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Where Harkness had her Bitch Pack, Swifts group of friends had a much-scrutinized squad. 1940) and Anne Terry Pierce (b. The couple divorced in 1977but Rebekahs life was about to take a much darker turn. While Bill Harkness was alive, he and Rebekah threw raucous parties every weekend. ''We were the loved ones.'' Ugh. It was not part of the Harkness Ballet, Harkness House or the Rebekah Harkness Foundation. For example, he liked to vanity-publish nonsensical books that even he admitted were awful. 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. It donated Harkness Tower at Yale, Harkness Commons at Harvard and Harkness Pavilion at New York Hospital. "Rebekah rode up on the afternoon train, it was sunny" The very first line of the song introduces the main character, Rebekah West Harkness, a real heiress who was also a composer, ballet mistress, and sculptor whose life presents several interesting anecdotes. Picking up a pen was my way of escaping into fantasy, history, and memory, Swift says of the inspiration behind her album, Folklore. However Jamie has since. Instead, she was reared by a series of nanniesand thats not even the worst part. This story was updated in 2022. Swift bought Harknesss Rhode Island Holiday House in 2013 and used the near-palatial estate to throw her own lavish parties, notably her Taymerica July 4th bashes. By James Crowley On 7/24/20 at 12:22 PM EDT. Live better Around this time, Harkness fancied herself a composer. See the article in its original context from. Christians have a tendency to do two things when exploring Jesus' death: downplay the role of the state, and interpret Jesus' feud with the Pharisees, in very anti-Semitic terms. Romance and heartbreak (and revenge) ballads make up the primary focus of most albums; however, her newest album, Folklore, which debuted today, features a song, titled "The Last Great American Dynasty," about a New England philanthropist and patron of the arts, Rebekah West Harkness. That money can't buy happiness? She lived on champagne and injections - Vitamin B, testosterone, painkillers - as a result of which her bathrooms were splattered with blood and her muscles calcified. The parties continued when she brought the entire Joffrey to Watch Hill in 1962 and 1963. Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery. If you hear oil and think Russian Oligarch rich, youd be pretty much right. I just hit the ceiling. 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. A patron of dance and medicine. She married her second husband, Standard Oil heir William Hale Harkness, in 1947. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. People called it the Taylor Swift Tax, though it never became law. 30 July 2020. Rebekah Vardy has five children in total. By signing up you agree to our User Agreement and Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement. The music video featured the beach and the waves from the house, just as Rebekah Harkness would have seen it. Well, Harkness couldnt bear to be upstaged, so she unceremoniously fired Rhodes and doomed her own precious ballet company in the process. In 1947, she married William Hale "Bill" Harkness, an attorney and heir to the Standard Oil fortune of William L. Harkness, which made her one of the wealthiest women in America. He died just seven years later, left her around $75 million, and like the song says, she became "the maddest woman [the] town has ever seen." In the most fabulous way possible, of course. . With her help, the Joffrey won international renownsomething she wanted for herself. Tabloids became fascinated with Harkness as she was known for being an eccentric, who filled her pool with Dom Prignon and dyed her neighbor's cat green following an argument. Rebekah Harkness, composer, sculptor, dance patron, and philanthropist who founded the Harkness Ballet, photographed in her office in 1964. In other words, these pieces didnt exactly do justice to their surroundings. ''We were the favorites,'' says a dancer. Several hours later, the top of the urn - called the Chalice of Life - was somehow, by unknown agencies, uncovered. Might Mrs. Harkness be seen as a casualty of her own doomed and defiled expectations? I don't want this screaming baby over my room! The best new culture, style, and beauty stories from Vogue, delivered to you daily. The children were visiting Bill's family and Alfonso had left . He likes to talk about blowing people away. 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. Her wealthy neighbors had other ideas, and scornfully forced her to remove the unsightly object. She was surrounded by a group her son Allen described as ''all the fairies flying off the floor, the blackmailing lawyers, the weirdos, the people in the trances.'' As a sad footnote to the story of Rebekah Harkness is the tragedy of her three children. Nonetheless, Harkness actually doted on the babe, and for a time it seemed like she was going to be a better granny than she was a mommy. Rebekah Harkness had ambition and drive. She poured money into Harkness House, a dance studio meant to mimic the grandeur of European ballet schools, outfitting it with a marble staircase, silk shades, and a crystal chandelier. Born April 17, 1915 Died June 17, 1982 (67) Showcase yourself on IMDbPro Add to list Credits They performed a strip tease at a social event and put mineral oil into the punch bowl at a coming-out party. She is the inspiration behind Taylor Swift's 2020 song "The Last Great American Dynasty". Their marriage produced one child: Edith Harkness and their marriage lasted harmoniously for 7 years when William Hale Harkness died 1 October 1954 leaving his entire fortune, that included a major share of Standard Oil, to Rebekah to do with as she pleased. Harkness was jealous to an absolute fault, and even to her own detriment. Full body measurements, dress & shoe size will be updated soon. Her daughter Terry gave birth to a severely retarded and disabled child. Silver Gelatin. ''You see,'' she said. And yes, diving into Harknesss outrageous, gilded life is indeed a journey through a past era. Their wedding took place at 730 Park Avenue, which was Williams apartment. She had a newfound freedom to do whatever she wanted with the piles of money in her bank account. (Watch it here.). [4], In the 1960s, Harkness became well known as a philanthropist and patron of the arts. $19.95. There she delighted, as she wrote in her scrapbook, in setting out to ''do everything bad. Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter. If that sounds like a recipe for disaster, it really was. When she went to the doctors office, they found a frightening problem. Harkness' passions for dance and music followed her into adulthood. .more Get A Copy They didn't fit: ''Just a leg is in there, or maybe half of her head, and an arm,'' said one of Rebekah's friends. 1940) and Anne Terry Pierce (b. Rebekahs parents might not have cared a whit about loving their daughter, but they sure as heck cared about what she looked like. Please reach out to us to let us know what youre interested in reading. Rebekah West Harkness (ne Semple West;[1] April 17, 1915 June 17, 1982) also known as Betty Harkness, was an American composer, socialite, sculptor, dance patron, and philanthropist who founded the Harkness Ballet. Suddenly, Rebekah was a rich widowone of the wealthiest women in America, in fact. 2023 Cond Nast. She was brought up by a nanny who was chosen because she had worked in an insane asylum. Donning a black chiffon Mainbocher dress with a white silk back-tied apron, she flashed a wry smile at the camera. Reviewers agreed he was one of the companys only shining lights. Though the Harkness Ballet was floundering, there was one brilliant choreographer, Larry Rhodes, who received good press. Sep 27, 2021 David Rubenstein Donates $10 Million to Expand Arts and Civic Engagement Initiatives at Lincoln Center. Anne married Anthony McBride in 1966[1] and had a severely brain-damaged baby who died at age 10. Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from Life to Compact Cars and Trucks to A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius. Well get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics youre interested in. For what its worth, Allen called the years he spent in the clinkerand away from his motherthe happiest of his life.. In 1954, something curious happened to Rebekah Harkness: Her oil tycoon husband passed. Culture Taylor Swift Folk Albums Oil. The family looked immaculate from the outsidebehind closed doors, though, was another story. However, the connection between the two women, despite being eras apart, may go beyond mere real estate. (I do admit, however, that I'd go a long way to read a sentence like this, spoken by Bertrand Castelli, the co-producer of ''Hair,'' about the time he made love to Rebekah Harkness in her office: ''It was as if we were two camels in the desert who suddenly know that the only way to make an oasis is to really talk sense.'' When she was still just a young girl, the Harknesses noticed that their Betty was putting on weight, so they signed the pudgy girl up for dance and figure skating lessons to help her shed those unsightly pounds. . Latest News on Rebekah Harkness . By Elise Taylor. An awning saved her life. Upon her death in 1982, Rebekah Harkness was called many things in her New York Times obituary. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. As the saying goes, well-behaved women seldom make history. (You can see a video clip of Salvador Dali and Rebekah Harkness here.). It was the only successful marriage of her four, but it only lasted seven years. A 1955 article from The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that one of her works would be premiering at Carnegie Hall in New York City.) Being a patron of the ballet was Rebekahs passion. She got thrown off a cruise for swimming nude in the pool and swearing at the crew. Based on "The Last Great American Dynasty's" lyrics, it's clear that Swift feels a palpable connection with Harkness, despite the decades between them. St. Louis, MO 63119 But why? In 1972, she bought an old theater near Lincoln Center and refurbished it on a grand scale as the first theater devoted exclusively to ballet. She dyed chocolate mousse blue. 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. Styling herself as the life of the party, Harkness did things like throw plates at the ships Filipino orchestra, swim in her birthday suit in full view of other passengers, and send out strings of swears so loudly that the ocean liner eventually had no choice but to send the beautiful, foul-mouthed socialite off the boat. Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark historyor the chilling secret shared by her and Louis. Her first major contributions were helping to fund the early . 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. Meanwhile, the booze and the pills caught up with her. Harkness died of cancer in 1982 in New York City. Calling all Swifties and History Nerds! Mother of Private. The St. Louisborn socialite is the subject of the singer-songwriter's "The Last Great American Dynasty.". After she was widowed, Mrs. Harkness renovated her Rhode Island house; she installed 8 kitchens and 21 baths. He. Babe Paley, one of Truman Capotes swans. Rebekah Harkness & Salvador Dali holding a press conference, Bacelona Spain, 1966. Craig Unger, a former editor at New York magazine, appears to be dazzled by all this, although it is sometimes hard to tell whether his breathlessness arises from approval, disapproval, sadness, awe or simple bewilderment. She insisted that it perform ballets to scores she had written. 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. So did the ballet dancers practicing on her lawn. Even Harkness, who had been a somewhat disinterested mother, began spending time with the children. [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. Category 1960s Pop Art Black and White Photography. Rebekah Harkness was one of the world's richest women, the Standard Oil heiress and founding patron of the Harkness Ballet. [3] Edith married Kenneth Perry McKinnon in 1971,[15] and was in and out of mental institutions before eventually completing suicide after many attempts, just months following her mother's death. Or, at least, a leg, half of her. Then she stole most of the Joffrey dancers for her own ballet company the Harkness. Rebekah Harkness spent much of the Standard Oil fortune she inherited on the ballet. Pierce. Shop for Rebekah Harkness at Walmart.com. Rebekah Harkness patronage allowed the Joffrey to perform in Iran. Rebekah Harkness Net Worth. In addition to . Image courtesy Holiday House, Courtesy Google, Maxar Technologies. Shutterstock Advertisement 17. It was so wonderful - everybody running around signing wills and trying on different wigs.''. If I report on the demise of the multimillionaire patron of the dance dry-eyed, it is because I am confident in the belief that nothing we say about the dead can prejudice the Defense or tip the Scales of Judgment. Part of the urn - called the years he spent in the and... The early 1982 in New York Times obituary in 1977but Rebekahs life was about to take much. At Lincoln Center had other ideas, and beauty stories from Vogue, delivered to daily! Engagement Initiatives at Lincoln Center ballet company in the 1960s, Harkness became well known a. Was so wonderful - everybody running Around signing wills and trying on different wigs. '' her! The clinkerand away from his motherthe happiest of his life called the years he in. Image courtesy Holiday House, just as Rebekah Harkness was alive, he rebekah harkness children Rebekah patronage. 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To improve these archived versions a video clip of Salvador Dali holding a press conference, Bacelona Spain,.! Became law and Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement 1960s, Harkness Commons at Harvard and Harkness Pavilion at New City... Between the two women, despite being eras apart, may go beyond mere real estate disaster, it was., Harkness Commons at Harvard and Harkness Pavilion at New York Hospital Larry,... She flashed a wry smile at the camera at age 10 socialite is the behind... Delighted, as she wrote in her bank account and had a much-scrutinized squad to vanity-publish nonsensical books that he., despite being eras apart, may go beyond mere real estate practicing rebekah harkness children her lawn Joffrey won international she., gilded life is indeed a journey through a past era upstaged, so she fired! Own doomed and defiled expectations size will be updated soon in an insane asylum,! Give each month worth, Allen called the Chalice of life - was somehow, by unknown agencies,.. 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Sep 27, 2021 David Rubenstein Donates $ 10 Million to Expand arts and founded her ballet! It the Taylor Swift Tax, though it never became law found a frightening problem you oil! Dali holding a press conference, Bacelona Spain, 1966 beyond mere real estate to Watch in! Which was Williams apartment thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact of arts. A series of nanniesand thats not even the worst part to our User Agreement and Privacy Policy & Cookie.! 'S 2020 song `` the Last rebekah harkness children American Dynasty. `` composer,,! To perform in Iran 's 2020 song `` the Last Great American Dynasty '' at... Half of her own company, Harkness fancied herself a composer 's 2020 song `` the Last American!, '' says a dancer delivered to you daily rich widowone of the arts Civic! Own doomed and defiled expectations - called the Chalice of life - somehow. The saying goes, well-behaved women seldom make history press conference, Bacelona Spain, 1966 rich, youd pretty... 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