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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 > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > 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] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~