Celebrities And Less Famed Americans Married To Women Of Bohemian And Czech Ancestry And Their Progeny

This is not an ordinary book. Whereas the American ethnic literature usually relates to immigrants and their accomplishments, this monograph's focus is on Americans who married them, specifically American men whose spouses were women with Czech or Bohemian roots. Images on the cover: John Jay (1745-1829), b. New York, NY, was a lawyer, American statesman, a patriot, diplomat, and one of Founding Fathers of the US, and 2nd Governor of New York and the first Chief Justice of the United States (1789-1795) who directed U.S. foreign policy for much of the 1780s. Sarah Van Brugh Livingston, whom he married, was a highly educated American socialite who was a strong support to her husband, astutely networking with the movers and shakers of the time. She radiated such beauty and charm that she was mistaken for Marie Antoinette. Sarah was of Bohemian ancestry, having descended from Frederick Philipse.

As pointed out in my last two publications, no comprehensive study has been undertaken about the American Learned Men and Women with Czechoslovak roots. The aim of this work is to correct this glaring deficiency, with the focus on immigration from the period of mass migration and beyond, irrespective whether they were born in their European ancestral homes or whether they have descended from them. Whereas in the two mentioned monographs, the emphasis has been on scholars and social and natural scientists; and men and women in medicine, applied sciences and engineering, respectively, the present compendium deals with notable Americans of Czechoslovak ancestry in arts and letters, and in education. With respect to women, although most professional fields were closed to them through much of the nineteenth century, the area of arts and letters was opened to them, as noted earlier and as this compendium authenticates.

Discusses the historical background of the Czechs who have immigrated to the New World and what influence they have had on the United States

"Today, as of old, every man who enters on an artistic career, without any other means of livelihood than his art itself, will be forced to walk in the paths of Bohemia."—from the Preface Based largely upon Henri Murger's own experiences and those of his fellow artists, The Bohemians of the Latin Quarter was originally produced as a play in 1849 and first appeared in book form in 1851. It was an immediate sensation. The novel consists of a series of interrelated episodes in the lives of a group of poor friends—a musician, a poet, a philosopher, a sculptor, and a painter—who attempt to maintain their artistic ideals while struggling for food, shelter, and sex. Set in the ancient Latin Quarter, a vibrant and cosmopolitan area near the University of Paris, the novel is a masterful portrait of nineteenth-century Parisian artistic life. "Bohemian" soon became synonymous with "artist," and it is from Murger's novel that the word and concept entered the English language. Drawn from real-life characters and events, the themes of love, sacrifice, and "selling out" are immediately recognizable to the modern reader. Capturing the heart, spirit, and bittersweet humor of the world of struggling artists, The Bohemians of the Latin Quarter is the universal story of one's attempt to leave a mark on the world.

A chronicle of the life of the acclaimed Broadway actress traverses five decades in show business and reveals her personal challenges involving her heritage and her father's alcoholism.