Dorothy Hammerstein (born Dorothy Marian Kiaora Blanchard; 7 June 1899 – 3 August 1987) was an Australian-born American

interior designer Interior design is the art and science of enhancing the interior of a building to achieve a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing environment for the people using the space. With a keen eye for detail and a Creativity, creative flair, an ...

and decorator. She was the second wife of the lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II.

Early life

Dorothy Marian Kiaora Blanchard was born to Henry James Blanchard (1862–1931), a

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

-bornAncestry.com
Retrieved 17 November 2013

master mariner A master mariner is a licensed mariner who holds the highest grade of licensed seafarer qualification; namely, a master's license. A master mariner is therefore allowed to serve as the captain (nautical), master of a merchant ship for which natio ...

. Her second middle name, Kiaora, is a traditional greeting in the

Māori language Māori (; endonym: 'the Māori language', commonly shortened to ) is an Eastern Polynesian languages, Eastern Polynesian language and the language of the Māori people, the indigenous population of mainland New Zealand. The southernmost membe ...

of New Zealand. Her mother was Marion (née Parmenter; 1867–1946), born in

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

. There were four other daughters of the marriage. Henry Blanchard became a ship's pilot on

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

Port Phillip Bay Port Phillip ( Kulin: ''Narm-Narm'') or Port Phillip Bay is a horsehead-shaped enclosed bay on the central coast of southern Victoria, Australia. The bay opens into the Bass Strait via a short, narrow channel known as The Rip, and is comple ...

, and they resided in the bayside suburb of Williamstown, in a large house called ''Mandalay''. On 1 July 1916, aged 17, Blanchard married Lieutenant (later Captain) William Thomas Meikle (born

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

14 April 1886), an Australian Infantry Force Officer repatriated from Gallipoli following illness. He subsequently returned to fight in the A.I.F. in France. Meikle remained in the AIF, administering war graves in France and Belgium until 1921, resigning to join the Imperial War Graves Commission where he was superintendent until 1926. Blanchard filed for divorce from Meikle in August 1922, alleging desertion. Blanchard left Melbourne for London on 22 August 1922 in search of an acting career. Not being successful there, she went to New York, where she joined the cast of ''

André Charlot Eugène André Maurice Charlot (26 July 1882 – 20 May 1956) was a French-born impresario known primarily for the musical revues he staged in London between 1912 and 1937. He later worked as a character actor in numerous American films. Born in ...

's London Revue of 1924'', an English musical starring

Beatrice Lillie Beatrice Gladys Lillie, Lady Peel (29 May 1894 – 20 January 1989) was a Canadian-born British actress, singer and comedy performer. She began to perform as a child with her mother and sister. She made her West End debut in 1914 and soon gain ...

and

Gertrude Lawrence Gertrude Lawrence (4 July 1898 – 6 September 1952) was an English actress, singer, dancer and musical comedy performer known for her stage appearances in the West End of London and on Broadway in New York. Early life Lawrence was born in 1 ...

. She toured the United States and Canada for a year as Lillie's understudy. In 1925, Blanchard married Henry Jacobson, a New York businessman, with whom she had two children, Henry Jacobson and Susan Blanchard, who would later marry actors

Henry Fonda Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was an American actor whose career spanned five decades on Broadway theatre, Broadway and in Hollywood. On screen and stage, he often portrayed characters who embodied an everyman image. Bo ...

, Michael Wager, and

Richard Widmark Richard Weedt Widmark (December 26, 1914March 24, 2008) was an American film, stage, and television actor and producer. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as the villainous Tommy Udo in his debut film, ''Kiss of Death (1947 film ...

. While still married to Jacobson, albeit unhappily, Dorothy met

Oscar Hammerstein II Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II (; July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was an American lyricist, librettist, theatrical producer, and director in musical theater for nearly 40 years. He won eight Tony Awards and two Academy Award ...

, whose own marriage was also unhappy. They fell in love, and divorced their spouses to marry in 1929. Oscar also had two children from his first marriage: William Hammerstein and Alice Mathias. His marriage to Dorothy lasted until his death in 1960. They had a son together, James Hammerstein.

Professional career

Between the 1930s and the 1950s Hammerstein operated Dorothy Hammerstein Inc, a high-profile interior design business, with clients on both coasts of the United States. In 1949, along with her husband and the novelists Pearl S. Buck and

James A. Michener James Albert Michener ( or ; February 3, 1907 – October 16, 1997) was an American writer. He wrote more than 40 books, most of which were long, fictional family sagas covering the lives of many generations, set in particular geographic locales ...

, Hammerstein was a founder o
Welcome House
an organization that facilitates the adoption of children of American and Asian parents.

Later life

Hammerstein was actively involved with the

Dance Theatre of Harlem Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) is an American professional ballet company and school based in Harlem, New York City. It was founded in 1969 under the directorship of Arthur Mitchell and later partnered with Karel Shook. Milton Rosenstock served ...

from its inception in 1969 until her death, both as a board member and as a member of its national advisory board. Hammerstein died in her sleep on 3 August 1987. She was survived by her three children, two stepchildren, ten grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hammerstein, Dorothy 1899 births 1987 deaths 20th-century Australian people 20th-century Australian women Australian interior designers American women interior designers American interior designers Australian emigrants to the United States Hammerstein family (show business) People from Launceston, Tasmania Designers from Melbourne Australian people of New Zealand descent Australian people of Scottish descent