Overview

Louise Altson (1910 - 2010) was a talented portrait painter who amassed an extraordinary collection of works. While no official count of her works has been established, a rough estimate could be a total of seven hundred portraits within a forty-year span. Thirty-three prominent families are covered as chapters, with each such chapter featuring photographs of the portraits, testimonials, and occasional anecdotal information about Louise Altson and the portrait painting process. Mrs. William Guggenheim, Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Grace, Mr. and Mrs. O. deGray Vanderbilt, Mr. and Mrs. Eugene du Pont III, President George H.W. and Barbara Bush, The Le Maire / Squibb family, The Combemale / Woolworth family, Mr. and Mrs. Cyrus Fulton, Senator and Mrs. Lloyd Bentsen, Mr. and Mrs. Roger Firestone, Mr. and Mrs. James Maytag, Phoebe Snow and The Lafayette Society. The book should provide an inspirational read to any art lover.

Full Product Details

9780692651711

Table of Contents

Reviews

Marlayn Glynn Sanders (author): The book left me with such a feeling of nostalgia. The photos + the verbiage in the client's thank you letters. I was reminded of how lovely and kind people were back then. The glow your mother captured. The innocence of the children. The glamour of the ladies. We don't see it so much anymore. One of the images actually moved me to tears - the gentleness of the woman portrayed made me miss something I never knew. David Wright (National Enquirer): The book has such an unusual format that I wondered at first if it could be sustained. But the more I read, the more fascinating I found it. The penetrating glimpses not only into the lives of Louise and her family, but also those of the prominent, household-name families who sat for her, were riveting. I loved the way characters as diverse as Ulysses Grant, Danny Kaye, Mae West, Paul McCartney, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Prince Rainier would pop up unexpectedly. Also, I enjoyed the children's touching memories of life with Mom and Gloria. (as a long time National Enquirer reporter, the axe in the bedroom closet anecdote was a particular stunner!) I admired the way you described this traumatic period in your lives so honestly, while it came as a shock to discover that despite her success Louise was left nearly broke after her marriage broke up. So many tragedies run through the narrative. And how interesting to read that so many of the girls Louise painted in childhood, now up in years, still have the dresses they wore then. I was intrigued by the anecdote about the matriarch who commissioned paintings of her daughter and grandchildren - but insisted the husband not be included because divorce was so prevalent in her family. (A problem eradicated these days by Photo Shop!) The highlight of the book is undoubtedly the exchange of moving letters between Louise and the George H.W. Bush family. They give the reader a whole new insight into the presidential family. And the Cecil B. deMille correspondence is equally intriguing as it reveals an important piece of Hollywood history. All in all, the book left me thinking of Louise ... what an incredible woman!

Author Information

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available