Marguerite Lamkin Brown Harrity Littman (May 4, 1930October 16, 2020) was an American-British socialite and

HIV/AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...

activist. As a Southern American accent coach she is known to have coached actors including

Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was an English and American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 19 ...

and

Paul Newman Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and activist. He was the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Paul Newman, numerous awards ...

. Littman is remembered for her role in HIV/AIDS advocacy, including fundraising for charities.

Early life

Marguerite Lamkin was born on May 4, 1930, to Eugenia and Ebenezer Lamkin in

Monroe, Louisiana Monroe is the ninth-largest city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and is the parish seat and largest city of Ouachita Parish. With a 2020 census-tabulated population of 47,702, it is the principal city of the Monroe metropolitan statistical ...

. Her father was a lawyer and her mother a homemaker. She studied philosophy at

Newcomb College H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College was the coordinate women's college of Tulane University, located in New Orleans, in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It was founded by Josephine Louise Newcomb in 1886 in memory of her daughter. Newcomb was the ...

and later at Finch College in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. Her brother, Speed Lamkin, went on to become a novelist and playwright.

Career

She moved to

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

after her studies in New York and became a voice coach specializing in the Southern American accent. She coached actors including

and

in southern-themed movies such as '' Baby Doll'', ''

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof ''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'' is a 1955 American three-act play by Tennessee Williams. The play, an adaptation of his 1952 short story "Three Players of a Summer Game", was written between 1953 and 1955. One of Williams's more famous works and his ...

'', '' The Long, Hot Summer'', and '' Raintree County''. It has been claimed that Author

Truman Capote Truman Garcia Capote ( ; born Truman Streckfus Persons; September 30, 1924 – August 25, 1984) was an American novelist, screenwriter, playwright, and actor. Several of his short stories, novels, and plays have been praised as literary classics ...

famously modeled his famous southern character, Holly Golightly, in his 1958 ''Breakfast at Tiffany's'' novella, partially after Littman. In the early 1960s, she moved to New York City, where she worked with photographer

Richard Avedon Richard Avedon (May 15, 1923 – October 1, 2004) was an American fashion and portrait photographer. He worked for ''Harper's Bazaar'', '' Vogue'' and '' Elle'' specializing in capturing movement in still pictures of fashion, theater and ...

, supporting him while he was working on his book ''Nothing Personal'' (1964), a collection of portraits of civil rights workers. She was also an

advice column An advice column is a column in a question and answer format. Typically, a (usually anonymous) reader writes to the media outlet with a problem in the form of a question, and the media outlet provides an answer or response. The responses are w ...

ist for '' Glamour'' magazine. She moved to London in 1965. Between 1976 and 1985, she modelled for

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (;''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''"Warhol" born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director and producer. A leading figure in the pop art movement, Warhol ...

's minimalist Polaroid portraits, depicting her transformation over the nine-year period. Littman started the AIDS Crisis Trust in 1986, as a charity to collect funds for AIDS research and treatment. As a start, she had written to over 300 of her socialite friends asking for a contribution of £100 to be founding members. The trust organized gala events and auctions to raise funds for the cause. The trust went on to become one of Britain's most prominent AIDS-awareness charity groups. The trust's auctions would offer pieces from her socialite friends including Elizabeth Taylor and

David Hockney David Hockney (born 9 July 1937) is an English Painting, painter, Drawing, draughtsman, Printmaking, printmaker, Scenic design, stage designer, and photographer. As an important contributor to the pop art movement of the 1960s, he is considere ...

. During this period, Littman was introduced to

Diana, Princess of Wales Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997), was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William, ...

, who was already associated with AIDS-related charities across the world. In 1997, Diana donated her entire wardrobe to Littman to be auctioned. The auction, facilitated by

Christie's Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie (auctioneer), James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, and it has additional salerooms in New York, Paris, Hong Kong, Milan, Geneva, Shan ...

, raised more than $3 million for the trust and other charities. In 1999, the trust was merged with the

Elton John AIDS Foundation The Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) is a nonprofit organization, established by musician Sir Elton John in 1992 in the United States and 1993 in the United Kingdom to support innovative HIV prevention, education programs, direct care and s ...

, for whom Littman served as a director.

Personal life

Lamkin married screenwriter Harry Brown on September 20, 1952; the union ended in divorce. On March 10, 1959, she remarried to actor Rory Harrity; this marriage also ended in divorce. She then married British barrister and

Queen's Counsel A King's Counsel (Post-nominal letters, post-nominal initials KC) is a senior lawyer appointed by the monarch (or their Viceroy, viceregal representative) of some Commonwealth realms as a "Counsel learned in the law". When the reigning monarc ...

Mark Littman, a union which lasted from 1965 until his death in 2015. Littman died on October 16, 2020, at her home in London. Her obituary in the ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' stated:

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Littman, Marguerite 1930 births 2020 deaths Activists from Louisiana American socialites British socialites British women activists Finch College alumni American HIV/AIDS activists People from Monroe, Louisiana Tulane University alumni 21st-century American women British HIV/AIDS activists 20th-century American women writers 21st-century American people American columnists 21st-century British women 21st-century British people