Randy Bryan Bigham
Member
All,
It's come to my attention that on Charles Pellegrino's growing website (http://www.charlespellegrino.com/mrs_harris.htm)he has added some rather dubious details to a section on Rene Harris. In it he quotes from what purports to be a 1960s letter of Rene's (I imagine to Walter Lord) which is very like an article she penned for a magazine some years prior.
In both pieces Rene has strong words for Cosmo and Lucy Duff Gordon, though in the latter she names them outright. I have gone into detail on another list about the fact that Henry B. and Rene Harris were actually friends with Lucy Duff Gordon at the time of the disaster and that the friendship between Rene and Lucy went on for quite a while.
Before getting to what I believe are unsubstantiated claims by Pellegrino, I will recap a bit here for those who missed the other discussion.
At the time of sailing on Titanic, Lucy had just costumed star Ina Claire for Harris' Broadway production of "The Quaker Girl." Two years earlier Lucy had arranged a special series of fashion shows benefiting the Actors Benevolent Fund, which Harris served as secretary. In 1918 Rene had hired Lucy to dress Bertha Kalich in the hit "The Riddle: Woman" which she produced. So there was a professional and personal relationship there, though Rene pretended otherwise in later years, after quarreling with Lucy.
The falling out between these two ladies occured when they were both preparing for publication their accounts of the Titanic in 1932, the 20th anniversary of the sinking. Lucy had written her autobiography which was serialized in the "London Daily Sketch" and thereafter published in book form. At the same time Rene was writing up her Titanic experiences for "Liberty" magazine.
In one of the Titanic related chapters in her memoirs, Lucy made some admittedly strident remarks about American wives saving themselves in lifeboats,leaving their husbands "without a word of protest or regret," etc, etc. This incensed Rene Harris who sent her old friend a very pointed letter, telling Lucy what she thought of her for that statement.
Anyway, Rene's article and subsequent letter fail to mention that she was once friends with the Duff Gordons - or at least with Lucy - so one must keep that in mind when reading her remarks, made after the fight with Lucy.
Now to Pellegrino's editorial comments about the Duff Gordons on his Rene Harris page:
First off, he claims that the couple was spreading around on the Carpathia the story that Murdoch had shot himself while readying Boat A. This is bogus. I have read no credible account referencing in any detail the Duff Gordons' observations on this alleged incident. Neither of them, in private or public, are known to have ever made any statement whatever about witnessing Murdoch's supposed suicide. That they heard stories of it on Carpathia or in the papers following their rescue is not to be doubted. But that they actually began the story or publicly attested to it is, I believe, absolutely untrue.
Secondly, Pellegrino claims that the Duff Gordons were later defended publicly by Bruce Ismay. This is not true either. The man would have been a fool to involve himself in their unfortunate plight with his own hell yawning before him. Afterall, he did not know the Duff Gordons. And Cosmo, when asked during his testimony before the British Inquiry if he had met Ismay, replied: "Never at any time in my life."
I would like to know from which sources Pellegrino draws his information. I think he has twisted some facts about. If not - and there are indeed documents bearing out what he claims - I would like to see them. As for the facts I've shared, I can produce news articles and personal letters. Can he?
Randy
It's come to my attention that on Charles Pellegrino's growing website (http://www.charlespellegrino.com/mrs_harris.htm)he has added some rather dubious details to a section on Rene Harris. In it he quotes from what purports to be a 1960s letter of Rene's (I imagine to Walter Lord) which is very like an article she penned for a magazine some years prior.
In both pieces Rene has strong words for Cosmo and Lucy Duff Gordon, though in the latter she names them outright. I have gone into detail on another list about the fact that Henry B. and Rene Harris were actually friends with Lucy Duff Gordon at the time of the disaster and that the friendship between Rene and Lucy went on for quite a while.
Before getting to what I believe are unsubstantiated claims by Pellegrino, I will recap a bit here for those who missed the other discussion.
At the time of sailing on Titanic, Lucy had just costumed star Ina Claire for Harris' Broadway production of "The Quaker Girl." Two years earlier Lucy had arranged a special series of fashion shows benefiting the Actors Benevolent Fund, which Harris served as secretary. In 1918 Rene had hired Lucy to dress Bertha Kalich in the hit "The Riddle: Woman" which she produced. So there was a professional and personal relationship there, though Rene pretended otherwise in later years, after quarreling with Lucy.
The falling out between these two ladies occured when they were both preparing for publication their accounts of the Titanic in 1932, the 20th anniversary of the sinking. Lucy had written her autobiography which was serialized in the "London Daily Sketch" and thereafter published in book form. At the same time Rene was writing up her Titanic experiences for "Liberty" magazine.
In one of the Titanic related chapters in her memoirs, Lucy made some admittedly strident remarks about American wives saving themselves in lifeboats,leaving their husbands "without a word of protest or regret," etc, etc. This incensed Rene Harris who sent her old friend a very pointed letter, telling Lucy what she thought of her for that statement.
Anyway, Rene's article and subsequent letter fail to mention that she was once friends with the Duff Gordons - or at least with Lucy - so one must keep that in mind when reading her remarks, made after the fight with Lucy.
Now to Pellegrino's editorial comments about the Duff Gordons on his Rene Harris page:
First off, he claims that the couple was spreading around on the Carpathia the story that Murdoch had shot himself while readying Boat A. This is bogus. I have read no credible account referencing in any detail the Duff Gordons' observations on this alleged incident. Neither of them, in private or public, are known to have ever made any statement whatever about witnessing Murdoch's supposed suicide. That they heard stories of it on Carpathia or in the papers following their rescue is not to be doubted. But that they actually began the story or publicly attested to it is, I believe, absolutely untrue.
Secondly, Pellegrino claims that the Duff Gordons were later defended publicly by Bruce Ismay. This is not true either. The man would have been a fool to involve himself in their unfortunate plight with his own hell yawning before him. Afterall, he did not know the Duff Gordons. And Cosmo, when asked during his testimony before the British Inquiry if he had met Ismay, replied: "Never at any time in my life."
I would like to know from which sources Pellegrino draws his information. I think he has twisted some facts about. If not - and there are indeed documents bearing out what he claims - I would like to see them. As for the facts I've shared, I can produce news articles and personal letters. Can he?
Randy
