Showing posts with label Belmont College. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Belmont College. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

1895 - Belmont College scene of Magnificent Wedding

Belmont College last night was the scene of a very pretty wedding, when Miss Ida M. HUNTER pledged her vows to Mr. William Marvin LEFTWICH, Jr., of this city.  The bride is the only daughter of Mrs. Mary Collier HUNTER, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and has been for three years with her cousin, Miss Hood, pursuing special studies at the college.  The grand old mansion, which lends itself so beautifully to such occasions, as though it had not forgotten the witchery, was ablaze with light and odorous with flowers, while pines, stately palms and smilax from the magnificent college conservatories were used throughout the house.

Promptly at 6 o'clock Dr. R.A. YOUNG, the college Regent, accompanied by Rev. W.M. LEFTWICH, the father of the groom, advanced to the bay window of the grand salon so famous in the past history of Belmont Place.  Around the fountain were grouped the members of the "Boom Camp," A social organization of which the bride and groom are loved and valued members.  Closely following came Miss Mary Lee LEFTWICH, who was met at the foot of the stairs by her attendant, Mr. Walter G. KIRKPATRICK.  The bride entered with her maid of honor, Miss Neva Sharon STEWART, meeting on the way the groom and his best man, Dr. Harry S. VAUGHN.

After the ceremony, all returned to the parlors for congratulations, after which elegant and elaborate refreshments were served in the spacious dining hall.  Many costly and tasteful gifts from many points attest the popularity of the young couple and the warmth of their many friends.

The bride was robed in an exquisite Duchesse satin, with rare old lace, which set off to fine advantage her fair blonde beauty.  The bridesmaids wore pink organdie, and carried La France roses.

Mr and Mrs LEFTWICH left at once for Atlanta and the East, and after their return will be at home to their friends at 2016 West End Avenue.
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This clipping was found among the papers of  Fannie MORAN however she and her sister Ida both attended Belmont College in Nashville so it's very possible that both of them attended and perhaps were even part of the ceremony of Ida Mary Hunter to William Marvin Leftwich Jr on December 26, 1895.

It's also interesting to note that the grooms sister, Alice Kavanaugh LEFTWICH was a teacher at Belmont and an accomplished pianist graduating from the Beethoven Conservatory in St. Louis.  She was also a pupil of Arthur FOOTE and B.J. LANG of Boston and she spent three years in Paris with M. MOSZKOWSKI and Wager SWAYNE.

Adelicia Acklen
I think it's very interesting that the author of the article mentioned "witchery" in connection with the Acklen Mansion which became Belmont College in the late 1800's.  I'm not sure if they are referring to the feminine "witchery" of Adelicia Acklen the chatelaine of the mansion or if they are referring to the "witchery" after her death.  There have been reports and sightings of her ghost at the mansion through the years.


Thursday, October 11, 2012

1897 Belmont College School of Physical Culture

Here's another piece of school ephemera.  This one is from Belmont College's School of Physical Culture and is dated May 20, 1897.  "Miss Moran" is one of the accompanists for the evening.  If I had to guess which Miss Moran I'd say it was Ida Moran.  She was the much more accomplished pianist of the family.


School of Physical Culture
Director:  Miss Anna Pugh Rolffs

Belmont College Chapel
Thursday Evening, May the twentieth
eighteen hundred and ninety-seven
at eight o'clock

Programme

Sextette--Amusement Tyrolienne...................................Oeslen
  Misses McDaniel, Worthen, Avery, Hume, White and Lindsay.

1.  Club Swinging--     Class
   SOLO- Walther's Prieslied........................................Wagner

2. Pantomime-- "Seven Times Three"............................Jean Ingelow
                                     Class.

3. Scarf Fantastics--
    Lolla McKean,     Gertrude Temple,      Minnie Leonard,
       Jeannette Tatum,       Margaret McEwen,
    Augusta Gillman,     Dora Atterbury,    Rebecca Tigrette
                     Margaret Heaslip
   Duet--"La Gitana"............................................................Holst
             Misses Duke and McDaniel

4.  Fancy Club Swinging---
                                   Miss Lindsay.

5.  Attitudes--
   (a) Welcome, (b) Triumph, (c) Listening, (d) Seeing, (e) Pointing, (f) Abhorrence,
  (g) Delence, (h) Horror, (i) Fear, (j) Supplication, (k) Resignation, (l) Admiration,
   (m) Joy, (n) Dancing, (o) Sorrow, (p) Anguish, (q) Prayer, (r) Rest, (s) Imitation,
   (t) Rejection, (n) Boasting, (v) Bashfulness, (w) Farewell.
                                         Class.
      SOLO --"The Swallow".......................................Northrup
                        Miss Ingate.
      SONG--"Schwabian Maiden"...............................Prich
                          Miss Hale

6.  Hoop Drill---
                                Class.
       TRIO--Polonaise.................................................Dietrich
                  Misses Atterbury, McKean and Henderson.

7.  Pantomime--"The Lotus Eaters"...............................Alfred Tennyson
Left Group:                          Center Group:                            Right Group:
Grace Potter                            Mabel Loda                              Gertrud Temple,
Tillie Winkler                            May Dewhurst                          Ellie Mai Porter
Rebecca Tigrette                      Amelia Rector                           Myrtle Rosenfield
                                                 Sue Knox
                                                Elizabeth Russell

Accompanists: Misses Napier and Moran

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Belmont College and Delsarte Expression


Search Amazon for Delsarte Expression.

Located in Nashville, Tennessee, Belmont College was a prestigious ladies finishing school serving the well0to0do families of Middle Tennessee and beyond.  The Moran girls, Fanny, Ida (Teatot), and possibly Marion who was the youngest attended Belmont.

This programme is an example of the type of subjects that aristocratic young ladies were expected to learn and excel at in school and in life.  With names like "fancy steps", "doll drill", and "long wand exercise" the school was promoting the social graces while teaching the girls calisthenics and deportment.

Francois Delsarte and Genevieve Stebbins developed the system known as "delsarte Expression".  The Delsarte method taught that "expression of face precedes gesture, and gesture precedes speech".  Simply stated that means a signle look can convey a thousand words.  He called this the law of sequence.  Their book The Delsarte System of Expression, published in 1887, is 278 pages in length and covers topics such as the tilt of the head, poise and bearing, and exercise. Many of the books about the Delsarte Expression system are still being reproduced in 2011.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

The Tennessee Centennial and Belmont College, 1897

Search for the Tennessee Centennial at Amazon!

Education has always been important to the Moran family.  From the time they were little they were attending Mrs. Evans School in Dresden TN and then as they became teenagers the boys (Jimmie and Harrell Moran) were off to a school in Elkton KY and then The Webb Bell Buckle School in of course, Bell Buckle, TN.  The girls (Fannie, Ida, and Marion) attended Mrs. M.E. Clark's Select School for Young Ladies and Miss Price's School in Nashville, TN. They went on to attend Belmont College also located in Nashville.  At the time they were attending, the ladies were housed in the Belmont Mansion which had been divided up into dormitory rooms.

The Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition took place in 1897 and there was a special pavilion just for showcasing the contributions and achievements of Tennessee women.  Among those who attended and took part in the Centennial were Fannie and Ida Moran. Fannie contributed works of poetry and writing while Ida participated in Belmont Day at the Centennial by participating in a musical recital.  She performed two solo piano pieces.

This letter from Ann Snyder (Chairman Library Cmte, Women's Board Tennessee Centennial)
was sent to Sue Mooney in Dresden, TN.  Mrs. Mooney was the principal at the Dresden Academy
where Fanny Moran was teaching. The Committee is requesting Mrs. Mooney to submit
books and other works of writing for inclusion at the Exposition. 

This is the programme from Tennessee Centennial for the musical
concert performed by students of Belmont College, May 21, 1897.
Pg. 2 of the programme.  I've underlined Ida Moran's name in red.



Page 3 of the programme.

On the back is a song called Belmont Days.  I'm assuming
it was the Alma Mater for Belmont College.

This is the cover from the Centennial Souvenir book Tennessee Centennial Poems,
written by Annie Somers Gilchrist, 1897.

This is another item from the Tennessee Centennial.  A recital
program for Miss Neva Sharon Stuart, another student from
Belmont College, School of Music.