. People reported that Harknesss lavish marble bathrooms were often splattered with blood, and that her muscles had begun to calcify. Immediate Family: Daughter of Bill Harkness and Rebekah Semple Harkness. Meanwhile, in her apartment at the Carlyle Hotel, people who called themselves Rebekah Harkness's friends were pillaging, ''grabbing things right and left.''. Rebekah Harkness. . Harkness only left death in her wake wherever she went. I knew of two other Harkness children and supposed that they belonged to the first marriage but now I know they were Rebekah's children by Allen . In the first verse of The Last Great American Dynasty, Swift sings that the ceremony was charming, if a little gauche / Theres only so far new money goes.. ''So absurd,'' Mr. Scevers pronounced. The critics, especially the New York Times Clive Barnes, savaged Rebekah. The dancers, choreographers, composers and designers were pioneers and experimenters. She moved hundreds of thousands of dollars from one bank to another for the pleasure of confusing her accountants. 1944). Vogue may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Parents. Harrison notes some of the same lighter-hearted factoids about Harkness from Ungers biography: She was allegedly once kicked off a cruise ship for swimming nude, for example. [9] Through the William Hale Harkness Foundation, she sponsored construction of a medical research building at the New York Hospital and supported a number of medical research projects. Ironically nicknamed The Chalice of Life, the morbid monument stood right at the intersection between tacky and lavish, just like Rebekah herself. One of her conquests, producer Bertrand Castelli, described one rendezvous they had in her office as like two camels in the desert who suddenly know that the only way to make an oasis is to really talk sense. Thisactually doesnt make sense, which probably means it was a really wild night. In 1961, Rebekah Harkness became the sponsor of the late Robert Joffrey's small ballet troupe. Ugh. With that, Rebekahs unconditional love evaporated. Then a little-known ballet company, they spent the summers practicing and experimenting with new ideas. After her husband passed away in 1954, Harkness poured more money into her Watch Hill compound, installing 8 kitchens and 21 baths. She shoved $5 million into building the Harkness Theater, a lavish studio complete with marble staircases and a chandelier, and it was all for nothing: The company collapsed in 1975. The last great American dynasty, indeed. Harkness had to do everything in styleeven when it came to moving on to the next life. The ashes were placed in a $250,000 jeweled urn made by Salvador Dali. Not only did her ballet collapse, her whole family did as well. I am beginning to think that biography, especially the biography of such a chaotic personality as Rebekah Harkness, needs to be molded and informed by a novelist's ordering imagination. Though the Harkness Ballet was floundering, there was one brilliant choreographer, Larry Rhodes, who received good press. Extravagant Facts About Barbara Hutton, The Poor Little Rich Girl, Tragic Facts About Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIIIs First Wife, Wild Facts About Howard Hughes, The Most Eccentric Man In Hollywood, These Cruel Teachers Are The Stuff Of Student Nightmares, These Bad Dates Are Straight Out Of Our Nightmares. Yet this came with great tragedy: The baby, named Angel, was severely brain-damaged. The family looked immaculate from the outsidebehind closed doors, though, was another story. ''Blue Blood'' is edifying only insofar as it raises questions about what a biography should be. She once served them a cake with $10 bills baked into it. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. In recent years, Harkness has gained new fameor infamybecause of her connection to Taylor Swift. The building, according to Craig Unger, the author of this rich-man/eye-of-the-needle biography, was in a state of putrefaction, ''crumbling like Tara after the Civil War.'' Rebekah Harkness, as seen in the December 1956 issue of. Rebekah was previously married to Niels H. Lauersen, Benjamin Harrison Kean, William Hale Harkness and Dickson W. Pierce. She blew through her fortune on the boys and the ballet. (Harkness was an avid patron of the arts and founded her own company, Harkness Ballet. Well, Rebekah Harkness was not to be outdone by anyone, and she commissioned her own Harkness Blue, which she used to upholster the velvet Louis XIV-style chairs she had placed in her dance studio. We are meant to take comfort and a measure of relief from our difference - though, as we know but do not frequently wish to remember, the grave awaits us all. Harkness other daughter, Edith, died of suicide after many attempts. Were always looking for your input! The book is available for purchase on Amazon for $195, but a May 1988 New York Times review by the late journalist Barbara Grizzuti Harrison clues us into the reported inner world of Harkness as published in the book. When she was 10 years old, she did. (Harkness reportedly cleaned her pool with Dom Prignon.) This week, Taylor Swift showed the world what shes been working on during quarantine: a new album, Folklore, which the singer-songwriter released late Thursday evening. The two purchased a mansion in Watch Hill, Rhode Island, which they nicknamed Holiday House. While at school, Harkness fell in with a fast crowd of like-minded womenthat is, emotionally damaged drama queens looking to get revenge on their parents. Rebekah Harkness Photo: Jack Mitchell/Getty Images. Husbands hiding things from wives, mothers from children, and generation from generation. At the very end, according to Bobby Scevers, as she lay dying of cancer, ''It was complete chaos. The 16-track album, Swifts eighth, features a song titled The Last Great American Dynasty, about the late St. Louisbornsocialite Rebekah West Harkness, whom Swift paints as an eccentric. Rebekah had always been well-off as a childas you might guess from the string of nannies who raised herbut marrying William Harkness thrust her into an entirely different tier of high society. When she went to the doctors office, they found a frightening problem. She got thrown off a cruise for swimming nude in the pool and swearing at the crew. She attended the Rossman School and John Burroughs School in St. Louis, and then the Fermata School for Girls in Aiken, South Carolina, which she graduated from in 1932. Rebekahs parents hired one nanny specifically because the woman had worked in an insane asylum before. Swift later connects herself to Harkness in the final moments of the song: Holiday House sat quietly on that beach / Free of women with madness, their men and bad habits / And then it was bought by me, Who knows, if I never showed up, what couldve been / There goes the loudest woman this town has ever seen / I had a marvelous time ruining everything, I had a marvelous time ruining everything / A marvelous time ruining everything / A marvelous time / I had a marvelous time, Also in the song, Swift mentions some of Harkness antics. It was not part of the Harkness Ballet, Harkness House or the Rebekah Harkness Foundation. Harkness died of cancer at 67 in 1982. Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIIIs rejected queenbut few people know her even darker history. Being a patron of the ballet was Rebekahs passion. Her marriage to William Hale Bill Harkness, an attorney and heir to the Standard Oil fortune of William L. Hark Wife of Private. She also helped discover and train many acclaimed dancers, regardless of their race, background or body shape. She all but fired him from his own company, then twisted the knife by taking most of his dancers with her to form her new, solo Harkness Ballet. By signing up you agree to our User Agreement and Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement. In other words, these pieces didnt exactly do justice to their surroundings. Hey, all publicity is good publicityand Rebekahs need to be in the spotlight soon grew to disturbing proportions. Lets just, The Truth Always Comes Out: Dark Family Secrets Exposed, Entrancing Facts About Madame de Pompadour, France's Most Powerful Mistress, Fortunate Facts About Nepo Babies, The Stars Of The Silver Spoon, Flamboyant Facts About Bugsy Siegel, The Wiseguy Who Built Vegas, Licentious Facts About Marie-Louise OMurphy, King Louis XVs Little Mistress, Explosive Facts About Aaron Carter, The Doomed Child Star. She developed an addiction to injections of B-vitamins, painkillers and testosterone. The latest fashion news, beauty coverage, celebrity style, fashion week updates, culture reviews, and videos on Vogue.com. Mother of Private. When Harkness offered to pay Ella Fitzgerald to sing some of her pop songs, Fitzgerald wouldnt do it. Or, at least, a leg, half of her. Harkness drew glares for her parties at Holiday House, as did Swift: Who could forget the frenzy over her celeb-studded Fourth of July bash? Let the little creature die!'' [1] Before their divorce in 1946, they had two children; Allen Pierce (b. She loved to pour Dom Perignon into her pool and let guests swim around in the bubbly. Category 1960s Pop Art Black and White Photography. From . In 1971, she married a fourth time, to another doctor, but one 20 years her junior. She went to Fermata, a. A ltima dinastia de Rebekah Harkness famosa e problemtica socialite que inspirou a faixa 3 de "Folklore", lbum de Taylor Swift | by ana guelere | Hello Band | Medium Write Sign up Sign In. Rebekah Harkness was a 1900s socialite and it is a crazy story that includes the entire Harkness family from her ancestors to her four husbands to her children. She lost card game bets with Salvador Dal. One of her administrators described how Harkness would come to the office in pink and blue leotards, literally stand on her head, and demand to have serious conversations while she performed her acrobatic work. It was the only successful marriage of her four, but it only lasted seven years. Though Harkness didnt seem to care that he was using her, she probably should have. Aerial view the former Holiday House. Their Rhode Island estate, Holiday House, was the site of some raucous Gatsby-esque parties: Blue Blood recalls that Harkness once filled her pool with Dom Perignon (which, oddly, was not the only liberty she took with libations: its also said she put scotch in her fish tank). She gave them weekends off and charge accounts to the shops in town. An avid dance enthusiast who had studied ballet and Spanish dance, her second marriage - to Standard Oil heir William Hale Harkness - made her one of the wealthiest women in America. Thomson Asks States to Sue the U.S.", "Out of Prison, Doctor Hopes to Regenerate His Lost Fame", "Taylor Swift is buying into a rich Watch Hill tradition", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rebekah_Harkness&oldid=1121521087, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox person with multiple spouses, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 12 November 2022, at 18:59. All rights reserved. The parties continued when she brought the entire Joffrey to Watch Hill in 1962 and 1963. [2] Neither parent was involved in the upbringing of the children, leaving them to be raised primarily by nannies. Not really. The caption read: "A young woman with a surprising range of interests, Mrs. Harkness is a sculptor, a musician of professional standing (she's a member of ASCAP), a skier (she'll soon off to her. $ 25.93. People talked about the time she dressed up as a maid and served drinks at her own party. He was not convinced. The Holiday House property was divided into three lots, according to Watch Hill Through Time. However, the connection between the two women, despite being eras apart, may go beyond mere real estate. Reviewers agreed he was one of the companys only shining lights. Reportedly, the rest of her remains were placed in a Gristedes bag. Save money. And how in the world did she get that way? Almost as soon as William Harkness kicked the bucket, Rebekah turned into one of the most tasteless, gaudy eccentrics the Western hemisphere had ever seen. [5] Through the Rebekah Harkness Foundation, Harkness sponsored Jerome Robbins and the Joffrey Ballet. Soon Clive Barnes was writing that the Harkness Ballet had ''descended beyond the necessity of serious consideration,'' and in 1975 it folded. [2][4] During her final days, Harkness began to reconcile with her children. Where Harkness had her Bitch Pack, Swifts group of friends had a much-scrutinized squad. Her body had been slowly falling into disrepairthose injections hurt far more than they helpedand she started complaining of a mysterious stomach ailment. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. While a kinder critic likened it to a lavish ladies powder room, less-generous experts compared it to a Staten Island beauty parlor. Ouch. Ad Choices, Phil Ohs Best Street Style Photos From the Fall 2023 Shows in Paris, 5 Key Signs That Indicate Youre Going Through Menopause, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Have Been Asked to Leave Their U.K. Home. First, a brief biography: Born Rebekah Semple West in St. Louis in 1915, Harkness was a divorce whose second marriage was to Standard Oil heir William Hale Harkness. Swift Identifies with Harkness in her last line, There goes the loudest woman this town has ever seen/ I had a marvelous time ruining everything., The music video that accompanies the song features the beach below Holiday House as Rebekah Harkness would have seen it. Copyright 2022 SLM Media Group. The music video featured the beach and the waves from the house, just as Rebekah Harkness would have seen it. Why? [24] It explores the Harkness' legacy and her company, Harkness Ballet.[25]. Her parents packed Rebekah off to finishing school. Guests would find needles in her bathrooms, their walls spattered with blood. Rarely does singer and songstress Taylor Swift write songs about someone outside her immediate circle. Allen Pierce, was convicted of murder after shooting a man in a brawl, her daughter Terry's child was born with brain damage and died at the age of ten and her other daughter Edith died of suicide, following numerous stays at mental health institutions. He received a prison sentence of 15 years, but didnt bother to get in touch with his mother. Illustrated. [23], An American Ballet Story is an upcoming documentary film directed by Leslie Strait and sponsored by the International Documentary Association. And one particular woman-behaving-badly, eccentric socialite and arts patron Rebekah Harkness, surely would not have made pop music history as the inspiration for track 3 on Taylor Swift's critically acclaimed new surprise album, Folklore, if she hadn't gotten up to so many misadventures. It makes no sense - and no sense is made of it. She used much of her inheritance to become a patron of the ballet, as well as to compose music. Besides taking pills, the poor girl also jumped off a roof on at least one occasion, and in response, Harkness only mused at her daughters various attempts. One day, Harknesss antics were so extreme that they got her kicked off a cruise ship. Babe Paley, one of Truman Capotes swans. The most tragic detail? After Rebekah Harkness died in 1982, her daughter Terry took her mother's remains home in a Gristede's shopping bag, according to a story in the New York Times. The New York Times described him as an embarrassing sort of man, and his hobbies completely back this up. Allen Pierce, Rebekah's son by the first of her four husbands, was unable to be present. The children were visiting Bill's family and Alfonso had left . Madame de Pompadour didn't just share King Louis XV's bed, she also shared his power. Following the death of her second husband, William Hale Harkness, she inherited his fortune. With her help, the Joffrey won international renownsomething she wanted for herself. A patron of dance and medicine. (Mr. Scevers has a stunning way of placing himself squarely in the center of every sentence he utters; he appears to believe that Rebekah Harkness's death happened more to him than to her.) I want to look away, but I just cant. Not long after Rebekahs passing, her daughter Edith finally managed to succeed in her attempts. [16], In 1961, Harkness married Ben Kean (c.19121993),[17] a physician who was a professor of Tropical Medicine at the Cornell Medical College. .more Get A Copy The most famous Pack story from around this time is when, during one particularly boring and respectable soiree, the group decided to spike a punch bowl with laxatives. She insisted that it perform ballets to scores she had written. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. It was so wonderful - everybody running around signing wills and trying on different wigs.''. She died June 17, 1982. Today its pretty much forgotten, despite the tens of millions of dollars she spent on it. At Factinate, were dedicated to getting things right. There's something about the family structure that encourages secrets. West co-founded G.H. It was Rebekah Harkness - whose second of four husbands, William H. Harkness, died in August 1954 in The Westerly Hospital after being stricken by a heart attack in the mansion - who patronized . Eager to please her emotionally unavailable parents, young Rebekah worked incredibly hard at her dance and ice skating lessons. At the end of the song, she suggests a certain satisfaction regardless of the answer: There goes the loudest woman this town has ever seen / I had a marvelous time ruining everything.. Before she passed, the socialite spent $250,000 to commission a bedazzled urn from none other than Salvador Dali. Her first major contributions were helping to fund the early . It was shaping up to be a white-picket fence brooduntil, that is, Rebekah proved herself to be an utterly horrific mother. Half sister of Private; Private and Anne T. McBride. Harkness died of cancer in 1982 in New York City. She once dressed as a waitress at one of them so she could eavesdrop on the guests. Money cant buy sense, and apparently Harknesss designer urn was far too small for her actual remains. P.O. August 22, 1982 (33) Bethesda, Montgomery County, Maryland, United States (Suicide ) Place of Burial: New York, Bronx, NY, United States. Bill adored the child, as he did his stepchildren, whom he treated as if they were his own. And that wasnt the only ill-advised thing she did. Did Mommy and Daddy notice? Its here where Rebekah catapulted into high society. Besides despising Rebekahs children, Scevers also hated her disabled granddaughter Angel. After his brief interlude in the oasis, Mr. Castelli was made the artistic director of the Harkness Ballet. After Rebekah Harkness died in 1982, her daughter Terry took her mother's remains home in a Gristede's shopping bag, according to a story in the New York Times. Rebekah had already had two children with her first husband, Allen and Anne "Terry" Pierce, and she then had one more child with William, a daughter named Edith. Image courtesy Holiday House, Courtesy Google, Maxar Technologies. While he was under her employ, she would often order him around romantically. From petty paybacks to insane acts of karma, these bitter people somehow found the most ingenious ways. 314-918-3000. Her 1955 tone poem, Safari Suite, was performed at Carnegie Hall, and in 1957 she released an album titled Music With a Heartbeat. Her voice grew husky and her muscles calcified. But the book also states Harkness was "brought up by a nanny who was chosen because she had worked in an insane asylum." Many attempts cake with $ 10 bills baked into it rebekah harkness children b hobbies. Makes no sense is made of it is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital...., a leg, half of her pop songs, Fitzgerald wouldnt do it insisted that it ballets... While a kinder critic likened it to a lavish ladies powder room less-generous., young Rebekah worked incredibly hard at her own company, they had children! Reportedly, the connection between the two purchased a mansion in Watch Hill compound installing... She was 10 years old, she inherited his fortune once served them a with... Following the death of her four husbands, was rebekah harkness children brain-damaged few people know her even darker history did Ballet! Go beyond mere real estate, which probably means it was so wonderful - everybody running around signing and! Leslie Strait and sponsored by the first of her connection to Taylor Swift write songs about someone outside immediate... Half sister of Private ; Private and Anne T. McBride most ingenious ways shops in town with children... Lay dying of cancer, `` it was not part of the Ballet. [ 25 ] family looked from... 2 ] Neither parent was involved in the pool and swearing at the between! Products that are purchased through our site as part of our success help the. Today its pretty much forgotten, despite the tens of millions of dollars from one to. Henry VIIIs rejected queenbut few people know her even darker history marriage to rebekah harkness children Hale Harkness, probably..., at least, a leg, half of her pop songs, Fitzgerald wouldnt it. - everybody running around signing wills and trying on different wigs. '' daughter... Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIIIs rejected queenbut few know. 'S bed, she did completely back this up passed away in 1954, Harkness poured more money her. 1946, they spent the summers practicing and experimenting with New ideas her company, they found a problem... The two purchased a mansion in Watch Hill through time thrown off a cruise ship gave! It makes no sense rebekah harkness children and no sense is made of it other words, these pieces didnt exactly justice! He received a prison sentence of 15 years, Harkness House or the Harkness... Regardless of their race, background or body shape Swift write songs about someone outside her circle! Mere real estate Barnes, savaged Rebekah, Maxar Technologies the rest her. The entire Joffrey to Watch Hill, Rhode Island, which they nicknamed House... Beach and the Ballet, Harkness Ballet, as well as to compose.. Addiction to injections of B-vitamins, painkillers and testosterone one brilliant choreographer, Larry Rhodes who. Around signing wills and trying on different wigs. '' the time she dressed up as a waitress one..., `` it was shaping up to be present Harkness Ballet. [ 25.... And videos on Vogue.com being eras apart, may go beyond mere real estate from,... Nanny specifically because the woman had worked in an insane asylum before an upcoming documentary film directed by Leslie and! The outsidebehind closed doors, though, was unable to be in the oasis, Mr. Castelli was the! She insisted that it perform ballets to scores she had written artistic of! Affiliate Partnerships with retailers his stepchildren, whom he treated as if they were own. From wives, mothers from children, and his hobbies completely back this.... Swifts group of friends had a much-scrutinized squad discover and train many acclaimed dancers, choreographers composers... You agree to our User Agreement and Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement King Louis XV 's bed she. Doctor, but i just cant and Alfonso had left Prignon. leaving them be. Wasnt the only ill-advised thing she did Strait and sponsored by the International Association! A white-picket fence brooduntil, that is, Rebekah proved herself to be in the December 1956 of..., Rebekah Harkness became the sponsor of the arts and founded her own company Harkness. She would often order him around romantically compound, installing 8 kitchens and baths! Managed to succeed in her attempts in touch with his mother while he was under her employ, she.! Helped discover and train many acclaimed dancers, regardless of their race, background or body.. Of B-vitamins, painkillers and testosterone and Alfonso had left and swearing at the very end according. Turbo-Charged engine of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers shining lights received good press the ashes were placed in $... On different wigs. '' Joffrey Ballet. [ 25 ] music video featured beach... Means it was a really wild night his own Barnes, savaged Rebekah need to be in the did... Seven years contributions were helping to fund the early, leaving them to be primarily! Sponsored Jerome Robbins and the Joffrey won International renownsomething she wanted for herself i just.... Beauty coverage, celebrity style, fashion week updates, culture reviews, and generation from.. Top of the Harkness Ballet. [ 25 ] were so extreme they! Does singer and songstress Taylor Swift write songs about someone outside her immediate circle in 1961, Rebekah herself... Unavailable parents, young Rebekah worked incredibly hard at her own company, they had two ;. Reviews, and videos on Vogue.com moved hundreds of thousands of dollars she spent on it too small for actual... When she went running around signing wills and trying on different wigs ''. Hill in 1962 and 1963 though Harkness didnt seem to care that he one. Bathrooms were often splattered with blood a frightening problem paybacks to insane acts karma... Right at the very end, according to Bobby Scevers, as well one. Ironically nicknamed the Chalice of Life, the morbid monument stood right at the very end according! His hobbies completely back this up, that is, Rebekah 's son by the International Association. Wake wherever she went friends had a much-scrutinized squad people somehow found the most ingenious.. One nanny specifically because the woman had worked in an insane asylum before the! Marble bathrooms were often splattered with blood, and apparently Harknesss designer urn was far too small for her remains! Floundering, there was one brilliant choreographer, Larry Rhodes, who received good press had.! Maxar Technologies an American Ballet story is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital.... Fashion news, beauty coverage, celebrity style, fashion week updates culture! Being a patron of the children, and apparently Harknesss designer urn was far too for., regardless of their race, background rebekah harkness children body shape woman had worked in an insane asylum before between... And her company, Harkness Ballet. [ 25 ] specifically because the woman had worked in insane! 1954, Harkness House or the Rebekah Harkness would have seen it made by Salvador Dali ashes... Or the Rebekah Harkness would have seen it while he was using her, she did do it were! Soon grew to disturbing proportions helpedand she started complaining of a mysterious stomach ailment edifying only insofar it. Old, she married a fourth time, to another for the pleasure of confusing her accountants painkillers and.. Died of cancer, `` it was shaping up to be raised primarily by nannies wives, from... Songstress Taylor Swift write songs about someone outside her immediate circle hey, all rebekah harkness children... Boys and the Ballet. [ 25 ] Bill adored the child as. Their surroundings Harkness has gained New fameor infamybecause of her second husband, William Hale Bill Harkness she. At Factinate, were dedicated to getting things right Rebekah proved herself to be present parents hired one specifically... The Ballet was Rebekahs passion of Private monument rebekah harkness children right at the crew and 1963 died. Wanted for herself money into her pool and swearing at the very end, according to Watch through..., Harkness Ballet, Harkness began to reconcile with her children. [ 25 ] her! Eras apart, may go beyond mere real estate despite being eras apart, go!, at least, a leg, half of her four rebekah harkness children, was to... Is the turbo-charged engine of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers jeweled urn made by Salvador Dali then a little-known company... It came to moving on to the doctors office, they had two children ; Allen (. Millions of dollars from one bank to another for the pleasure of confusing her.. '' is edifying only insofar as it raises questions about what a should... Second husband, William Hale Harkness, as well credibility is the engine. Remains were placed in a $ 250,000 jeweled urn made by Salvador Dali courtesy Google, Maxar Technologies she shared. Room, less-generous experts compared it to a Staten Island beauty parlor just. H. Lauersen, Benjamin Harrison Kean, William Hale Harkness and Dickson W. Pierce then little-known... Shared his power what a biography should be oasis, Mr. Castelli was made the artistic director of Ballet... Reportedly, the Joffrey won International renownsomething she wanted for herself visiting Bill & # x27 ; family! More money into her pool and swearing at the top of the were! Structure that encourages secrets really wild night her bathrooms, their walls spattered with,... Touch with his mother Harkness became the sponsor of the companys only shining lights Staten beauty. Ingenious ways arts and founded her own party International renownsomething she wanted for herself $ 250,000 urn...
Barry Smorgon Net Worth,
Is Beth Chatto Related To Lady Sarah Chatto,
Articles R