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Archives For November 30, 1999

Christmas and New Year’s Eve at Medway

By mchughck
Posted on 18 December 2014 | 10:25 am — 

Known as “Charleston’s Grandest Dame,” Gertrude celebrated New Year’s Eve with a lavish costume ball at Medway for over half a century. This post includes photos of party-goers, staff, and menus, as well as Gertie’s annual Christmas card sent to friends and family.

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Gertie as a showgirl, circa 1950

 

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Gertie and Bokara, 1955

 

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Gertie was sure to get photos of each guest in full costume upon their arrival, 1955

 

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Two guests, 1955

 

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Bokara and guests, 1955

 

 

 

 

 

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Opulent dinner in full costume, 1955

 

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The buffet line, 1955

 

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A full band plays the night away, 1955

 

 

Christmas dinner, circa 1926-1929

Christmas dinner, circa 1929-1932

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Gertie’s Christmas card, undated

 

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Christmas, 1973

 

 

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Christmas, 1972

 

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Christmas, 1974

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“The whole staff, Christmas ’56”

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“Xmas Day – ’56”

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Gertie’s Christmas card the year after she returned from being a German Prisoner of War during WWII.

 

 

 

The Legendre brothers

By mchughck
Posted on 25 November 2014 | 10:46 am — 

Gertrude’s first husband, Sidney Legendre, was one of six children (Katherine, Hennen, Armant, Edith, Morris, and Sidney) born to James Gilbert Legendre and Cora H. Morris of New Orleans (LA).  The Legendre family was rooted in French creole life, Mardi Gras celebrations, and military service, with three of the brothers serving in the World Wars. This post features text in Gertrude’s own words when remembering the brothers, taken from her 1987 biography The Time of My Life.

On Hennen: “Hennen was the eldest and the only one besides Katherine to speak really good French.”

Hennen Legendre, World War I, 1914

Hennen Legendre, World War I, 1914

Hennen Legendre

Hennen Legendre, undated

On Armant: “Armant was next—-cited for All-America in football at Princeton, a lovely character with a wonderful sense of humor and full of beans. Everyone called him ‘Cajun’ because of the crazy things he used to do. Once he brought a goat into Henry’s Bar in Venice and was thrown in jail for the night. His quick temper often got him into fights, which the rest of the brothers helped him finish.”

Gertrude and Armant

Gertrude and Armant, undated 1950

Armant Legendre and family

Armant Legendre and family, undated

 On Morris: “Morris used to introduce himself as Jean Maurice Armant Agricole Legendre. He had a natural confidence about everything except marriage. He was an extrovert, natural leader, and organizer. Nothing bothered him. When we went on safari, Morris organized everything.”

Morris Legendre

Morris Legendre, undated 1935-1945

Morris in Abyssinia, 1928

Morris in Abyssinia, 1928-1929

Morris Legendre

Morris Legendre, undated 1920-1925

On Sidney: “My Sidney was tall and dark and he parted his thick, curly black hair just to the left of center and plastered it down. In photographs, he stood tall and straight, always rather elegant. He was moody, often brooding or worrying about things, but he also had a wonderful sense of humor and could pull your leg with a perfectly straight face, which would make you think twice before breaking a smile. When he felt like it he could entertain everyone, but when he became bored with the dinner conversation or the weekend guests, he grew sullen and quiet.”

Sidney Legendre

Sidney Legendre, undated

Sidney Legendre

Sidney Legendre, undated 1930-1935

Sidney and Morris, Abyssinia 1928

Sidney (right) and Morris (left), Abyssinia 1928-1929

Sidney (right), Morris (left)

Sidney (right) and Morris (left), serving during WWII in Honolulu (HI), 1945

Sidney's military ID cards

Sidney’s military ID cards, undated 1942-1945

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Sidney J. Legendre biographical sketch (page 1 of 3), undated

Sidney Legendre at Medway

Sidney Legendre at Medway, undated

Sidney and Bokara at medway, undated 1942

Sidney and Bokara at Medway, undated 1942

Sidney and Gertie with "Clippy"

Sidney and Gertie with “Clippy,” undated

Sidney and Gertie "Palm Beach Xmas 1930"

Sidney and Gertie “Palm Beach Xmas – 1930”

Sidney and Gertie at Hurricana Farms, August 1932

Sidney and Gertie at Hurricana Farms, August 1932

Sidney and Gertie

Sidney and Gertie, undated

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On their deaths: “All the Legendre men died young. The first to go was Hennen, whom we called ‘The Frenchman.’ One minute he was lying in a hammock reading, and the next, he was dead of a heart attack. Then Sidney died, and then Armant, known as ‘Cajun.’ Not too long after Cajun died in New Orleans, Morris and his new bride died in a plane crash—just a few years after Sidney’s death. All the Legendre brothers died in the prime of their lives.

Sidney's grave at Medway plantation, he died in March of 1948.

Sidney’s grave at Medway plantation. He died of a sudden heart attack in March of 1948.

Gertrude Sanford Legendre papers on LCDL

By mchughck
Posted on 24 October 2014 | 10:23 am — 

Exciting news! We now have 11 photo albums available in the Lowcountry Digital Library:

  http://lcdl.library.cofc.edu/content/gertrude-sanford-legendre-papers-1836-2000

Coming soon: WWII Nazi and Fascist leader photographs, approximately 10 new photo albums (including Indo-China and various African expeditions), World War II correspondence, and photo portraits of Gertrude Legendre by famed artists such as Man Ray, George Platt Lynes, Toni Frissell and Charlotte Fairchild. Enjoy!

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