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Babe Paley

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American editor and socialite (1915–1978)
Babe Paley
BornBarbara Cushing
(1915-07-05)July 5, 1915
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedJuly 6, 1978(1978-07-06) (aged 63)
New York City, U.S.
EducationWestover School
Winsor School
Occupation(s)Magazine editor, socialite
Years active1938–1978
Spouses
Stanley Grafton Mortimer Jr. ​ ​(m. 1940; div. 1946)​
William S. Paley ​(m. 1947)​
Children4, including Amanda Burden
FatherHarvey Cushing
RelativesMary Benedict Cushing (sister)
Betsey Cushing (sister)

Barbara Cushing Mortimer Paley (July 5, 1915 – July 6, 1978) was an American magazine editor and socialite. Affectionately known as Babe throughout her life, Paley made notable contributions to the field of magazine editing. In recognition of her distinctive fashion sense, she was inducted into the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1958. Together with her two sisters, Minnie and Betsey, she was a popular debutante in her youth and the trio were dubbed "The Fabulous Cushing Sisters" in high society. She was married twice; first, to the sportsman Stanley G. Mortimer Jr. and second, to CBS founder William S. Paley.

Early life

Barbara Cushing Mortimer Paley, born Barbara Cushing in Boston, Massachusetts, was the daughter of renowned brain surgeon Harvey Cushing, who belonged to a prominent Cleveland medical family and held professorships at Johns Hopkins, Harvard, and Yale, and Katharine Stone (née Crowell), a granddaughter of Ohio congressman John Crowell. She spent her formative years in Brookline, Massachusetts. Barbara had two older sisters, Mary and Betsey, who both entered into unions with affluent families: Mary Cushing became the second wife of Vincent Astor, while Betsey Cushing married James Roosevelt, the son of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and later John Hay Whitney. Together, the Cushing sisters were often referred to by the public as 'The Fabulous Cushing Sisters'.

Barbara attended the Westover School in Middlebury, Connecticut. In October 1934, she made her debut as a debutante in Boston, an event that garnered attention amid the challenges of the Great Depression. Notably, sons of Roosevelt attended her debut. This marked the beginning of her social journey. She completed her high school education at Winsor School in Boston in 1934.

Career

Paley during her tenure at Vogue

In 1938, Paley embarked on her career as a fashion editor at Vogue in New York City. This role granted her access to designer clothing, often obtained in exchange for her high-profile image. In 1941, Time magazine ranked her the world's second-best dressed woman, following Wallis Simpson and preceding Aimée de Heeren. She was also named on the best-dressed lists of 1945 and 1946.

Following her second marriage in 1947, Paley left her position at Vogue.

Style

Paley (back row, second from right) at the White House for First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy's Tea for the Special Committee for White House Paintings in 1961

Babe and William Paley maintained an apartment at the St. Regis, which was adorned by the interior design expertise of Billy Baldwin. They resided there during the week and spent weekends at their 80-acre (32 ha) estate, Kiluna Farm, located in Manhasset, Long Island. In 1957, they acquired Kiluna North, a retreat on Squam Lake in New Hampshire, which afforded them privacy and played host to numerous celebrities.

Despite encountering social exclusions and discriminatory practices due to prevalent anti-Semitic prejudices against her husband, the Paleys cultivated a circle of high-society friends that included author Truman Capote and fellow socialite Slim Keith. Capote included Paley and Keith in his group of "swans," comprising New York socialites such as Gloria Guinness, Marella Agnelli, and C.Z. Guest Paley severed her friendship with Capote when he published excerpts from Answered Prayers, his tell-all about New York's elite.

Her personal, unconventional style was enormously influential. A photograph of Paley with a scarf tied to her handbag, for example, created a trendy tidal wave that millions of women emulated. She often mixed extravagant jewelry by Fulco di Verdura and Jean Schlumberger with costume pieces and embraced letting her hair go gray instead of using dye.

Paley's distinctive style earned her a place on the best-dressed list a remarkable fourteen times before her induction into the Fashion Hall of Fame in 1958. Her ability to command attention, with her impeccable hair, makeup, and overall crispness, was legendary. As fashion designer Bill Blass once remarked, 'I never saw her fail to capture anyone's attention. You noticed Babe and nothing else.'"

Babe Paley was often photographed for her distinctive style, even into her later years (shown here in 1974).

Personal life

Mr. & Mrs. Stanley Mortimer on their wedding day, 1940

While working at Vogue, Barbara met and married Stanley Grafton Mortimer Jr. (1913–1999), an oil heir and member of a prominent New York family, in 1940 at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in East Hampton, New York. However, their marriage ended by 1946 after they had two children together:

Retrospectives have suggested that Barbara neglected her children while pursuing social status and relied on her husbands' wealth to support her extravagant lifestyle. Her daughter Amanda has acknowledged that their relationship was "virtually nonexistent" and that the distance "was her choice, not mine".

Paley and her husband in 1940

After her divorce from Mortimer, Barbara received a settlement from a trust fund. In 1946, she met William "Pasha" Paley, who was estranged from his wife Dorothy Hart Hearst (1908–1998), the former wife of John Randolph Hearst. William Paley was wealthy and interested in the arts, and sought acceptance in New York's café society. Barbara's social connections provided him a better chance of gaining entry into the exclusive circles that had previously eluded him. For Barbara, William Paley offered wealth, security, and worldly experiences. William's divorce was finalized July 24, 1947. He and Barbara married the following year. She had two children with Paley:

  • William C. "Bill" Paley (born 1948), who relaunched La Palina, a cigar company established by grandfather Sam Paley in 1896. He married Alison Van Metre, daughter of Albert Van Metre, founder of Van Metre Homes.
  • Kate Cushing Paley (born 1950), who made her "nondebut" in 1968, shortly after the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy.

According to several biographers, Barbara experienced loneliness and frustration as William Paley engaged in extramarital affairs. This emotional toll affected her and her family. Moreover, she faced public and media scrutiny, expected to maintain an unrealistic standard of beauty and social grace.

Final years and death

Barbara was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1974, attributed to her heavy smoking. Preparing for her impending death, she meticulously planned her own funeral, including the selection of food and wine to be served at the funeral luncheon. She allocated her jewelry collection and personal belongings to friends and family, wrapping them in colorful paper and creating a comprehensive file system with instructions for their distribution after her death.

Paley died from lung cancer on July 6, 1978, a day after her 63rd birthday.

Legacy

Barbara Paley remains an icon in the realms of fashion and style. Truman Capote, a former friend, once commented, "Babe Paley had only one fault. She was perfect. Otherwise, she was perfect."

In popular culture

Babe Paley has been portrayed in various films and series, including:

References

  1. "Vanity Fair". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on 2011-09-10. Retrieved 2010-12-11.
  2. 1920 United States Federal Census
  3. name="Bumiller1999">Bumiller, Elisabeth (January 3, 1999). "THE LIVES THEY LIVED: Betsey Cushing Whitney; The Last Princess". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  4. Nemy, Enid (26 March 1998). "Betsey Cushing Whitney Is Dead at 89". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  5. New York Times, October 24, 1934
  6. ^ "Kate Paley Has Small Nondebut". The New York Times. 15 June 1968. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  7. "Babs Simpson, a Former Vogue Editor Who Collaborated With Irving Penn, Has Died at 105". Vogue. 2019-01-07. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
  8. Babe Paley / Mrs Stanley Mortimer Jr 2nd best dressed woman in the World according to Times 1941 Archived 2015-01-10 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ Guinto, Joseph (13 February 2013). "His Father's Son | Bill Paley's father was a titan, his mother a goddess, and he—a dropout and addict—"a source of dismay," some said. Now in his sixties, Paley has revived his family's cigar business and wants to rewrite his personal legacy. He hopes his father would be proud". Washingtonian. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  10. "Babe Paley". vogue.com. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
  11. They included Alice Recknagel Ireys, Russell Page, Thomas D. Church and the connoisseur and collector Henry Francis du Pont: Valentine Lawford, "The Gardens of Mrs. William S. Paley: Landscape Architecture by Russell Page", Architectural Record
  12. In 1970 the house was given to Dartmouth College and serves as Minary Conference Center Archived 2007-10-17 at the Wayback Machine.
  13. "The Top Twenty Socialites of All Time". New York Magazine. 2007-05-07. Archived from the original on 1 February 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-05.
  14. ^ Nemy, Enid (14 August 1999). "Stanley G. Mortimer Jr., 86, Sportsman and Ad Executive". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  15. "BARBARA CUSHING TO BE WED SEPT. 21; Daughter of Surgeon to Become Bride of S.G. Mortimer Jr. in East Hampton NIECES TO ATTEND HER They Are Misses Sara and Kate Roosevelt, Granddaughters of President and Wife". The New York Times. 13 September 1940. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  16. "Miss Cushing Wed in Church; Sara and Kate Roosevelt Are Attendants at Marriage of Aunt to S.G. Mortimer Jr". The New York Times. 22 September 1940. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  17. "Social Planner - Nymag". New York Magazine. 13 May 2002. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
  18. "Son Born to William S. Paleys". The New York Times. 31 March 1948. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  19. "Child to Mrs. William S. Paley". The New York Times. 17 February 1950. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  20. "Tragic Facts About Babe Paley, The Queen Of New York". Factinate. 2022-12-18. Retrieved 2023-01-03.
  21. Nemy, Enid (July 7, 1978). "Barbara Cushing Paley Dies at 63; Style Pace-Setter in Three Decades; Symbol of Taste". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-03-21. Barbara Cushing Paley, the wife of William S. Paley, the chairman of the board of the Columbia Broadcasting System, died of cancer at their apartment in New York City yesterday after a long illness. She was 63 years old.
  22. Nowell, Iris (2004). Generation Deluxe: Consumerism and Philanthropy of the New Super-rich. Dundurn Press Ltd. pp. 141. ISBN 1-55002-503-1.
  23. "The Babe Paley in 'Feud' Is Not the Woman I Knew". The New York Times. 6 March 2024. Retrieved 6 March 2024.

Further reading

  • Smith, Sally Bedell (1948- ). In all his glory: the life and times of William S. Paley and the birth of modern broadcasting. New York, Simon and Schuster, 1990.
  • Grafton, David. The Sisters: Babe Mortimer Paley, Betsey Roosevelt Whitney, Minnie Astor Fosburgh - The Lives and Times of the Fabulous Cushing Sisters. Villard (1992).
  • Tapert, Annette & Edkins, Diana, The Power of Style - The Women Who Defined The Art of Living Well, Crown Publishers, New York, 1994.
  • Prisant, Carol. Babe & I. Town & Country, December, 2010, pp. 152–156.

External links

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