A BEAUTIFUL SERIES OF PORTRAITS TAKEN OF OTTOLINE DURING THE YEAR JUST BEFORE SHE MARRIED, PHOTOGRAPHED BY Erick Seliin. albumen carte de visitE.
SOMETIME IN LATE 1901, OTTOLINE AND TRAVEL COMPANION HILDA PENNANT LEFT ITALY-STOPPING IN LONDON TO SEE HER DOCTOR AND FROM THERE HEADING TO GERMANY.
PRIOR TO 1900, SHE HAD MET Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, Liberal Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916, AND A GOOD 20 YEARS HER SENIOR.
THOUGH NOT A ROMANCE AS WE KNOW IT, ASQUITH CERTAINLY ASSUMED THE ROLE OF FATHER IN TAKING -
AN INTEREST IN HER-AS SHE PUTS IT AND IN MY READING, AND LENT ME BOOKS.
ASQUITH VISITED WITH OTTOLINE IN HER SITTING ROOM AT HER BROTHER'S GROSVENOR PLACE HOUSE-
WE TALKED OF POETRY, RELIGION, AND THE WAYS OF LIFE OF WORDSWORTH, TENNYSON AND BROWNING.
SHE WRITES:
MY HEALTH BEING STILL EXCEEDINGLY BAD, I WAS ADVISED TO GO AND CONSULT A FAMOUS SPECIALIST, PROFESSOR BEIGEL...THE PROFESSOR WAS A VERY TALL... ARISTOCRATIC MAN, ABOUT SIXTY, WITH LONG SENSITIVE, ARTISTIC HANDS. I WAS STRIPPED AND EXAMINED,WHICH CAUSED ME A GREAT DEAL OF SHYNESS, AND HE ORDERED ME TO BE SET TO WIESBADEN WHERE I SHOULD BE UNDER HIS SUPERVISION. I WAS RATHER TAKEN ABACK WHEN AS HE LEFT ME ONE DAY HE BENT DOWN AND KISSED ME.
CONTINUING:
LODGING IN A PROTESTANT SISTERHOOD, WE SPENT CHRISTMAS THERE, LISTENING TO GERMAN CAROLS, AND MY OLD PROFESSOR BECAME PASSIONATELY DEVOTED TO ME. I DO NOT THINK ANYONE HAS EVER BEEN SO DEVOTED TO ME AS THIS MAN. I WAS VERY FOND OF HIM, BUT AS OF SOMEONE WHO WAS MUCH OLDER, LIKE A FATHER... ALL THE HIDDEN,PENT-UP,IDEALISTIC SIDE (OF HIM) HAD OBVIOUSLY NEVER FOUND A HOME. ONCE WAKENED,IT POURED ITSELF OUT UNSWERVINGLY UPON ME.
I have just been taken on this extraordinary journey, on a ship, to a world, to meet a woman, a lady, all named Ottoline.
ReplyDeleteShe is someone I met before, on the periphery, in books and things, and here she is, front and center!
What an original, marvelous blog this is. I have had the best time looking through this, backwards, to April, where the journey began. And presents- a signed book or a painting or sketch...you have given us all a present, Gaye, with Ottoline Divine.
Philip, thank you for looking in on Ottoline, I have enjoyed reading about her as well and have taken an interest in collecting as much of the written materials as are available. She took copious photographs of it all too-which makes it irresistible to make a special blog dedicated to her. pgt
ReplyDeleteHer right side was her better side!
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