Philippina Espenshied

Philippine E. Von Overstolz (born Philippina Espenshied, 1847 – 1925)[1] was a musician, linguist and artist from St. Louis, Missouri.[2]

Biography

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, žPhilippina Espenschied is of German-Spanish descent. She was the daughter of a successful Western wagon-maker, Louis Espenschied. He was the owner of Louis Espenschied Wagon Factory. Her nephew was Lloyd Espenschied, the co-creator of coax cable and inventor of the radio altimeter.[3]

In early childhood she had a studio well equipped for the pursuit of art. At the age of 8 years old, she won medals and other awards for her pencil-drawings and several studies in oil. She continued to win premiums offered to young artists until the age of 13. She also studied singing and instrumental music. She played harp, piano, organ, violin, mandolin and banjo. She was proficient in them all.

She had an aptitude for language. Philippina also undertook the study of medicine.

She became a socialite as the wife of Mayor Henry Overstolz[1] when they married in 1875. In her husband, she found help and encouragement in both art and literature. One of his legacies to her was a large library and a very fine collection of paintings, valued at the time at $100,000 which was widely exhibited at large fairs and exhibitions. Her husband was a member of the oldest living German family in the world, whose ancestry was direct from the Roman family name Superbus.[2]

In her later years she was also known for her modeling.

Espenshied as portrayed by Frederick Ruckstull with his sculpture Evening

She was the subject of the Frederick Ruckstull sculpture Evening which is currently in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.[4][5] Busts of her in bronze and marble have been made by the distinguished sculptor Ruckstuhl, and exhibited in the Paris Salon and later at the World's Fair in Chicago in 1893.[2]

She had six children with her husband Henry, who was a widower when she married him. He was the same age of her father, and died only thirteen years into their marriage in 1887. Philippine was later married to Dr. Otto E. Forster.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Overstolz, Henry Clemens (1822-1887). Papers (1846-1907.)". Missouri History Museum. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Woman of the Century". Open Library. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  3. ↑ Thomas, Joan M. "Henry V. Lucas". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  4. ↑ Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.); Albert Ten Eyck Gardner (1965). American Sculpture: A Catalogue of the Collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Metropolitan Museum of Art. pp. 62–. GGKEY:6UZDFFUW001. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
  5. ↑ "Evening Frederick Wellington Ruckstull (1853–1942)". Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 14 August 2013.