In 1952 Alma Mahler (1879-1964) retires to New York to an apartment in Manhattan (120 East 73d Street), where she stays to spend the last years of her life. Alma Mahler lived on the third floor (?) of the house she owned. She operated the house as a miserly exploitant.
”Several times before, I had given my soul a holiday and fled to that city of light.”
Here she exposes all the trophies she had collected throughout her life. Paintings of Oskar Kokoschka (1886-1980), scores of Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) and manuscripts of Franz Werfel (1890-1945).
”I live on the third floor of my old house in New York, in two rooms. These two rooms, if one looks carefully, hold all my life. One bespeaks the power of words, the other that of music”.
“I have two firms to administer”; I say when I am asked why I keep so busy at my age.”
Like a fallen monarch in exile Alma holds court, communicating with celebrities including Thomas Mann (1875-1955), Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) (he dedicated the ”Nocturne for tenor and small orchestra” to Alma), Erich Maria Remarque, Dimitri Mitropoulos, and Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971).
House Alma Mahler New York 1952-1964 (120 East 73d Street).
1962. Alma Mahler (1879-1964). House Alma Mahler New York 1952-1964 (120 East 73d Street)
1962. Alma Mahler (1879-1964). House Alma Mahler New York 1952-1964 (120 East 73d Street)
House Alma Mahler New York 1952-1964 (120 East 73d Street). Library with photo of Gustav Mahler (1860-1911).
House Alma Mahler New York 1952-1964 (120 East 73d Street). Music room with photo of Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) and a painting from her father: Jakob Emil Schindler (1842-1892).
House Alma Mahler New York 1952-1964 (120 East 73d Street). Paining “Forest Lane near Scharfling” (Waldstrasse bei Schaerfling, 1890) by Jakob Emil Schindler (1842-1892).
House Alma Mahler New York 1952-1964 (120 East 73d Street). Wood carving in the music room.
House Alma Mahler New York 1952-1964 (120 East 73d Street) with painting by Oskar Kokoschka (1886-1980). Alma Mahler (1879-1964) as Lucretia Borgia.
House Alma Mahler New York 1952-1964 (120 East 73d Street). Painting by Oskar Kokoschka (1886-1980). Alma Mahler (1879-1964) as Lucretia Borgia.
