"Girl Graduate: her Own Book" Nadine Cox compilor

May 11, 2022

Rare Books Documents Photos and Artwork

Lot 76

"Girl Graduate: her Own Book" Nadine Cox compilor

Estimate: $150 - $250

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About this Lot

Description

Nadine COX (compiler). - Louise PERRETT & Sarah K. SMITH (designers and illustrators).

[The early adult life of Nadine Cox recorded in an art nouveau/arts-and-crafts album, titled] “The Girl Graduate: Her Own Book. Designed and Illustrated by Louise Perrett and Sarah K. Smith. Chicago: The Reilly & Lee Co., [undated but circa 1923-1925] Octavo (9 x 6 inches; 228 x153mm). 190 pages, light grey/brown toned paper. Printed throughout in light blue and yellow: decorative title, ‘table of contents’, and with decorative vignettes at the start of each section. Mounted with over 250 items covering Nadine’s graduation, college and early working life – as well as her social life at the time (including: 3 telegrams; 25 photos; 120 press cuttings (most about Nadine’s appearances / work as a singer and music teacher; 126 other ephemeral items, [most printed, including invitations, dance cards, sorority events, menus, teaching certificates and contracts, calling cards, etc.]). Original dark brown limp suede, titled in gilt on upper cover (the book forced out of shape by the many items inserted).

The life of a highly accomplished woman graduate in the 1920’s, in Kansas and New York city: Nadine Cox sang professionally and also taught music. A contemporary source describes her as a ‘lyric soprano’, who got a ‘B.M.’ at the University of Kansas in 1922. Her professional debut in front of an audience seems to have been with the Brahms Quartette in the New York Town Hall on 9 March 1927, although she had previously appeared on the radio (WOR NYC 3 August 1925). She married her first husband, Frederick Graham Millikin on 27 May 1926 – he appears to have died in 1928 ? In any case, she remarried on 2 June 1932 to Harry R. Wilson (later Prof. Wilson, head of Music at Columbia).

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