A Tribute to One of the Finest First Ladies

To commemorate today, the 22 year mark of Jacqueline Kennedy's passing, enjoy this tribute.

There was no one like her. In every way, she epitomized grace, elegance, and beauty.

https://www.facebook.com/AmericanExperience/videos/10154189432454122/

Happy Birthday, Jackie!

Hard to believe, but if she were still alive, our favorite First Lady, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, would've been 86 today. It's not a stretch to imagine what her life might've been like: reading, spending time at Martha's Vineyard, traveling to Paris to visit with her sister, Lee; enjoying dinners and walks in Central Park with Maurice Templesman. Maybe she'd be retired from editing, or only taking on that rare, occasional project that she was passionate about.

What's most difficult is picturing her without John Jr. Would his fate had been any different, if Jackie had lived longer? Impossible to say.

But in Jackie's memory, enjoy a few of my favorite pictures.

A Drive-by of the Kennedys' Palm Beach Home

Hi Everyone! I'm just returning from a family vacation in Palm Beach, FL, and I couldn't resist doing a drive-by of the Kennedys' former home. Wanted to share my (somewhat 'ehh') pictures with the group. The first three were taken from inside the car. This was as 'close' as we could get driving by. I didn't realize until later that the picture of the door (pic #3) was the same location where the family paused for pictures for Easter Sunday 62 and 63 (pic #4 & 6). How fun! Pic #5 shows the door from the curb. The other pics (#1 & 2) show what you can see from the road, but this is not the main house. Sadly, the Kennedys no longer own the home, and it does give the impression that it's in need of TLC. Amazing to think of the history that home represents.

The Jackie - Ethel...Friendship

If you’re a Kennedy fan like me, then you’re well aware of the (hmm, how best to say it…) friendship / contrast between Jackie and Ethel Kennedy. Scrolling through my newsfeed one day, I happened upon this pic of the two of them.

For me, so many things come to mind. First off, they both look genuinely happy with each other’s company and as though they’re having a pleasant conversation. Don’t worry. Jackie and Ethel weren’t the kind of ladies who would brawl or scrap, but apart from their roles as Kennedy wives, they had a hard time finding common ground.

Ethel was quick to tease Jackie and to make fun of her, especially around the other Kennedy women. Ethel, and eventually a few of the other Kennedy gals, enjoyed ribbing Jackie for her Debutante of the Year title, her ‘big feet’, and her taste for fine things, which included art and French cuisine.
Ever the graduate from Miss Porter’s finishing school, Jackie wasn’t one to return the jabs. She endured the comments and remained the quiet one among the Kennedy clan. The other ladies often mistook her demeanor as being snobbish. But there are three things to always remember about Jackie Kennedy: Her kindness never faltered; she was a near-perfect wife, mother, and full-blooded American patriot; and she had a sharp, quick wit.

However, Jackie struggled to fit in, or more precisely, to be accepted for who she was, in the Kennedy family. They were boisterous, enjoyed heated debates during dinner and physical games after, and believed in public service. Challenging qualities for Jackie, who was reserved, notoriously private, and had no passion for politics. You’d have a hard time remembering Ethel wasn’t Kennedy-born, as she was a natural fit: she gave birth to 11 children (surpassing family matriarch Rose and her 9 children), once jumped into a swimming pool during a dinner party, and desperately wanted to be first lady.

But in the picture above, another interesting element is Ethel’s ensemble. Jackie became known for her fashion choices, but in this photo, Ethel’s dress has a better fit–and she’s accessorized with gloves and pearls! Is she mocking Jackie? (Probably not, but it’s too fun NOT to say it.)
And who knew they would have the same taste in handbags? When you think of alligator bags, it definitely takes you back to a long-gone era, where ladies mopped all day, shopped, and watched soap operas. (Are alligator bags still stylish, or has PETA outlawed them?)

If you’re interested in reading more about Jackie, Ethel, and their conflicts, check out my novel, O! Jackie , where they clash over more than dinner etiquette and accessories.

A Jackie-Marilyn 'encounter'

Interesting article from Everlasting Star.... #marilynmonroe #oldhollywood #jacquelinekennedyonassis

http://blog.everlasting-star.net/2011/07/art-and-photography/jackie-kennedy-and-marilyns-allure/

Jackie Kennedy and Marilyn’s ‘Allure’

Posted on July 5, 2011 by marina72

Diana Vreeland, the formidable editor of Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, included this photo of Marilyn (taken by Cecil Beaton in 1956) in her 1980 book, Allure.
Vreeland worked with Jackie Kennedy on the project, as William Kuhn recounts in Reading Jackie, a new study of the one-time First Lady’s career in publishing.

“Marilyn Monroe had a brief affair with JFK, and by 1980, when Vreeland’s Allure was published at Jackie’s behest by Doubleday, this was well-known…Monroe had committed suicide during the very week that Vreeland was taking over the editorial position at Vogue. She began work just as the outgoing editor was putting together the finishing touches on an issue which, by chance, included an article with a tribute to Monroe and several photographs. Vreeland’s colleague wanted one of the photos taken out. It was too ‘triste’ in light of what Monroe had just done. Vreeland replied, ‘You can’t leave that out! You cannot! It’s got all the poignancy and the poetry and the pathos of the woman in it!’ That was in 1962. In the late 1970s, Vreeland explained what she loved about this photo…‘Marilyn Monroe! She was a geisha. She was born to give pleasure, spent her life giving it – and knew no other way’…What did Jackie say to Vreeland about the Monroe photograph? Probably nothing, but the fact that she silently allowed Vreeland to include it shows Jackie content to acknowledge Monroe’s ur- sexiness, a quality that Jackie did not think she shared with the screen icon.
It seems as if Jackie was able to separate her editorial self from the woman whose husband had a public fling with Monroe. She was thrilled, about the same time she was working with Vreeland on Allure, when a proposal came from Doubleday that promised pictures from Bert Stern‘s last photographic session with the actress. ‘Marilyn Monroe!!!’ Jackie wrote in a memo to her colleague Ray Roberts. ‘Are you excited?’…Vreeland’s treatment of Monroe was probably like this for Jackie too: a publishing opportunity rather than a moment to reflect on a personal injury. In any case, if injury there had been, she was able to rise above it.”

Later in the book, Kuhn reports an interview with biographer David Stenn, who wrote about two Hollywood sex symbols pre-dating MM – Clara Bow and Jean Harlow – with Jackie’s support:

“Stenn also recalled a conversation he had with Jackie about Marilyn Monroe, a topic that he had avoided touching upon. That’s why he was surprised when she brought it up. Jackie didn’t mention Monroe in the context of JFK but rather as part of a continuum with Jean Harlow: both of them were blondes who made their sexual appeal the center of their screen personalities. As with Vreeland, Jackie was willing to discuss Monroe with Stenn in a completely dispassionate, even admiring way.”

Readers' Club

For those who have enjoyed (or will after reading this!) my series of short stories, The Kennedy Chronicles, I have good news. You can get all FIVE stories for FREE when you sign up and join my Readers' Club. Only four of the stories are available online. The newest addition, "Bouvier Afternoon" is meant as a special thank you gift for new members to the club.

In case you aren't familiar with the stories yet :) , here's a brief description of each:

"Encounter"--short, short story where JFK and Jackie cross paths on a train.

"Party Favors"--you're invited to attend the dinner party where JFK and Jackie officially met through mutual friends.

"Before the Proposal"--both JFK and Jackie face their doubts about marriage and consider what they'll sacrifice in exchanging 'I Dos'.

"Arrangements"--Joe and Rose Kennedy join Janet and Hugh Auchincloss for dinner to discuss each family's 'expectations' for the pending nuptials.

"Bouvier Afternoon"--Jackie is at the final fitting for he wedding gown and is determined to wear a dress she loves, but can she convince her mother?

Visit mercedesking.com to find out more or click HERE to join the club.

Thank you!

Still not sure? You can read Encounter for FREE.

 

Thanks!