Polly Jessup

Pauline Daniel"Polly" Jessup is known for her graceful and sophisticated interiordecor for society's biggest names-du Pont, Ford, Whitney, Mellon, Reed, andcountless other socialites. She was given her nickname in a 1987 NewYork Times editorial, at the end of a prolific six-decade career. Jessup oversaw many significant commissions andher work persevered through the economic downtowns of the Great Depression andwell after the post war boom. This new volume weaves social history and afascinating cast of characters into the fabric of her story, using images ofher work and recollections from clients and colleagues to document, for thefirst time, Jessup's history and contributions to the design canon. Author and curatorialhistorian Maggie Lidz has written the volume's three principal chapters, whichlook variously at the life and career of Polly Jessup, Jessup's notable clientsand their "Jessup Rooms", and key employees of her company, Jessup Inc. Each ofthese chapters is heavily illustrated with a wealth of colour shots ofsurviving interiors, archival photographs, and ephemera from the collections atthe Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach, The Society of the Four Arts, TheEdsel and Ethel Ford House, and the Detroit Institute of Arts.