September 14-21, 1916
“Dorothy, Anna and I to lunch with Bessie Alexander in Princeton.” The four women mentioned in Kate’s diary entry for September 14, 1916 were her daughter, Dorothy Roosevelt Geer; her sister Anna Shippen Davis; herself and the widow of the world famous portrait painter, John White Alexander. Bessie Alexander was often mentioned in Kate Roosevelt’s diary, not as the widow of a well-known artist and the subject of many of his paintings, but as an old family friend.
The Alexander Family lived in New York City and summered in Sea Bright, New Jersey in a cottage not far from the Shippen’s home called the “Anchorage.” Their only child, James Waddell Alexander was born in Sea Bright in 1888.
The Ring by John White Alexander
Seeking a sedate setting and comfortable company, Bessie Alexander spent many quiet weekends with Kate Roosevelt and Kate’s daughter, Dorothy at “Merdlemouth,” their little piece of heaven in Hightstown, New Jersey. Located just down the road from Princeton, a day’s excursion to the historic town was often on the agenda.
Today, the foursome was going there for lunch. Three of the four women were widows. Bessie Alexander’s husband’s death was the most recent. John White Alexander White passed away at the age of 59 in May, 1915. Just sixteen month’s into her role as widow, this trip to Princeton was probably a melancholy reminder for Mrs. Alexander. Her husband taught drawing at Princeton University from 1881 to 1890 when he was drawn to Paris to participate in the salons of the “Societe Nationale des Beaux Arts and perfect his signature style of portraiture.
Harper’s Magazine
Before his marriage to Miss Elizabeth Alexander in 1887, Alexander lived in Germany and studied with the equally-talented portrait artist, William Merritt Chase at the Royal Academy in Munich. After returning to the United States Alexander settled in New York City where he was introduced to Elizabeth Alexander by Joseph Harper, the publisher of Harper’s Weekly where Alexander had once worked as a traveling illustrator. Now called Harper’s, founded in 1850, it is the second oldest consistently published monthly magazine in the United States. Scientific Monthly is the oldest. Playing Cupid, the magazine mogul was fascinated by the fact that Elizabeth and John shared the same last name, Alexander.
Elizabeth “Bessie” Alexander’s father, James Waddell Alexander was a wealthy businessman, the president of the Equitable Life Insurance Company of New York. John White Alexander did not have as proud a pedigree. He was orphaned as an infant in Allegheny, Pennsylvania and worked his way to New York City by saving money through his employment as a telegraph messenger. His first job in New York was with Harper’s, as a lowly office boy.
But his artistic talent was soon recognized and he began illustrating major events for the magazine including the Philadelphia Centennial of 1876 where Kate Roosevelt’s late-husband, Hilborne Roosevelt won awards for his latest invention, the electric pipe organ.
The widows Roosevelt and Alexander both had husbands to be proud of. After leaving Princeton in 1890, the Alexander’s made Paris home until 1901 when they returned to New York. During their foray in France, the couple counted among their circle of friends the sculpture, Auguste Rodin; the novelist, Henry James; the actor, Oscar Wilde and the painter, James Whistler but remained loyal to their American friends that included Kate Roosevelt and the Shippen Sisters from Sea Bright, New Jersey.
Alexander’s American portrait subjects included Oliver Wendell Holmes, Mark Twain, President Grover Cleveland and the infamous, Evelyn Nesbit the subject of the scandalous Stanford White love affair and ultimate murder by her jealous husband, the millionaire, Harry K. Thaw in 1906. Before becoming entangled with the evil architect, Stanford White, Evelyn Nesbit was sought after as a model by all of New York City’s famous painters including Charles Dana Gibson, Carroll Beckwith and Frederick S. Church.
An Interesting Book with Evelyn Nesbit as the subject, 1901
An Interesting Book was the title of Alexander’s work that Evelyn Nesbit sat for. Nesbit’s youthful innocence was captured beautifully by the artist who often used another beauty as his subject. His wife, Bessie Alexander White posed for many portraits. The most famous highlighting her fragile beauty is a study in muted pinks and moss green, the artist’s favorite colors. Painted in late 1902, it was exhibited at the famous French art dealer, Durand Reul’s gallery in Paris. It is titled simply: Mrs. Alexander.
Bessie Alexander, the subject of beautiful paintings created by her talented husband showing her to be the epitome of gentle grace was also an outspoken supporter of Suffrage. Disagreeing with her good friend, Kate Shippen Roosevelt, Bessie Alexander joined the bandwagon and promoted women winning the right to vote.
Nassau Inn, Princeton, New Jersey
Kate’s diary did not say where the group had gone for lunch, but maybe it was the historic Nassau Inn on Palmer Square in view of Princeton’s campus. Built in 1756 as the home of Judge Thomas Leonard, it became the Beekman Inn upon his death. Christopher Beekman and his wife welcomed travelers and politicians alike to their tavern and in 1776 hosted delegates traveling to Philadelphia to attend the First Continental Congress, the result of many a heated debate held there by the likes of patriots, Paul Revere, Robert Morris and Thomas Paine.
One hundred and forty years later, on September 14, 1916 it was called the Nassau Inn, and could possibly have been the scene of another sort of debate involving a different declaration of independence, one authored by women who wanted the right to vote. Over luncheon, I was sure that Bessie Alexander and Kate Roosevelt voiced their differing opinions in lady-like tones between bites of bitter watercress sandwiches and sips of tepid tea. Whoever won the debate that day, I was sure delicate decorum was observed and no hard feelings followed. Bessie and Kate remained friends for life.
Sharon Hazard’s Dowager’s Diary appears on Thursday.
Photo One:
Nassau Hall, Princeton University
Library of Congress
Photo Two:
The Ring by John White Alexander
Library of Congress
Photo Three:
Harper’s Magazine
Public Domain
Photo Four:
An Interesting Book with Evelyn Nesbit as the subject, 1901
John White Alexander
Public Domain
Photo Five:
Nassau Inn, Princeton, New Jersey
Library of Congress
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