M.001.02 - Municipal Building, New York City
Municipal building, New York City. © by Irving Underhill, N.Y. |
Irving Underhill (1872–1960) "was one of the most notable commercial photographers in New York City during the first half of the 20th century. He produced work that was featured in postcards and numerous publications while he was still alive, and that continues to be exhibited and receive recognition long after his death." [Wikipedia]
NEW YORK CITY.
To: Herr Gustaf Emanuelson*, Storegården, Fristad
From: Gerda (Stockholm, 31.12.1928)
Ett gott nytt år!!! önskas Er alla med hälsningar från Gerda
A Happy New Year!!! to all of you, with best wishes from Gerda
. . .
The construction of Manhattan Municipal Building began in 1909 and continued through 1914. That means this card can't be an old one that Gerda had saved since she lived in America. She returned to Sweden in 1911, and after that I have found nothing to indicate that she revisited the US - until, perhaps, in 1928. This postcard seems to support the theory that she did visit New York in the autumn of 1928 - even if at the same time, it also seems to prove s that she was back in Sweden to post Christmas and New Year greetings from Stockholm. (Cf card, M.001.01 - Sturefors castle)
The reason why I want Gerda to have been in New York around December 1, 1928, is the wedding between the couple that were to be her next (and last) employers: the Swedish Count Folke Bernadotte (nephew to King Gustav V of Sweden) and his American wife Estelle Manville, from Pleasantville, New York.
Folke Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg, born 1895, was a Swedish nobleman, diplomat, and nephew to King Gustav V of Sweden. In WWII he was to become famous for negotiating the release of about 31,000 prisoners from German concentration camps - the so-called White Buses operation. A few years after the war, he was tragically assassinated in Jerusalem in 1948.
Before all that, back in 1928, on December 1, in Pleasantville, New York, Folke married Estelle Romaine Manville, born 1904 in Pleasantville; the only daughter of a wealthy American industrialist, Hiram Edward Manville, and his wife Henrietta Estelle Romaine.
Folke and Estelle met in Nice on the French Riviera in the summer of 1928. It has been said that it was King Gustav V of Sweden himself who introduced Estelle to his nephew; and it seems to have been more or less "love at first sight". Their engagement was officially announced on August 3, 1928.
From my own family context, I seem to recall hearing Gerda's position in the Bernadotte household being spoken of as 'housekeeper' at their home in Stockholm, Dragongården. However, from what I've gathered later, it seems it was't until a few years later that Folke and Estelle properly settled in Sweden and moved into that house - a 20-room villa in central Stockholm, which was to become their family home. (Nowadays it is the Chinese embassy in Stockholm).
Because of this, I'm not quite sure when exactly Gerda started working for the Bernadottes. But the more I've learned about Gerda's life , the more likely I find it that she probably got employed as lady's maid to Estelle even before the wedding - although not very long before.
According to the list I have of Gerda's eimployments, she left Sturefors Castle on August 21, 1928. That's just 2½ weeks after Folke and Estelle got engaged. And I have no record of her having had another employment in between.
Estelle - a young American girl, 24 years old, "out of the blue" about to marry a Swedish nobleman and diplomat, nephew to the king... What would people around her consider her in need of? I'm thinking: Someone to help her with the transformation from rich American girl to Swedish Countess. Like... a mature and experienced lady's maid, speaking Swedish, English and French, used to working for Swedish nobility as well as wealthy Americans - and with the reputation of being "an excellent traveller and packer and a neat needlewoman". Gerda (47 years old in 1928), although the daughter of a Swedish farmer, by now filled those requirements and more. Actually, the more I've learned about her previous employments, the more I think she may even have got "head-hunted" for the position.
Besides the New York postcard above, another indication that Gerda might have been in the US for the wedding in 1928 is a newspaper cutting found among her postcards and photos:
HERE COMES THE BRIDE: - Miss Estelle Romaine Manville arriving at the church wearing wedding veil worn by the late Queen Sophie, grandmother of the bridegroom.
THE ROYAL GUESTS! - Count Wachtminster, Countess Martha Wachtminster*, Countess Anna Bonde and Count Platen* (l. to r.) of the Swedish nobility, leaving church after ceremony. (By Pacific & Atlantic)
*(Wachtminster = Wachtmeister, and Platen = von Platen, I think...)
After the wedding, Folke and Estelle seem to have spent some time in America, incuding Christmas at Hi-Esmaro with Estelle's family - while Gerda was evidently (with postcards to prove it) back in Stockholm for Christmas and New Year. I suppose that spending the honeymoon in the US, the newlyweds preferred to manage on their own most of the time. So Gerda may have been given some time off - and perhaps there were also things she could help arrange for them back in Stockholm.
I have several photos of Gerda from the Manville estate in Pleasantville; but with most of them, I don't know the year. Below is one obviously taken in winter. Whether December 1928, I dare not say. But fashion-wise, I think it's possible. (Cf. a 1928 fashion website I found.)
A perfect match to the prompt along with more historic tidbits about Gerda and her probable involvement, such as it might have been, with the grand royal wedding. Keep it coming. Your posts about Gerda are fun and interesting! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks LaN. The prompt this week did make me put an extra effort in to get this post finished in time for the match...
DeleteOh, even though you made educated guesses, I'm impressed. So glad you've got that winter photo of Gerda from the 20s. Looking forward to more posts about Gerda's life.
ReplyDeleteThanks Barbara. I still have a bunch of postcards from the 1930s left to ponder about and try to match with photos and dates etc.
DeleteGreat detective work, Monica! Your research and theories on Gerda's connection to the Bernadottes sounds very plausible. I think the clippings of the wedding are the best clue. The idea of a wedding party for 1500 people is extravagant even by today's standards. And I read your earlier story about receiving a generous tip that established the secret garden's location in Pleasantville.
ReplyDeleteSince I don't know much about NYC, I Googled the Municipal Building and one of the first images offered was the same postcard but with a correctly dark colored sky and lighted windows. It's odd that Gerda's card is mislabeled. I suppose she chose it to impress Gustaf with New York's gigantic architecture. In regards to his name change, is this a common practice in Sweden? Is there some legal reason someone would change their name other than marriage?
Mike, you have an eye for detail - I have to confess that when writing this post, the "by night" on the back of the card slipped me by - even though I also re-typed the text! My mind was obviously on sorting out the "story" rather than the details of the card as such! - My guess would be that they printed both day time and night time views of the building, and (not paying any more attention than I did!) used paper with the same text on the back for them both.
ReplyDeleteSurname practices in Sweden have varied through the centuries. As for Gustaf's name changes, I think I'll do a separate post on that some time, as it requires some explanations. In short, though, Gustaf and three of his siblings (including Gerda) all decided to the name Ekman, after the death of their mother, or when their father got remarried. It's less clear to me why Gustaf changed back in later years - if just for sentimental reasons, or if there was some legal aspect involved as well. I'll see if I can find out a bit more.