Bessie Bell Collier
Bessie Bell Collier | |
|---|---|
 Bessie Bell Collier, from a 1910 publication | |
| Born | April 3, 1885 Cohasset, Massachusetts |
| Died | April 4, 1969 (aged 84) |
| Other names | Bessie Collier Ellery |
| Occupation | Violinist |
Bessie Bell Collier Ellery (April 3, 1885 – April 4, 1969) was an American violinist. She was also original owner, with her husband William Ellery, of Dreamhome, a summer estate in Maine.
Early life
[edit]Bessie Bell Collier was born in Cohasset, Massachusetts, the eldest of five children born to Edmund Pomeroy Collier and Ella Bell Sargent Collier. From ages 8 to 18, she studied violin with Franz Kneisel.[1] She was already known for her musical skills and performing at concerts by age 10.[2] As a young woman she played the violin at society events in Cohasset, with her sister Grace Anna playing piano.[3]
Career
[edit]Bessie Bell Collier was a violinist. She made her professional debut at Steinert Hall in Boston in 1905.[4] She appeared as a soloist with the Boston Symphony, the New York Symphony, the St. Paul Symphony, and others.[5] In 1910–1911 she was a soloist at Walter Damrosch's Philharmonic Concerts for Young People.[6] "Miss Collier's ability does not lie in digital expertness, nor in a precise articulation of the bow," commented The Boston Globe in 1912. "Her playing indicates a refined mind, sensibility to emotion, and a respect for her instrument as a medium for interpretation rather than of mere display."[7]
In 1913 Collier and singer Marie Sundelius gave a benefit concert to raise funds for the American Red Cross for flood victims.[8] She gave benefit concerts during World War I for the French Wounded Fund.[9] She also funded a scholarship for women students of her old teacher, Franz Kneisel, when he taught at Kneisel Hall in Blue Hill, Maine.[10]
The Ellerys built Dreamhome, a summer estate in Woodstock, Maine, in 1916.[11] They wrote about their gardens for botanical publications.[12]
Personal life
[edit]Bessie Bell Collier married Boston wool merchant William Ellery in 1914, in Boston.[13][14] She was widowed when William died in 1961.[15] She died in 1969, aged 84 years, in Massachusetts.[16]
References
[edit]- ^ "Violinist of First Rank". The Boston Globe. November 23, 1910. p. 14. Retrieved December 2, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Miss Bessie B. Collier and Other Artists Heard by Cohasset People". The Boston Globe. August 7, 1895. p. 10. Retrieved December 3, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Pop Concert at Cohasset". The Boston Globe. July 24, 1904. p. 13. Retrieved December 2, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Bessie Bell Collier, Successful Violinist". The Wilkes-Barre News. February 19, 1905. p. 14. Retrieved December 2, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Advertisement". Musical America. October 20, 1917. p. 124. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
- ^ The Bulletin of the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences ... 1910.
- ^ "Miss Collier Plays Bruch Concerto". The Boston Globe. March 30, 1912. p. 9. Retrieved December 3, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Flood Benefit Musicale". The Boston Globe. March 28, 1913. p. 15. Retrieved December 3, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Bessie Collier Ellery Gives Concert in Aid of French Wounded". Musical America. October 13, 1917. p. 31. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
- ^ White, Elsie Fellows (October 1922). "Opening of Kneisel Hall a Notable Event". The Musical Observer. 21: 59.
- ^ "Woodstock". Maine: An Encyclopedia. May 7, 2012. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
- ^ Ellery, Bessie Collier; Ellery, William (1943). "Ghent Hybrid Azaleas are Hardy in New England". Arnoldia. 3 (7): 37–40. ISSN 0004-2633. JSTOR 42953504.
- ^ "Weddings". The Spur. 14. October 1, 1914.
- ^ "Collier-Ellery wedding announcement". The Boston Globe. October 4, 1914. p. 55. Retrieved December 2, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Memorial Services for William Ellery". The Boston Globe. July 24, 1961. p. 20. Retrieved December 3, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Mrs. Ellery Memorial Set". The Boston Globe. May 25, 1969. p. 79. Retrieved December 3, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
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