Talk:Elsie de Wolfe

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[edit] Lady Mendl

While I do think the alternate of Lady Mendl is important as she was principally known by this name at one time, I believe that Lady Elsie de Wolfe Mendl is overkill. While I was not the one to remove it before, all I did was to spell out the aka, as is usual here. Doc 01:32, 21 July 2006 (UTC)

I have removed it this time as there has been no response here. Doc 10:15, 28 July 2006 (UTC)

I think it should be restored. I am trying to remember where I saw that form of the name, but it was someplace reasonably authoritative... a library catalog listing or an entry in a biographical dictionary or something of the sort... that's why I put that form in initially. Too bad I didn't happen to make a note of where! There really are a multiplicity of forms of her name. It's not important. Dpbsmith (talk) 13:13, 28 July 2006 (UTC)

Ah. Online database available through my public library:

"Elsie De Wolfe." American Decades. Gale Research, 1998.

Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Thomson Gale. 2006. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC

Document Number: K1602000018

Their article opens:

"'Elsie De Wolfe

Also known as: Elsie de Wolfe, Lady Mendl, Lady Elsie de Wolfe Mendl"

Yeah, the capitalization of the "De" varies, even, if I recall correctly, in her name as it appears on the title page of the books she authored...

I'd argue that "Lady Elsie de Wolfe Mendl" is probably the most complete and formally correct version of her name during the time she was married to Mendl and therefore should be included. Dpbsmith (talk) 13:22, 28 July 2006 (UTC)

Yikes! Encyclopedia Britannica article... or at least the opening of it, readable online, [1], says:

Elsie de Wolfe

born Dec. 20, 1865, New York, N.Y., U.S.

died July 12, 1950, Versailles, France

in full Ella Anderson de Wolfe , married name Lady Mendl

Dpbsmith (talk) 13:25, 28 July 2006 (UTC)

I'm putting them all... in a footnote. Hope that's OK. Dpbsmith (talk) 13:53, 28 July 2006 (UTC)

I think that in the footnote is fine. I also think it would be very appropriate to use her name at birth "Ella Anderson de Wolfe" and even her parents names at the beginning of paragraph three. The first paragraph, however should always be succinct and not cluttered. Formally, she would never have been Lady Elsie anything as her title was based on her husband and would always have been just Lady Mendl. The Britannica ref does not mix metaphors, but gives the full name at birth and her married name as only Lady Mendl. Doc 22:44, 28 July 2006 (UTC)

Agreed re clutter, and agree that "Elsie de Wolfe" and "Lady Mendl" are the important forms of the name. Actually I started the article because of the references to "Lady Mendl" in song lyrics... and found that an acquaintance of ours who is a decorator was completely familiar with "Elsie de Wolfe" and had never heard of "Lady Mendl!" Dpbsmith (talk) 00:16, 29 July 2006 (UTC)