Mary Anderson in Greek Costume
Date: 1883
Content: Millet hand sewed almost all of Ms. Anderson’s Greek costumes
Medium: Fabric
Interested readers may also want to examine the Gallery tab listing under 1886, The world’s expert on Greek and Roman costume, caricature by Alma-Tadema, for more detailed information about Millet’s significant expertise in clothing of the Greek and Roman time period. Additional information can also be found under the research tab.
Description
Description:
Mary Anderson (later Mary Anderson de Navarro; July 28, 1859 – May 29, 1940) was an American theatre actress.
She enjoyed a twelve-year career of unbroken success, with regular New York performances and US tours where she performed Shakespearean plays and Greek Tragedies. In 1879 she went on a voyage to Europe, meeting Sarah Bernhardt and Adelaide Ristori. She became very popular in both Europe and the United States. Since FD Millet was at the time recognized as one of the foremost scholars on Greek and Roman costume, hand sewing and cobbling all the costumes himself. He often gave lectures in New York and London on the subject. He was asked by Ms. Anderson to sew her Greek/Roman costumes.
Her performance schedule was so exhausting that she eventually collapsed on stage. Ordered to rest after her breakdown, Mary Anderson visited England. In 1890 she married Antonio Fernando de Navarro (1860–1932) he was the wealthy son of the inventor of Portland Cement. Tony as he liked to be called according to his great grandnephew doted on Mary and they settled in Broadway, England just down the road from Frank and Lilly Millet’s home in Broadway. The couple settled at Court Farm in the Cotswolds, Broadway, Worcestershire, where she cultivated an interest in music and became a noted hostess with a distinguished circle of musical, literary and ecclesiastical guests. She also gave birth to three children, one son who died at birth, another son, Alma Jose “Toty” Maria de Navarro (1896–1979) and a daughter, Mary Elena de Navarro.
A devout Roman Catholic, she had a chapel built in her attic, with stained-glass windows designed by Paul Woodroffe. She has been cited as a model for characters in the Mapp and Lucia novels of E F Benson, either the operatic soprano Olga Bracely or Lucia herself, as well as the prototype for the heroine of William Black’s novel The Strange Adventures of a House-Boat.
Mary was also a model for many of Millet’s paintings. Most famously she was Circe in Millet’s huge 30 foot mural entitled Thesmophoria, which was installed in the Pittsburg Bank of Agriculture in Pennsylvania
Exhibitions / Provenance
Exhibitions:
Mary played many roles over the years and here are some other photos of her in costume:
Here she is as Galetea 
Provenance:
Literature
Research:
Publications: