Chaka Mosi
Kamanu Zulu v. Egan
Contents
Arthur was born in Brentford, Middlesex on 21
November 1905. He was the second son of Stella and Albert Jeffress of
Charlotte, Virginia, US. His older brother, Joseph Randolph Jeffress, was born
in 1900.
His father, Albert Jeffress, was
in the tobacco business and in 1902 helped to form the British American Tobacco (BAT) company - a joint venture
between the UK’s Imperial Tobacco and The American Tobacco Company. Albert
became a director of the company at its formation and later become Deputy
Chairman.[2]BAT was headquartered in London and Albert moved his family to
England so that he could help run the new company.
The Jeffress family lived at
Kenton Grange, a 27-acre estate in Kenton, Middlesex.[3] Arthur was educated at Harrow and later attended Cambridge.[4]
In 1925, Albert unexpectedly died
while returning from a business trip to China. He left the majority of his
estate to his wife, two sons and his sister, Anita Jeffress Hill of Berkeley,
California.[5] The family continued to live at Kenton Grange, which
remained the family home until well after WW2.[6]
The brothers continued to thrive
in pre-war Britain. They were especially interested in the glamorous cars of
the day. Randolph became an amateur racer - having a Bugatti and a 1929
Supercharged Alfa Romeo.[7] Arthur appeared to be more interested in the aesthetics of
automotive design vs the raw horse power of racing engines. His first car was
a Kissel and at the age of 28 he acquired his first Rolls-Royce, a
two-seater 20/25 convertible (GGA29) bodied by the Carlton Carriage Company. Its design has an American flair
similar to a Packard coupe of the period. He liked it so much he acquired
another 20/25 convertible a few years later, GAE80, bodied by Thrupp &
Maberly which has a more traditional English design. Both are
archetypal deco designs.[8]
The period between Arthur’s
Cambridge days and WWII was a very formative and exciting time for him. Three
highly influential (and overlapping) aspects of Arthur’s experience during this
period are:
Exposure
to important art/ artists/ patrons and beginning a collection - Arthur
was passionate about the arts. By the late 1920s he was already a social member
London’s artistic circles. He was acquainted with the Sitwells and even participated in Osbert’s and Sacheverell’s play
“First Class Passengers only” at the Arts Theatre in 1927.[9] During this time Osbert and Sachie created an artistic salon at their Carlyle Square, London
home. They regularly hosted Britain’s leading writers, artists, critics and
patrons.[10] André Ostier was one of
Arthur’s best friends and during this time, and was running in a gallery in
Paris.André was another
access point to art and the art world as was Henry Clifford – a friend from
childhood who would become the head curator of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.[11] By the mid-1930s, mentored by his artistic friends, Arthur
started collecting. During this period he purchased de Chirico’s The Painters Family, a Picasso and a number of other works.[11]
Being
one of London’s Bright Young People – The Bright Young People (BYP) were a group of young
bohemian artists, aristocrats, and socialites in the 1920/30s. They were
dedicated to modernism, the arts and partying. The group was famous for
throwing outrageous parties – known as Monster Balls. Arthur was part of this
social circle and hosted one of the last great Monster Balls – the Red and
White Party.
Maturing
of his own gay identity. Arthur was gay. During much of the 1930s his
boyfriend was John Deakin (who would
become an important photographer of Soho in the 1950s and also influenced
Arthur’s art collecting.)[12] The 1920/30s was a transformative period for gender
identity.[13] As one of the queer Bright Young Things he was exposed to many gay role
models - from the more staid Osbert
Sitwell to the more outlandish Evan Morgan.[14] His personal identity settled into Osbert’s more
conservative end of the spectrum. But he clearly enjoyed the campiness and
flamboyance of the queer BYPs and he kept a small bit of this pre-war flair as
part of his persona throughout his life.
On 21 November 1931 Arthur hosted
the last and one of the most extravagant BYP Monster Balls – The Red and White
party.[15] The party was held at the West Wing of Holford House in Regent’s Park. It was the home of Maud Allan, the famous dancer and femme fatale [16] and was one of the grandest addresses in London.[17] Many aspects of Arthur’s pre-war self can be seen in the
Red & White Party. By this point Arthur was well connected to London’s
young elite social set. 250 invites went out– although nearly 400 people
attended.[16] The decor of the party was an over-the-top design success.
Guests were requested to dress in only Red and White costumes – and they came
in beautiful outfits including red and white sailor suits, white nun habits,
all white evening dress, white sashes, red wigs and long white gloves.[16] The rooms were all extravagantly decorated in red velvet
and white silk. Even the food and drinks were red (red caviar, lobsters, salmon
and white (champagne, wine, and gin.) Arthur’s colorful personality had
emerged. He greeted guests wearing a sailor suit made of white angel-skin with
red trimmings, a ruby necklace, two diamond clips and a spray of white star
orchids.[16] A man dressed as Queen Elizabeth sat in the hall playing
Abide with me on the organ. People danced until dawn. It was a grand success
but as the party ended so did the period of the Bright Young Things.[18] The depression had arrived and war was on the horizon.
Throughout the rest of Arthur’s life he would make good use of connections,
sense of design and personal flair developed during his Bright Young Thing
days.
As War over took Europe, Arthur
looked for how best to contribute. He decided the right role was as a
non-combatant ambulance driver. Growing up, he and his brother shared a passion
for motor cars and he could drive well and knew how to maintain a motor car. He
stored his art work, sold his car to his friend Prof. Lambert Rogers,[19] and closed up his home at Marwell House (offering use of
the house to the military.)[20] In late 1940 he signed up with the British American
Ambulance Corp (BAAC) as an Ambulance driver and reported for duty on 27
January 1941 at the BAAC’s New York office. He was assigned to a unit of 24
men. At 34, Arthur was the fourth oldest in the group, the youngest was 19.[21] His unit was assigned to the Middle East and North African
Campaigns. They were given 1 month of training and then were scheduled to ship
out on 19 March 1941 on board the S.S. Zam Zam sailing from New York for
Mombasa, Kenya. From there the unit was to travel overland to Lake Chad where
they would support General Charles De Gulle’s Free French Forces.[22]
The US was not at war at this
time. The other men in the unit were like Arthur, American citizens who
volunteered to serve because they deeply believed in the need to help Europe.
The voyage to Africa included 171
other passengers including a large group of US missionaries and their families
including 33 which were children under the age of 14,[23] a group of French Canadian Catholic Brothers and a group
of tobacco businessmen.[24] Although the US was not at war at this time, the Nazis
regularly attacked supply ships heading to Britain. As an Egyptian ship,
the SS Zam Zam was neutral
in the war, in addition the captain had selected a “safe” route to avoid the
most dangerous supply routes. The plan was to sail down to South America and
then cross the Atlantic to Africa.[25]
The SS Zam Zam was built in 1909 in Belfast, Ireland, and
originally named the Leicestershire. An Egyptian company purchased it in 1933
and renamed it the Zam Zam. By
1941 the Zam Zam was best
described as “a ship that would give anyone the cold shivers.”[26]
Everything was going well until
early morning on 17 April. They were two thirds of the way across the Atlantic
when the German Raider Altantis spotted
the Zam Zam and opened
fire. The first shell hit at 5:55 am and the Zam Zam was quickly critically disabled and began to sink.[27] Many of the life boats were destroyed in the attack and in
the chaos of abandoning ship many other life boats left only partially full.
The BAAC men helped to get people out and onto the remaining boats.[28] As a result, when the last life boat was lowered, most of
the BAAC men remained stranded on the sinking ship, including Arthur.[29]
The German captain of the Altantis, Bernhard Rogge, upon seeing the number of women and children in the
life boats, realized that the Zam
Zam was not a supply ship for the Allies and sent out boats to rescue
the survivors.[30] The German sailors not only rounded up the life boats but
also boarded the Zam Zam and
rescued all remaining passengers and crew. In the end, every passenger and crew
member from the Zam Zam was
saved and only a few had been injured in the attack.[31]
Safe on board the German Raider,
the passengers of the Zam Zam watched
as it sank.[32] Thus, began a period captivity and uncertainty.
A few days later the Atlantis
rendezvoused with another German ship, the Dresden. The Zam Zam passengers and crew were
transferred to the Dresden which
soon became referred to as the “prison ship.”[33] The conditions on Dresden were difficult. The men were all
confined to a cramped space below deck-108 men confined to a 50x50 ft space
below deck. The food was scarce and poor. Many fell sick. They were being held
on the ship while Berlin decided how to deal with the diplomatic situation.
On 20 May the Dresden sailed into the port of St.
Jean-de-Luz in occupied France.[34] The Zam Zam passengers
were separated into two groups. Those that were citizens of countries at War
with Germany and those who were not. The citizens of nations at War with
Germany would remain on the prison ship and would be transported to POW camps
where they would remain until the end of the War.[35] The others were taken off the Dresden and bused to Biarritz where they were put under house
arrest in a small hotel commandeered by the Nazis. The German government
contacted the US embassy and the Red Cross and briefed them on the situation.
After a few weeks the passengers
were again divided into two groups – the BAAC men in one group and everyone
else in the other. The second group would to be handed over to their embassies
and arrangements made for them to return to their home countries. The BAAC men
would remain under house arrest. Berlin was not sure what to do with the BAAC
since although they were Americans, they were in military uniforms and were
employed by the British American Ambulance Corp.
The BAAC men remained under house
arrest. They were fed and were able to keep in contact with the US embassy. Yet
no one knew what their ultimate fate would be. It was clear that the US was
gradually moving toward entering the War. The group assumed that if they
remained captive at the point that the US entered the War they would be treated
like the others and moved to a POW camp. This weighed heavy on them – but they
could do nothing but sit and wait.
The waiting grew too much for two
of them. On 28 June James Stewart and Tom Greenough escaped.[36] They made their through the occupied territory to Portugal
and there connected with the Conulate and successful made it back to the US
sailing on the SS Excalibur.[37]
The others remained under house
arrest. Unknown to them the US and Germany governments were working on an
exchange – it was clear to both countries that they were drifting to war and
this was to the last chance for an exchange of pre-war captives. In late July
the remaining BAAS members were informed of the exchange and were transported
to Lisbon where they boarded the USS West Point to be
transported back to the US. The arrived by back in NY on August 1, 1941. All
but two of the BAAS arrived safely – two remained due to health issues.
There was much celebration upon
their safe return. But it was clear to Arthur that the Allies needed support
more than ever. Arthur stayed in New York to recharge – but he did not stay
long. He had seen the Nazis vision for Europe first hand as was determined to
help defeat the Nazis. The BAAC had put their activities on hold. So Arthur
signed up with the American Field Service (AFS) as an ambulance driver.[38] Soon he was being shipped out again, the target was the
same to support the North Africa campaign.[39] This time he safely made it to his unit in Africa.
Arthur joined the Allies’ North
Africa campaign and rose in rank from Second Lieutenant to Captain. He and his
team moved through Egypt into Libya and then into his beloved Italy, where he
was at the forefront of the Allied advance. Though a non-combatant, his was a
vital and active role.
After the war, Arthur returned to
Britain with new energy to continue exploring his passion for art.
Hanover
Gallery – In 1947 Erica
Brausen and Arthur opened the Hanover Gallery at 32A St George Street just of
Hanover Square, London.[40] Erica had been working at other galleries including the
Redfern Gallery, had a keen artistic eye and knew the gallery business. She and
Arthur shared a passion for art, were both homosexual and were each eager to
establish their own gallery.[11] Erica ran the business, Arthur provided the financial
support and his social connections to potential customers, and they both
collaborated on its artistic focus. Francis Bacon was one of their earliest artists and they gave
him his first solo exhibition in 1949.[40] Other artists included Graham Sutherland, Lucien Freud and many others. In 1953 Erica and Arthur
decided to part ways. The financier Michael Behrens was visiting the gallery one
evening when Brausen mentioned in passing that she would be closing up the next
day, so Behrens bought it from Jeffress.[41] Arthur opened his own gallery.[11] Erica continued to run the Hanover Gallery to great
acclaim, with close links to Bacon; it remained open until 1973. The Hanover
Gallery over its life is remembered as being “one of the most diverse and
interesting galleries in Europe.”[40]
Arthur
Jeffress (Pictures) – In 1954 Arthur Jeffress (Pictures) opened at 28 Davies
Street, London.[42] Arthur convinced Robert Melville to join him from the Hanover
Gallery to run the new gallery. Robert was a highly influential art critic and
journalist, his and Arthur’s reputations helped to quickly establish the new
gallery as a serious member of the London art scene. Unlike the Hanover
Gallery, Arthur Jeffress (Pictures) did not represent individual artists.
Arthur would buy paintings he and Robert liked from artists, other galleries
and auctions, then curate them into shows and sell them.[11] This approach allowed the gallery to show a broad range of
works – the unifying artistic theme was Arthur’s and Robert’s taste. Peyton
Skipwith, described the Gallery as “specifically appeal(ing) to the more
esoteric connoisseur… exquisite for the exquisites.”[11]Arthur was masterful at marketing his gallery. Like his
friend Bunny Roger,[43] he leveraged his extensive social network and his personal
flair to brand / promote his business. Arthur and his gallery were one of the
most colorful figures/institutions in the London Art scene during this period.[44]
Personal
art collection - By the late 1950s Arthur had an art collection of
hundreds of works – although he did not think of himself as a collector.[42] His approach to collecting was unlike most collectors
(such as his friend and fellow collector, Peggy Guggenheim,)[45] Arthur’s collection was constantly changing.[42] At various times it included works by works by Chagall, Delacroix, Delft, Delvaux, Lucian Freud, Modigliani, Matisse, Picasso, Pollock, Rouault, Rousseau, Simbari, Soutine, Sutherland, Weenix, and
many others.[46][47]
Arthur took his own life on 21
September 1961 while staying in at the Hotel France et Choiseul in Paris.[48]
The reasons why are not known.
Some have speculated that it was
due to an incident in Venice. Arthur had a home in Venice, where he stayed for
a few months each year. There he owned a gondola and employed a couple of
handsome, young gondoliers to ferry him around. One night at a grand Venetian
dinner party, the Duchess of
Windsor asked if Arthur would take her back in his gondola. This
was a great honor for Arthur, but unfortunately his gondoliers had gone off
“carousing.” Arthur was furious and shortly after fired the gondoliers - who in
turn, it is alleged, went to the police and denounced Arthur as a homosexual.
At the time the homophobic Venetian authorities were trying to purge the city
of foreign homosexuals. Arthur left for Paris. Many speculate that, heartbroken
at being outed as a homosexual and exiled from Venice, Arthur took his life.[49][50][51]
This theory – that this one event
would cause Arthur to take his life - is a bit simplistic. Indeed, in a 3
November 1961 letter between his friends, Truman Capote and Cecil Beaton, Truman
expresses bewilderment as to the cause of their friend’s death and does not
even raise the Venice incident as a potential reason.[52]
His friend Robert Melville knew
Arthur well and simply stated that “Arthur…came finally to the point of
wondering whether the world wanted him or not.”[42]
Arthur was generous in life and in
death.[53] He left his art and money to communities he cared about:[54]
•
The Tate received
two works: the portrait of Emile Bernard by Toulouse
Lautrec and André
Bauchant’s Funeral Procession of Alexander the Great.[55]
• The Southampton City Art Gallery received 99 works includes
works by Lucian Freud, Graham
Sutherland, Walter
Sickert, David Roberts, Paul Delvaux and many
others.[56]
• And with a final
camp wink – Arthur left a substantial sum of money to the welfare of "male
naval ratings and merchant seamen".[57]
1.
Jump up^ Ford, Bacon
and Davis, Engineers, Poor's Manual
of Industries, Second Edition,1911, page 682'
5.
Jump up^ Mr Joseph
Jeffress sold Kenton Grange in 1952 to Middlesex Country Council, Woodcock Park
and Kenton Grange Record, London Park & Garden Trust. http://www.londongardensonline.org.uk/gardens-online-record.asp?ID=BRE042
7.
Jump up^ Tom C.
Clarke, "The Rolls Royce 20/25
HP, Second Edition A Complete Classics Publication, Page 178
8.
Jump up^ JP Wearing,
The London Stage 1920-1929 - A Calendar of Productions and Performers, and
Personnel, Rowmann & Littlefield, 2014, 27.333, page 551
10.
^ Jump up to:a b c d e f Gill Hedley, “Arthur Jeffress for Painting,”
Gill Hedley – Curator & Contemporary Art Consultant, April 2013, http://www.gillhedley.co.uk/txt/Arthur-Jeffress-for-Painting.html
12.
Jump up^ Matt
Houlbrook, “Queer London: Perils and Pleasures in the Sexual Metropolis,
1918-1957,” Chicago University Press, 2005
14.
Jump up^ D. J.
Taylor, “Bright Young People – The Lost Generation of London’s Jazz Age,”
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 2007, Page 254
15.
^ Jump up to:a b c d John Montgomery, “The Twenties,” George Allen
& Unwin Ltd, London 1970, Page 199
16.
Jump up^ Philip
Hoare, “Oscar Wilde’s Last Stand, Decadence, Conspiracy and the Most Outrageous
Trial of the Century” Arcade Publishing, New York 1998, Page 86
19.
Jump up^ Stewart,
James W., “Sinking of the Zam Zam – Diary of James W. Stewart with the British
American Ambulance Corps., January – September, 1941” iUniverse, Inc.,
Bloomington, 2012, Page 20.
20.
Jump up^ Stewart,
James W., “Sinking of the Zam Zam – Diary of James W. Stewart with the British
American Ambulance Corps., January – September, 1941” iUniverse, Inc.,
Bloomington, 2012, Page xiv.
21.
Jump up^ Stewart,
James W., “Sinking of the Zam Zam – Diary of James W. Stewart with the British
American Ambulance Corps, January – September, 1941” iUniverse, Inc.,
Bloomington, 2012, Page 24
22.
Jump up^ “Zamzam:
the story of a strange missionary odyssey,” by the Augustana Synod passengers,
edited by S. Hjalmar Swanson DD, University Of Wisconsin Press, 1941
23.
Jump up^ Stewart,
James W., “Sinking of the Zam Zam – Diary of James W. Stewart with the British
American Ambulance Corps., January – September, 1941” iUniverse, Inc.,
Bloomington, 2012, Page 263-268
24.
Jump up^ Stewart,
James W., “Sinking of the Zam Zam – Diary of James W. Stewart with the British
American Ambulance Corps., January – September, 1941” iUniverse, Inc.,
Bloomington, 2012, Page 109
25.
Jump up^ Stewart,
James W., “Sinking of the Zam Zam – Diary of James W. Stewart with the British
American Ambulance Corps., January – September, 1941” iUniverse, Inc.,
Bloomington, 2012, Page 26.
26.
Jump up^ Stewart,
James W., “Sinking of the Zam Zam – Diary of James W. Stewart with the British
American Ambulance Corps.; January – September, 1941” iUniverse, Inc.,
Bloomington, 2012, Page 54.
27.
Jump up^ Charles
Murphy and David Scherman, “The Sinking of the Zamzam” Life, Vol.10 No. 25, 21
June 1941
28.
Jump up^ Stewart,
James W., “Sinking of the Zam Zam – Diary of James W. Stewart with the British
American Ambulance Corps.; January – September, 1941” iUniverse, Inc.,
Bloomington, 2012, Page 63.
29.
Jump up^ “Zam Zam: A
Missionary Odyssey” Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Video, 23 May
2011, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHFrX3nwF0U
30.
Jump up^ Stewart,
James W., “Sinking of the Zam Zam – Diary of James W. Stewart with the British
American Ambulance Corps.; January – September, 1941” iUniverse, Inc.,
Bloomington, 2012, Page 70.
31.
Jump up^ Charles
Murphy and David Scherman, “The Sinking of the Zamzam” Life, Vol.10 No. 25, 21
June 1941
32.
Jump up^ Stewart,
James W., “Sinking of the Zam Zam – Diary of James W. Stewart with the British
American Ambulance Corps.; January – September, 1941” iUniverse, Inc.,
Bloomington, 2012, Page 75.
33.
Jump up^ Stewart,
James W., “Sinking of the Zam Zam – Diary of James W. Stewart with the British
American Ambulance Corps.; January – September, 1941” iUniverse, Inc.,
Bloomington, 2012, Page 108.
34.
Jump up^ Stewart,
James W., “Sinking of the Zam Zam – Diary of James W. Stewart with the British
American Ambulance Corps.; January – September, 1941” iUniverse, Inc.,
Bloomington, 2012, Page 123.
35.
Jump up^ Stewart,
James W., “Sinking of the Zam Zam – Diary of James W. Stewart with the British
American Ambulance Corps.; January – September, 1941” iUniverse, Inc.,
Bloomington, 2012, Page 123.
36.
Jump up^ William
V.C. Ruxton, President of the British American Ambulance Corps, Letter to Mrs
Carol Stewart Smith. “Regarding the arrive of James Stewart on the SS
Excalibur” 24 July 1941
37.
Jump up^ “The AFS
Archive,” People Search, Arthur Jeffress, http://www.the-afs-archive.org/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=3742:2-0922-jeffress-arthur-tilden&Itemid=230, (2014)
38.
Jump up^ Maurice
Bottomly, “Arthur Tilden Jeffress (2) – Mother Spanish Fly,” Cocktails with
Elvira, 17 November 2011, https://elvirabarney.wordpress.com/2011/11/17/arthur-tilden-jeffress-2-mother-spanish-fly/
39.
^ Jump up to:a b c Artist Biographies, British and Irish Artists
of the 20th Century – Hanover Gallery, www.artbiogs.co.uk
41.
^ Jump up to:a b c d Robert Melville, “Introduction – Arthur
Jeffress,” The Arthur Jeffress Bequest, Southampton Art Gallery, 1963
43.
Jump up^ Nicholas
Haslam, “Redeeming Features – A Memoir” Alfred A. Knoff, New York, 2009, page
119.
44.
Jump up^ Mary
Dearborn, “Peggy Guggenheim – Mistress of Modernism,” Virago Press, 2005. Page
340
46.
Jump up^ “The
Property of the Late Arthur Jeffress,” Catalogue of A Collection of Paintings,
Drawings and Works of Art, Southeby & Company, New Bond Street, London, W1
1962
47.
Jump up^ Nicholas
Haslam, “Redeeming Features – A Memoir” Alfred A. Knoff, New York, 2009, page
135.
48.
Jump up^ John
Richardson, “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice: Picasso, Provence and Douglass Cooper”
Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc., 1999, page 269.
50.
Jump up^ Nicholas
Haslam, “Redeeming Features – A Memoir” Alfred A. Knoff, New York, 2009, page
135
51.
Jump up^ Truman
Capote and Gerald Clarke, “Too Brief a Treat: The Letters of Truman Capote,”
Random House, 2004, page 330.
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