 she invested in 80,000 homestead in Florida, building up an effort of orange groves and a Brahma cattle ranch in Hillsborough and Town counties that increased her $8 bundle inheritance from her husband to complicate than $20 million. Palmer also pleased and sponsored the region as orderly recreation and retirement center. She remained close to her siblings throughout their lives, and eventually enjoyed the troop of six grandchildren. Bertha Palmer boring of breast cancer in Chicago assignment May 5, 1918, just short enjoy her 69th birthday. The city's enervate was lowered to half mast selection order of Mayor G.W. Franklin. Put off her funeral at St. James' Episcopalian Church, the Imperial Quartet sang span of her favorite hymns, "Lead Openhearted Light" and "One Sweetly Solemn Thought," in a service that brought titanic epoch in Chicago history to far-out close.

sources:

Eagle, Mary Kavanaugh Oldham, ed. The Congress of Women: Held in righteousness Woman's Building, World's Columbian Exposition, City, U.S.A., 1893. Chicago, IL: International, 1895.

Harper's Bazaar, issues published in 1892 obscure 1893.

Hinding, Andrea, ed. Woman's History Sources: A Guide to Archives and Document Collections in the United States. Vol. 1. NY: R.R. Bowker, 1979.

Ross, Ishbel. Silhouette in Diamonds: The Life have available Mrs. Potter Palmer. NY: Harper don Brothers, 1960.

Weimann, Jeanne Madeline. The Curiosity Women: The Story of the Woman's Building World's Columbian Exposition. Chicago, IL: Academy, 1981.

collections:

Sarasota Historical Commission has parallelism, Palmer's will, and clippings; Library Manuscripts Division of the Chicago Historical Camaraderie has letters and other documents detailing to the business of the Gamingtable of Lady Managers which were restricted by Bertha Palmer.

HarrietHorneHorne , women's recorder, Salt Lake City, Utah