Following the death of mining and Wall Street magnate Joseph Raphael De Lamar in 1918, the New York press was quick to shine the spotlight on his only child, Alice, and what she'd do with her millions in inheritance. But rather than heading down the 'expected' path (securing a suitor, having babies, and living happily and predictably ever after), she instead chose to live a stringently private life, and invest her time and money as a covert patron of the arts. This is the story of a mysterious American heiress who secretly helped support the arts community over the course of six decades — a story almost forever lost if not for two curious individuals.
Join New York Adventure Club as we explore the incredible life, legacy, and quest of Alice Antoinette DeLamar — nicknamed 'the richest bachelor girl in the United States' upon her father's passing, this 20th-century New York heiress dedicated her life and untold fortunes to covertly supporting the arts at a scale not entirely known until recently.
Led by writer and lecturer Nona Footz, our deep dive into the DeLamar family lore, Alice’s mysterious life, and a long lost memoir that explained it all, will include:
- An overview of Alice’s father, Captain Joseph DeLamar, who lived a fairytale life as a seafaring captain, state senator, art collector, Wall Street tycoon, and gold and copper mining magnate
- How Alice's life changed once her father passed away, and why one of the richest women in America chose to live in near anonymity
- A discussion around how Alice's significant patronage to the arts helped artists flourish over an era of wars, pandemics, cultural upheavals, sexual revolutions, and roller coaster financial markets — and a look at some of those artists ranging from Isamu Noguchi to Dave Brubeck
- The case of the missing manuscript — while she was encouraged to write her father's biography, she ended up including her own life story in a document that was lost for decades
- Vintage and contemporary photographs of Miss DeLamar’s homes and estates, from the family mansion on Madison Avenue, to Pembroke Mansion in Long Island, to a unique residence in Connecticut
Afterward, we'll have a Q&A session with Nona — any and all questions about Alice DeLamar are welcomed and encouraged!
Can't make it live? Don't worry, you'll have access to the full replay for one week!
See you there, virtually!
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***A full replay will be available after the experience for all registered guests
About Nona
A writer for art and culture magazine Venü, Nona discovered the subject of Alice Antoniette DeLamar (1895-1983) from an intriguing one-line reference to her in the biography of actress Eva LeGallienne, leading Nona on an almost decade-long journey to uncover the privileged yet secretive life story of Miss DeLamar. Nona spent the first half of her career in corporate America and is now a board and executive recruiter (“a head hunter”). She’s an adjunct faculty member at NYU and is writing a book about the discovery of Alice’s life. You can follow Nona on her blog “The Manuscript Hunter”.
Testimonials
"I thought the lecturer was very knowledgeable and energetic." -Judith
"I so enjoy learning about art related subjects, which involve women and history." -Donna
"Great speaker, interesting subject and well-told story." -Deb
"The obscure story which includes so many famous people and places. The photos are fabulous and the presenter has an engaging and wonderful style." -Karen
"The presenter was knowledgeable and excited about the topic. I was completely focused on her facts, artifacts and research of Alice." -Patricia
"The information. The interesting weaving of the people with the search and locating the ephemeral made for a great presentation." -Janice
"The information The speaker was energetic and interesting to listen to." -Nicole
"A good story well told! Also effective, easy technology." -Mary
"The depth of information shared by the presenter, the story itself, the grandeur of how Miss DeLamar lived and who she associated with." -Terry
"Because the presenter had done so much research and had contacted so many people close to Alice, there was lots of great information, and she presented it very well with lots of photos." -Jan
"So well researched, well presented, was engaging to the end." -Lisa
"Nona is a wonderful storyteller...smart and engaging." -Sharon
"Her voice was lively and information originally sourced." -Laurie
"Presenter was wonderful. Clear, precise, perfect pace, and very interesting and detailed information. I would listen to her talk on any topic. She sure did a lot of research." -Patricia
"Great content, characters, houses and places." -Terry
"Nona Footz's enthusiasm for her topic and being able to share her knowledge in a very interesting and engaging fashion." -Laurie
"Nona has the most important quality for a presenter which is passion about the subject. Her enthusiasm is contagious. Also, well organized and articulate and just the right length." -Leigh
"Excellent presentation, fascinating story." -Jill
"Nona Footz gave an interesting presentation on an often unknown history of women art patrons." -Nona
" I really enjoyed the presenter she had so much information and was very likable and easy to understand. She really made me enjoy the subject material that I knew nothing about beforehand" -Donna
" She delivered the material very well. Fully explained in detail supported by facts." -Anthony
"Nona Footz was terrific. Quite entertaining and engaging. I loved her passion, and dedication. The subject of Alice DeLamar was so fascinating. I can't wait to see her again. Thank you so much." -Richard
"Love it" -Anibal
"I loved the passion the presenter had for this subject. The lengths she went to to gain more information was amazing. I appreciate her tenacity." -Cheryl
"Learned a lot about the subject." -Julia
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Categories: Virtual, Moments in History
