Esther Strachey ( Murphy, later Arthur; October 22, 1897 – November 23, 1962) was an American academic, historian, and socialite.

Early life and education

Murphy was born on October 22, 1897, the daughter of

Patrick Francis Murphy Patrick Francis Murphy (circa 1858 - November 24, 1931) was the owner of the Mark Cross Company in Manhattan, New York City, and was a legislator in Massachusetts. His daughter Esther was married to John Strachey and Chester Alan Arthur III, g ...

(1858–1931), owner of the Mark Cross Company, sellers of fine leather goods, and Anna Elizabeth Ryan (c. 1858–1932). She had two siblings: Gerald Clery Murphy (1888–1964) and

Frederic Timothy Murphy Frederic Timothy Murphy (September 4, 1884 – May 23, 1924) was the heir of a wealthy Bostonian family who served during World War I in France and at the Battle of the Somme, was decorated with the Cross of the Legion of Honor, and died few ye ...

(1884–1924). Unable due to her mother's health to attend

Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr College ( ; Welsh language, Welsh: ) is a Private college, private Women's colleges in the United States, women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as a ...

, Murphy followed the

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

curriculum at home.

Career

She frequented a circle of American expatriates living in the French Riviera in the 1920s. A 1926 letter written from France by

F. Scott Fitzgerald Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (September 24, 1896 – December 21, 1940), widely known simply as Scott Fitzgerald, was an American novelist, essayist, and short story writer. He is best known for his novels depicting the flamboyance and exces ...

noted, ''"Nobody was in

Antibes Antibes (, , ; ) is a seaside city in the Alpes-Maritimes Departments of France, department in Southeastern France. It is located on the French Riviera between Cannes and Nice; its cape, the Cap d'Antibes, along with Cap Ferrat in Saint-Jean-Ca ...

that summer... except me, Zelda, the

Valentino Valentino may refer to People * Valentino (surname), including a list of people with the name * Valentino (given name), including a list of people with the name Mononymous persons * Valentino (fashion designer) (born Valentino Clemente Ludovic ...

s, the Murphys,

Mistinguett Jeanne Florentine Bourgeois (5 April 1873 – 5 January 1956), known professionally as Mistinguett (), was a French actress and singer. She was at one time the highest-paid female entertainer in the world. Early life The daughter of Antoine Bo ...

, Rex Ingram,

Dos Passos John Roderigo Dos Passos (; January 14, 1896 – September 28, 1970) was an American novelist, most notable for his ''U.S.A.'' trilogy. Born in Chicago, Dos Passos graduated from Harvard College in 1916. He traveled widely as a young man, visit ...

Alice Terry Alice Frances Taaffe (July 24, 1899 – December 22, 1987), known professionally as Alice Terry, was an American film actress and director. She began her career during the Silent film, silent film era, appearing in thirty-nine films betwe ...

, the MacLeishes, Charlie Brackett, Maud Kahn (daughter of philanthropist

Otto Kahn Otto Hermann Kahn (February 21, 1867 – March 29, 1934) was a German-born American investment banker, collector, philanthropist, and patron of the arts. Kahn was a well-known figure, appearing on the cover of ''Time'' magazine and was sometimes ...

; wife of Major-General Sir John Marriott), Esther Murphy (sister of

Gerald Gerald is a masculine given name derived from the Germanic languages prefix ''ger-'' ("spear") and suffix ''-wald'' ("rule"). Gerald is a Norman French variant of the Germanic name. An Old English equivalent name was Garweald, the likely original ...

; wife of John Strachey),

Marguerite Namara Marguerite Namara (born Marguerite Evelyn Cecilia Banks; November 19, 1888 – November 5, 1974) was a classically trained American lyric soprano whose varied career included serious opera, Broadway musicals, film and theater roles, and vocal ...

, E. Oppenheimer (sic), Mannes the violinist,

Floyd Dell Floyd James Dell (June 28, 1887 – July 23, 1969) was an American newspaper and magazine editor, literary critic, novelist, playwright, and poet. Dell has been called "one of the most flamboyant, versatile and influential American Men of Letters ...

Max Max or MAX may refer to: Animals * Max (American dog) (1983–2013), at one time purported to be the world's oldest living dog * Max (British dog), the first pet dog to win the PDSA Order of Merit (animal equivalent of the OBE) * Max (gorilla) ...

and

Crystal Eastman Crystal Catherine Eastman (June 25, 1881 – July 28, 1928) was an American lawyer, antimilitarist, feminist, socialist, and journalist. She was a leader in the fight for women's suffrage, a co-founder and co-editor with her brother Max Eastma ...

, ex-premier

Orlando Orlando commonly refers to: * Orlando, Florida, a city in the United States Orlando may also refer to: People * Orlando (given name), a masculine name, includes a list of people with the name * Orlando (surname), includes a list of people wit ...

, Etienne de Beaumont..."'' When in Paris, she frequented

Janet Flanner Janet Flanner (March 13, 1892 – November 7, 1978) was an American writer and pioneering narrative journalist who served as the Paris correspondent of ''The New Yorker'' magazine from 1925 until she retired in 1975.Yagoda, Ben ''About T ...

(who would later become a lover of her sister-in-law,

Noël Haskins Murphy Noël Haskins Murphy (December 25, 1896 – 1982) was an American performer, best-known as the wife and widow of Frederic Timothy Murphy (who died in 1924 of wounds suffered during World War I). She was also the lover of Paris-based American n ...

) and

Solita Solano Solita Solano (born Sarah Wilkinson; October 30, 1888 – November 22, 1975) was an American writer, poet and journalist. Biography Early life Sarah Wilkinson came from a middle-class family and attended the Emma Willard School in Troy, New ...

Gertrude Stein Gertrude Stein (February 3, 1874 – July 27, 1946) was an American novelist, poet, playwright, and art collector. Born in Allegheny, Pennsylvania (now part of Pittsburgh), and raised in Oakland, California, Stein moved to Paris in 1903, and ...

and

Alice B. Toklas Alice Babette Toklas (April 30, 1877 – March 7, 1967) was an American-born member of the Parisian avant-garde of the early 20th century, and the life partner of American writer Gertrude Stein. Early life Alice B. Toklas was born in San F ...

Dolly Wilde Dorothy Ierne Wilde (11 July 1895 – 10 April 1941), known as Dolly Wilde, was an English socialite, made famous by her family connections and her reputation as a witty conversationalist. Her charm and humour made her a popular guest at s ...

and

Natalie Clifford Barney Natalie Clifford Barney (October 31, 1876 – February 2, 1972) was an American writer who hosted a salon (gathering), literary salon at her home in Paris that brought together French and international writers. She influenced other authors thro ...

(who was Murphy's passionate obsession). In 1928

Djuna Barnes Djuna Barnes ( ; June 12, 1892 – June 18, 1982) was an American artist, illustrator, journalist, and writer who is perhaps best known for her novel '' Nightwood'' (1936), a cult classic of lesbian fiction and an important work of modernist lite ...

wrote a satirical group biography of

's Parisian circle, the ''Ladies Almanack'' (1928), in which Murphy's caricature is "Bounding Bess." Murphy in turn wrote a fantasia that metamorphoses Barney into a 13th-century abbess also known for "amazing activities during the Crusades." Indeed, in a story recounted by Murphy,

Isabel Pell Isabel Townsend Pell (September 28, 1900 – June 5, 1951) was an American socialite and member of the French Resistance during World War II. She was subsequently decorated with the Legion of Honour. Early life and family Pell was born on Sept ...

, with Barney, really infiltrated a 13th-century Italian convent to meet with Alice Robinson, one of Barney's affairs. Murphy was also friends with

Mercedes de Acosta Mercedes de Acosta (March 1, 1892 – May 9, 1968) was an American poet, playwright, and novelist. Although she failed to achieve artistic and professional distinction, de Acosta is known for her many lesbian affairs with celebrated Broadway and ...

, Madge Garland,

Edmund Wilson Edmund Wilson Jr. (May 8, 1895 – June 12, 1972) was an American writer, literary critic, and journalist. He is widely regarded as one of the most important literary critics of the 20th century. Wilson began his career as a journalist, writing ...

and

Dorothy Parker Dorothy Parker (née Rothschild; August 22, 1893 – June 7, 1967) was an American poet and writer of fiction, plays and screenplays based in New York; she was known for her caustic wisecracks, and eye for 20th-century urban foibles. Parker ros ...

. Another friend, novelist

Dawn Powell Dawn Powell (November 28, 1896 – November 14, 1965) was an American novelist, playwright, screenwriter, and short story writer. Known for her acerbic prose, "her relative obscurity was likely due to a general distaste for her harsh satiric ...

wrote about what she perceived as Murphy's failure of a life: "Some people don't want to be the action – they really want to be spectator." She published essays and books, was a public speaker, and was a regular panelist along with

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt ( ; October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the longest-serving First Lady of the United States, first lady of the United States, during her husband Franklin D ...

Margaret Mead Margaret Mead (December 16, 1901 – November 15, 1978) was an American cultural anthropologist, author and speaker, who appeared frequently in the mass media during the 1960s and the 1970s. She earned her bachelor's degree at Barnard Col ...

, and Fanny Hurst on the ABC radio program ''Listen – The Women!''.

Personal life

On April 29, 1929, Murphy married John Strachey, British Labour politician and writer.Matthew (editor), Colin (2004). Dictionary of National Biography. 52. Oxford: Oxford University Press. , essay on Strachey written by Michael Newman, pp1004-6

Oswald Mosley Sir Oswald Ernald Mosley, 6th Baronet (16 November 1896 – 3 December 1980), was a British aristocrat and politician who rose to fame during the 1920s and 1930s when he, having become disillusioned with mainstream politics, turned to fascism. ...

was the best man at the wedding.M. Newman: Strachey, (Evelyn) John St Loe (1901–1963), socialist theorist and politician. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved January 11, 2018, http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-36337. In 1935, Murphy married

Gavin Arthur Chester Alan "Gavin" Arthur III (March 21, 1901 – April 28, 1972) was an American astrologer and sexologist. He was the grandson of Chester A. Arthur, the twenty-first president of the United States. He received his early education from Co ...

, a San Francisco astrologer and sexologist and a grandson of U.S. President

Chester A. Arthur Chester Alan Arthur (October 5, 1829 – November 18, 1886) was the 21st president of the United States, serving from 1881 to 1885. He was a Republican from New York who previously served as the 20th vice president under President James A. ...

. He was also an early gay rights activist and a practical prototype for the hippies. They divorced in 1961. In 1945, she met writer

Sybille Bedford Sybille Bedford, OBE (16 March 1911 – 17 February 2006) was a German-born English writer of non-fiction and semi-autobiographical fiction books. She was a recipient of the Golden PEN Award. Early life She was born as Sybille Aleid Elsa vo ...

, who would become her lover; the relationship lasted only a few years, but they remained lifelong friends.

Death

Murphy died on November 23, 1962, in Paris. Her ashes were returned to the United States on December 5, 1962, to her brother, Gerald Murphy.

Gallery

George Gardner Rockwood (1832-1911), between 1907 and 1910 File:John Drew & Esther.jpg, Esther Murphy Arthur as a girl with actor

John Drew Jr. John Drew Jr. (November 13, 1853 – July 9, 1927), commonly known as John Drew during his life, was an American stage actor noted for his roles in Shakespearean comedy, society drama, and light comedies. He was the eldest son of John Drew Sr., ...

, between 1910 and 1915 File:Esther Murphy Arthur sitting outside on a chair.jpg, Esther Murphy Arthur sitting outside on a chair, 1923 File:Esther & Chester.jpg, Chester Arthur III (

), in uniform, and Esther Arthur sitting on a rock wall, 1942 File:Gavin, Janet, Esther, Solita.jpg,

, standing, and

, Esther Murphy, and

sitting on a rock wall, between 1945 and 1955

Legacy

Lisa Cohen, ''All We Know: Three Lives'' (Farrar, Straus and Giroux; First Edition (July 17, 2012)) is the biography of three women: Esther Murphy, detailing early Murphy life and the Mark Cross family business; writer-feminist

; and British Vogue fashion editor Madge Garland. Cohen was intrigued by their invisibility: "if she is remembered at all today, it is as Gerald Murphy's eccentric, pathetic sister, a marvel who became a spectacular disappointment."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Strachey, Esther Murphy 1897 births 1962 deaths American women historians 20th-century American historians American socialites Radio personalities from New York City Historians from New York (state) LGBTQ people from New York (state) 20th-century American women writers Arthur family