Thank you very much for your follow up.  I posted what I knew on the Wikipedia article on the web with as much information as I have I will go through some of the paperwork and see what else I can locate but there's a lot of missing pieces for me as a family member.  She wasn't enigma and very interesting to me as a young adult.  Claudio was equally as interesting when I met him he had on his little black suit and his little metal on his ribbon around his neck with a monocle I have a picture of this when we met for lunch in Philadelphia.  She was a poet as well as an artist but I best know her from her enamels on copper. 

Sent from my iPhone

> On Jul 13, 2015, at 8:45 PM, Joan Benedetti <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> 
> A quick and dirty search on google turned up a short Wikipedia article and
> references to her books, which are not mentioned here.  She was a poet who
> published six books between 1935 and 1947. She was born April 3, 1908 in the
> teeny town (pop. 20 - 25) of Hortense, Texas.  According to the Wikipedia
> article, her husband, Claudio Ammarito was an artist and a composer and Mary
> wrote the libretto for an opera he wrote, "Paradise Lost (A comedy for
> Modern Times)."  They met in a museum (in New York City?) and then spent
> most of their lives in the Canary Islands, where they entertained artists
> and were close friends of Eleanor Post, a daughter of Marjorie Post.  The
> Wikipedia article doesn't mention her enamels, but she was apparently a
> serious artist and had a one-person show in at the Woodstock Gallery in
> London in 1973.  Sounds like she had a fabulous life.  The story and the
> house, as well as what happened to it after her death, reminds me of Grey
> Gardens.  Surely something about her is in an artist's file somewhere--maybe
> in London?  Or maybe in Texas?  If only I had nothing else to do--seems like
> the research on this interesting woman would be fascinating.  Even if the
> portrait is never found, this seems like someone whose life story would be
> worth reviving.  And perhaps that of her husband as well.  No, I REALLY
> can't dig into it any further--but maybe another ARLIS colleague could??
> 
> Joan
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ARLIS/NA List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of cindy
> Baker
> Sent: Sunday, July 12, 2015 12:07 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [ARLIS-L] Info on Mary Collins Ammarito
> 
> I am Mary's great niece by her older brother.  I have any extensive
> collection of her enamels on copper and provenance from her America show,
> some personal affects, photos with husband Claudio and Eleanor Post who she
> accompanied on many occasions as a travel partner.  I attended her first
> American show in Philedelphia in 1973 where we lunched as a family including
> two of my other cousins, mother, her brother and sister and Eleanor Post
> also joined us.  When we had lunch with them I was a teen Claudio, Aunt Mary
> and Eleanor were all in their late seventies early 80's.  We stayed in and
> lunched in the hotel that was later torn down due to legionnaires virus. I
> have pamphlets and a write up from the Philedelphia art show. 
> 
> I have a few of her original print soft side books but they are in poor
> condition.  
> 
> What I seek that went missing at her death is a portrait of my Aunt Mary
> full length standing with two afghan hounds.  Despite many attempts, My
> grandfather and mother died before either was able to recover it. I continue
> the effort. It is important to our family to find this missing, stolen
> portrait.  I have a picture of it if you have any way to help with this
> piece of our family history.
> 
> My aunt was a Ziegfeld folly girl in New York City as well however details
> are not available to confirm details.  We are of the understanding that she
> and Claudio met in one of the museums she regularly visited where he
> followed her about until he finally came up to meet her. They married and
> lived most their lives in the Canary Islands, serving as counsel and vice
> counsel between Spain and the isles.  
> 
> My mother traveled there on my aunts death to see to her affairs and spent
> time with the nun from the convent that cared to her needs in her final
> days. A local missionary lady helped my mom navigate and translated for her
> but I don't know her name or how the connection had been made. The nun
> provided Eleanor's assistants contact information at the time who later
> confirmed their friendship.  I think this was all in 1980. By time my mom
> arrived, their home had been looted and nothing remained the house was
> literally stripped bare. There were holes punched in the walls as the
> looters searched for her jewelry and a few affects that had already been
> sent to the USA to her brother, my grandfather via diplomatic pouch.    A
> ring that Claudio had given her was worn on the leg of their parrot remains
> missing. This trivia was reported by the nun. Another eclectic aspect in
> their later years reported was their pets including birds, cats as well as a
> goat and mule freely wandered through their house. It was reported the house
> I earlier times was a garden paradise with parties, and guests that were in
> the art scene. 
> 
> I was told the family history that she left home for NYC at a young age to
> pursue her art career.  Her artful ways made her a black sheep of the family
> from a conservative family background although she was always in contact and
> loved. My aunt Mary was eclectic, a jet setter of the times and traveled
> with Eleanor throughout Europe. It is our understanding they were close
> friends for many years. 
> 
> So perhaps this helps your research and anything you can offer in return
> would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Cynthia Baker
> 
> 
> 
> 
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Mail submissions to [log in to unmask] For information about joining ARLIS/NA see: http://www.arlisna.org/membership/join-arlisna Send administrative matters (file requests, subscription requests, etc) to [log in to unmask] ARLIS-L Archives and subscription maintenance: http://lsv.arlisna.org Questions may be addressed to list owner (Judy Dyki) at: [log in to unmask]
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