Treasures from Mercedes de Acosta’s Bequest - Greta Garbo
[K] After portraits of Mercedes de Acosta herself - most envy-worthy butch ever - and pictures she took of one of her most famous lovers, Marlene Dietrich, part three of the “Treasures from Mercedes de Acosta’s Bequest”-series shows intimate snapshots of Mercedes’ other famous lover, Greta Garbo.
Enjoy these rare glimpses into the private (and sporty) life of one of Hollywood’s most elusive - and yet biggest - stars.
(All pictures courtesy of the Rosenbach Museum and Libary.)
Treasures from Mercedes de Acosta’s Bequest - Marlene Dietrich
In today’s digital journey through the Treasures from Mercedes de Acosta’s bequest at the Rosenbach Museum and Library, instead of digging for more of the rather rare portraits of Mercedes de Acosta herself, we’ll focus on pictures taken by Mercedes of … Marlene Dietrich, captured in Mercedes’ snaphsots in a way neither paparazzi nor Hollywood’s glamor photographers ever could.
(Source: rosenbach.pastperfect-online.com)
Treasures from Mercedes de Acosta’s Bequest - Portraits
[K] If you’re following this blog, you are already away of the many reasons Mercedes de Acosta is worth remembering/the many ladies laid which earned her a bright spot in lesbian herstory.
If not, a quick reminder by celebrity photographer (and friend of Greta Garbo) Cecil Beaton:
“She was one of the most rebellious & brazen of Lesbians”.
(Another gay male fan would be Truman Capote, who assumed her to be the joker in his “International Daisy Chain” card game - think “6 degrees of separation”.)
Still, so far, we haven’t had the photographic evidence to proof her awesomeness and swagger. This is about to change, as it finally occurred to me to have a look the the Rosenbach Museum and Library’s online collection, to which Mercedes de Acosta had sold all her pictures and letters in 1960 (Good things come to those who wait… until it finally dawns on them.). Among them the much-hyped letters from Greta Garbo, which the museum was by de Acosta’s request not allowed to publish until 10 years after Garbo’s death. (Even though they weren’t by far as racy as some had hoped them to be.)
Focusing not on Garbo for a change, we proudly present portraits of one of my favorite vintage butches of all time, Mercedes de Acosta herself, as well as some of her celebrity friends such as Alfred Stieglitz and Getrude Stein.
All pictures courtesy of the Rosenbach Museum and Libary.
Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo - Photomontage from 1934
(Source)
[K] Before Photoshop and tumblr, there was Edward Steichen (1879-1973) - one of my favorite photographers as well as - ostensibly - the original Greta/Marlene-shipper, predating New Queer Cinema’s lesbian darling The Meeting of Two Queens (Dir: Cecilia Barriga, 1992, 14 min) by almost 60 years with this Vanity Fair photomontage of “The Swedish Sphinx” and “The Blonde Venus”.
Vintage Butch of the Week - Betty “Joe” Carstairs
[K] For a long time I have been convinced that no Vintage Butch would ever be able to compete with Mercedes de Acosta’s impressive combination of luck, timing, and lady-lovin’-talent. (Affairs with both Marlene and Greta - Not bad, right?) Then, however, this handsome being entered the picture:
Betty “Joe” Carstairs (1900-1993): filthy-rich heiress, owner of a tropical island, ambulance driver in WWI, champion speed boat racer, infamous womanizer, tattooed biker, and - last but not least - lover of Marlene Dietrich, as well as the only person daring to call the Dietrich ‘babe’.
Nothing that is beautiful is easy, but everything is possible.— Mercedes de Acosta
[K] She should know.
![Nothing that is beautiful is easy, but everything is possible.— Mercedes de Acosta
[K] She should know.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lpgkj1J4FG1qddduoo1_1280.jpg)
Vintage Butch of the Week - Mercedes de Acosta
[K] It’s kind of a last minute thing, but still, I couldn’t let this week end without introducing you to a new Vintage Butch of the Week, could I?
To make up for the rather late posting, I chose an actual historic person instead of a fictional characater, and a true heroine of mine: Mercedes de Acosta (born 1893).
Leaving a trail of broken hearts … without an alternative lifestyle haircut
I have no clue whatsoever, whether she identified as butch (probably not) or even a lesbian. I couldn’t care less, however, because no movie script or pulp novel could have come up with more spectactular sexual conquests than she had to show for herself in real life.
She is, so to speak, the original dyke-playboy: an aristocrat of European descent, who came to Hollywood to become a writer and instead became the lover of nearly every single desirable queer-inclined woman of the time. She was in no way a perfect rolemodel for baby dykes today: she was married to a guy (on paper at least), she talked too much about things supposed to be private (as her memoires prove) and she really just lived off the fortune of her family, because her scripts didn’t sell that well (who could blame her).
But, and this is actually more of a BUT!!!!, she is the one woman, heck, human being, on the face of this planet in this or any other time, who can claim to have to her lover Marlene Dietrich console her about losing her ex-lover Greta Garbo.
You read that right: Mercedes de Acosta had affairs with both Greta ‘The Divine’ Garbo and eternal icon Marlene Dietrich. Do you need a second to let that sink? Here are some pictures to help you:
I would brag as well, woulnd’t you?
As if this wasn’t accomplishment enough, de Acosta was additionally tied to famous diva and dancer Isodora Duncan (who died one of the most movie-worthy deaths of all time) and infamous actress Alla Nazimova (who happend to be married to - now that we already are on the topic of Hollywood gossip anyway - Rudulp Valentino, who was professionally linked to another dream factory gay lady) among others …
And since the world of the gay and famous, has always been a small one, Getrude Stein’s lover, writer Alice B.Toklas, had an opinion about de Acosta as well. It sums up my fascination with her pretty neatly:
“…you can’t dispose of Mercedes lightly—she has had the two most important women in the US—Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich.”
Next time you are invited to a ‘Your hero’-costume party, forget about your Gaga-Wig, Shane-pants or Belle-dress (that might be just me), and consider this instead:
Not quite like wearing motorcycle boots, but hey, it was the twenties!
Have fun googling her and enjoy your Sunday!
