Gluck by Diana Souhami (most interesting books to read .TXT) 📗

On Saturday 13 November she got her hair cut in the morning then met Mr Westbrook and his men at the FAS for the erecting of the alder wood room. They worked all day Sunday too, until he and his foreman left in annoyance, leaving Gluck to supervise the work alone. On the Monday she arrived at the Gallery at 7.30 in the morning for the hanging of her pictures the day before the show opened. ‘Terrible day’, she recorded in her diary, an observation with which those who knew her pre-performance nerves and perfectionist standards, would not have demurred.

TEN

THE QUEEN WORE PEACOCK BLUE

Gluck’s 1937 exhibition ran from 16 November to 13 December. When it came to the staging of it, the Meteor did not stay as reticent as Gluck had hoped. The whole event had a distinct sense of an action replay. Mrs Gluckstein was more concerned in ‘truckling with temporary things’, like again getting Royal notice for her daughter’s work, than in waiting for the uncertain ‘dignity of Time’. She expended a great deal of energy in prompting the Queens Elizabeth and Mary to put in an appearance at The Fine Art Society. She exhorted Lady Clare Brooke, her friend at the Palace, to help. Lady Clare took the opportunity to elicit a ‘small donation’ for ‘a jumble sale for one of the Queen’s charities’, sold Mrs Gluckstein tickets for a children’s party: ‘Do take your grandchildren.… The Duchess of Kent will be there and perhaps you could persuade her to come to your daughter’s show’ and, as two good turns deserve one other,

asked the Admiral about your small problem and he says you should approach Queen Mary through Lord Claud Hamilton and the Princess Royal through her Lady-in-Waiting. He is afraid the Queen may not have time to come to your daughter’s show as she has every moment of her time planned out, but do send him the card with dates etc and if it can be arranged you know he will do his best.1

That was before Gluck’s plea for dignity and severance from the Gluckstein name. But, unable to resist doing what she felt to be best, two weeks after receiving Gluck’s letter, the Meteor wrote again to Sir Harry Verney (20 October 1937) telling him of the exhibition and urging him to prompt Queen Mary

to honour my daughter once again with her presence. Her Majesty was so gracious in coming to see Miss Gluck’s previous exhibition and I felt most happy, thrilled and excited at Her Majesty’s kindly expressions of approval of her work. The Press Day is November 16th and the Private View the following day. If I might suggest it, I think the Press Day would be the best to get a review of her work.

Sir Harry made known the invitation to Sir Gerald Chichester, Queen Mary’s Private Secretary, who wrote direct to Mrs Gluckstein. His reply was terse: ‘… in view of the many engagements she has already entered into for November, it will not be possible for Her Majesty to have the pleasure of inspecting Miss Gluck’s pictures.’

The Meteor in her work for charity was renowned for her persistence. ‘Not possible’ was an unacceptable answer:

October 23rd 1937

My Dear Sir Harry

Many thanks for your sending on so quickly to Queen Mary’s Private Secretary, my letter. Alas! I am sad at the reply received, a copy of which I herewith enclose. Perhaps I am to blame as I did not mention the exhibition was open for a month until December 12 or 13th.

I am writing to the Hon. Gerald Chichester, acknowledging his kind and very charming letter and rectifying my mistake by sending a card, like the one enclosed to you and Lady Joan and it will show that the 13th is the last day. The situation is indeed a rather delicate one. But I should indeed be sad, if by my own error, my daughter should be deprived of the great Honour of a visit by Queen Mary – who is so deeply interested in Art and has such a wonderful understanding of the technical side as well. I hope it is not too late to correct my error and that her Majesty Queen Mary may still find time to honour the exhibition with Her Presence at her own time and convenience.

With my deep appreciation of your kind and ever ready help at all times and with best wishes and all kind thoughts in which my daughter unites to you and Lady Joan.

Sir Harry’s recommendation was that she should not approach Sir Gerald again. ‘If I had a chance I would say a word. But no one knows better than I do how terribly full up these next few months are.2 In the event it was Nesta, a personal friend of Helen Graham, a Lady-in-Waiting to the Queen, who effortlessly scored the coup de théâtre. A word and all was arranged. Lady Graham called at The Fine Art Society, lunched with Gluck and Nesta at Bolton House and two days later wrote:

23 November 1937

Dear Miss Gluck

I told the Queen about your pictures yesterday and Her Majesty has said that she would like to look in quite privately and informally at the Gallery at 148 New Bond Street tomorrow (Wednesday) about 12.30.

Her Majesty does not wish any preparations made, or any visitors disturbed who may be going round, but I thought I would just let you know privately that the Queen was coming as I know she would like to go round with you.

Afterwards of course it will be quite in order for you to say that her Majesty has seen your Exhibition if you wish to.

Yours sincerely

Helen Graham

‘The Queen’, announced the ‘Court and Society’ column of the Daily Mail, 25 November 1937,

accompanied by Lady Helen Graham, paid an informal visit to the Fine Art Gallery to see the exhibition of painting by Gluck yesterday morning. Her Majesty, who was wearing a swagger suit of peacock blue velvet with a