Florence Meyer
Encyclopedia
Florence Meyer Homolka was a portrait photographer, socialite
, and wife of actor Oscar Homolka
.
, the eldest daughter of Eugene Meyer
(1875–1959), publisher of the Washington Post, and Agnes Elizabeth Ernst Meyer (1887–1970). Her younger sister was the future Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham
.
She studied dance and acting in Paris
and Berlin
.
Her work included portraits of James Agee
, Thomas Mann
, Constantin Brâncuşi
, Charlie Chaplin, Judy Garland
, Vladimir Horowitz
, Lion Feuchtwanger
and of fellow photographers Edward Steichen
, Walker Evans
, and Brassaï
.
Homolka was a close friend and protege of Man Ray
, and in 1946 took the photographs for the double wedding portraits of Man Ray and Juliet Browner, and Max Ernst
and Dorothea Tanning
.
Homolka was the author of "Focus on Art", published posthumously in 1963.
(1898–1978). They had two sons. Vincent and Laurence. They later divorced.
The Homolkas moved to Los Angeles around 1943, and lived at 10788 Bellagio Road in Bel-Air and 914 Corsica Drive in Pacific Palisades.
She died in Los Angeles
in 1962. Her body was cremated.
Socialite
A socialite is a person who participates in social activities and spends a significant amount of time entertaining and being entertained at fashionable upper-class events....
, and wife of actor Oscar Homolka
Oscar Homolka
Oskar Homolka was an Austrian film and theatre actor. Homolka's strong accent, stocky appearance, bushy eyebrows and Slavic name led many to believe he was Eastern European or Russian, but he was born in Vienna, Austria-Hungary.- Career :After serving in the Austro-Hungarian Army during World War...
.
Early life
She was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the eldest daughter of Eugene Meyer
Eugene Meyer
Eugene Isaac Meyer was an American financier, public official, publisher of the Washington Post newspaper. He served as Chairman of the Federal Reserve from 1930 to 1933. He was the father of publisher Katharine Graham.-Biography:Born in Los Angeles, California, he was one of eight children of...
(1875–1959), publisher of the Washington Post, and Agnes Elizabeth Ernst Meyer (1887–1970). Her younger sister was the future Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham
Katharine Graham
Katharine Meyer Graham was an American publisher. She led her family's newspaper, The Washington Post, for more than two decades, overseeing its most famous period, the Watergate coverage that eventually led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon...
.
She studied dance and acting in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
.
Photography
She photographed numerous artists, playwrights, actors, writers, composers, musicians, statesmen, film stars, and other celebrities of her day.Her work included portraits of James Agee
James Agee
James Rufus Agee was an American author, journalist, poet, screenwriter and film critic. In the 1940s, he was one of the most influential film critics in the U.S...
, Thomas Mann
Thomas Mann
Thomas Mann was a German novelist, short story writer, social critic, philanthropist, essayist, and 1929 Nobel Prize laureate, known for his series of highly symbolic and ironic epic novels and novellas, noted for their insight into the psychology of the artist and the intellectual...
, Constantin Brâncuşi
Constantin Brancusi
Constantin Brâncuşi was a Romanian-born sculptor who made his career in France. As a child he displayed an aptitude for carving wooden farm tools. Formal studies took him first to Bucharest, then to Munich, then to the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris...
, Charlie Chaplin, Judy Garland
Judy Garland
Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
, Vladimir Horowitz
Vladimir Horowitz
Vladimir Samoylovich Horowitz was a Russian-American classical virtuoso pianist and minor composer. His technique and use of tone color and the excitement of his playing were legendary. He is widely considered one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century.-Life and early...
, Lion Feuchtwanger
Lion Feuchtwanger
Lion Feuchtwanger was a German-Jewish novelist and playwright. A prominent figure in the literary world of Weimar Germany, he influenced contemporaries including playwright Bertolt Brecht....
and of fellow photographers Edward Steichen
Edward Steichen
Edward J. Steichen was an American photographer, painter, and art gallery and museum curator. He was the most frequently featured photographer in Alfred Stieglitz' groundbreaking magazine Camera Work during its run from 1903 to 1917. Steichen also contributed the logo design and a custom typeface...
, Walker Evans
Walker Evans
Walker Evans was an American photographer best known for his work for the Farm Security Administration documenting the effects of the Great Depression. Much of Evans's work from the FSA period uses the large-format, 8x10-inch camera...
, and Brassaï
Brassaï
Brassaï was a Hungarian photographer, sculptor, and filmmaker who rose to international fame in France in the 20th century. He was one of the numerous Hungarian artists who flourished in Paris beginning between the World Wars...
.
Homolka was a close friend and protege of Man Ray
Man Ray
Man Ray , born Emmanuel Radnitzky, was an American artist who spent most of his career in Paris, France. Perhaps best described simply as a modernist, he was a significant contributor to both the Dada and Surrealist movements, although his ties to each were informal...
, and in 1946 took the photographs for the double wedding portraits of Man Ray and Juliet Browner, and Max Ernst
Max Ernst
Max Ernst was a German painter, sculptor, graphic artist, and poet. A prolific artist, Ernst was one of the primary pioneers of the Dada movement and Surrealism.-Early life:...
and Dorothea Tanning
Dorothea Tanning
Dorothea Tanning is an American painter, printmaker, sculptor and writer. She has also designed sets and costumes for ballet and theatre.-Biography:...
.
Homolka was the author of "Focus on Art", published posthumously in 1963.
Personal life
In 1939, Florence married the Austrian character actor Oscar HomolkaOscar Homolka
Oskar Homolka was an Austrian film and theatre actor. Homolka's strong accent, stocky appearance, bushy eyebrows and Slavic name led many to believe he was Eastern European or Russian, but he was born in Vienna, Austria-Hungary.- Career :After serving in the Austro-Hungarian Army during World War...
(1898–1978). They had two sons. Vincent and Laurence. They later divorced.
The Homolkas moved to Los Angeles around 1943, and lived at 10788 Bellagio Road in Bel-Air and 914 Corsica Drive in Pacific Palisades.
She died in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in 1962. Her body was cremated.
External links
- http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artMakerDetails?maker=3516 Getty Museum biography