Odd Person of Note: Florence Foster Jenkins

Florence Foster Jenkins had been a very wealthy but very sheltered girl but in her later life, after receiving her large inheritance, she finally got a chance to pursue her lifelong dream, to be an opera singer. Only thing, she was absolutely awful, worse than awful. She seemed to not be able to hit one note, chose very vocally challenging songs, and did it with a sincere passion, and lavish costumes! She started having concerts that became very popular—many couldn’t get through a whole performance, rolling in laughter and had to excuse themselves. In 1944 she sold out Carnegie Hall! With some scalpers getting as much as $20 a ticket.

“Some may say that I couldn’t sing, but no one can say I didn’t sing.” —Florence Foster Jenkins

There is a play that has been written, ‘Souvenir’ (Stephen Temperley), hilarious. The Studio Theatre just staged it last season with Nancy Robinette (here in Washington DC). 

To hear a legend, click here. This video makes my cats ears go back.

More on Florence Foster Jenkins here.

Odd Person of Note: Harry Andrews

Incredibly intelligent Harry Andrews lead an interesting life but, when he retired at 65, he started a building project that would be his legacy. As dementia phased in, his dreams took flight! He spent decades building (nearly single handedly) a massive 16th Century Medieval castle on 1.5 acres outside of Cincinnati, OH. Hauling water in pails from the river and making bricks in milk cartons.

The truly impressive Loveland Castle (Chateau Laroche) and Harry Andrews received a lot of attention over the years from the news and locals. The castle served a greater purpose though... Harry retreated into a more simple time, rejecting the modern world, and founded the Knights of the Golden Trail. Something like Boy Scouts, they did camping, and they emulated the ideals of noble knight of yore.

From Roadside America:

“What about those Knights, the young men for whom Harry built the castle and to whom it was willed when he died? "Nothing that God ever made on the earth is more awe inspiring and heart warming than the sight of a noble youth just budding into manhood," Harry wrote. "Any man of high ideals who wishes to help save civilization is invited to become a member of the Knights of the Golden Trail." 

The Knights still maintain the castle today and welcome tourists. I stopped by on a road trip (took these pictures below).

To learn more about this architect, leader, visionary and possible dirty old man, (including how he cheated death once, but ultimately died of an infection from when he lit his pants on fire on the castle roof while burning trash). Click here! Or here!

Odd Person of Note: The Edies!

The famous Big Edie and Little Edie Beale were wealthy society girls turned delusional hermits. Cousins of Jackie O, all the family girls always married prominent and wealthy. After Big Edie’s divorce, the mother and daughter lived exclusively in their East Hampton estate, Grey Gardens. The two of them, with very little money, didn’t leave and allowed the mansion to deteriorate to a crumbling, hoarders den with 300 cats and raccoons in the attic. When the Health Dept. threatened to tear it down, Jackie and her sister bailed them out and repaired the home.

The classic documentary Grey Gardens (1975, Albert and David Maysles) is the delicious voyeur’s peep into the bizarre world of the Beales. Although it had only been a few years since the refurbishment, the movie shows Grey Gardens is well on its way back to its former state. 

Apparently they are making a movie for 2008 about Grey Gardens, Drew Barrymore stars as Little Edie.

"My mother doesn't believe in kitty litter.  She prefers boxes and paper.  And she's the cat lover.  So you can imagine how I suffer." - Little Edie

"Jackie was twelve years younger than I, and although I was never jealous of her, I never liked her.  You know what Jackie wanted?  She wanted the house.  Yes darling, that's the truth, and she did everything she could to get it.  Then Jackie sent her sister Lee, who I've always been absolutely terrified of- I think she's a big criminal.  Lee and her boyfriend came around and started to tear the house down with axes.  Don't go near any of these people for God's sake, they're all insane!" - Little Edie

"Of course the house isn't perfectly normal.  The house has to be done over.  You know how hard it is to get plumbers in the autumn." - Little Edie

You think it would look sexier with the bra underneath? I think it would. - Little Edie

Grey Gardens Trivia

Odd Person of Note: Hermits!

Hermits! People who live in seclusion from society. Mental illness? Political Statement? There are probably many reasons one becomes a hermit but... as an occupation?

In 18th c. England, it became a fad to acquire an ornamental hermit for your property. and house them in romantic replica ruins of temples or abbeys. Rich country gentlemen enjoyed their "exotic" nature, living alone with few possessions, and showed them off to friends. Sometimes they even sought wisdom from these solitary men on the fringe of society.

Odd Person of Note: The Collyer Brothers

I read a book a while ago called 'Ghosty Men: The Strange but True Story of the Collyer Brothers, New York's Greatest Hoarders: An Urban Historical', a very descriptive title indeed. These very wealthy brothers lived in a townhouse in Harlem (5th and 128th). They seemed to share a hoarding problem, packing the entire house from floor to ceiling, fortified with booby traps. Becoming recluses, the house eventually led to their unfortunate and rather grisly demise. This left the enormous problem of the packed house on the hands of the city. The excavation turned up a massive list of things ranging from a Model T Ford to decades of newspapers and drew quite a crowd.

A couple years after I read this book I had the pleasure/horror of visiting a property being cleared of a life time of hoarding. It brought home how sad this behavior is.  Fascinating nonetheless. Some of my pictures below.