From the Collections Vault: Evelyn’s Honeymoon Photo Albums

Accession Number 2011.BH.030 & 034: Evelyn’s Honeymoon Photo Albums

Happy American Archives Month! Our collections are such a treasure trove and I am just beginning to scratch the surface. While on the hunt in our storage for another project, I came across two cardboard floral photo albums in our archives. Photos slid out as I picked one up, revealing scenes of Frederic and Evelyn in Europe I did not know existed. The two albums feature one photo per paper page in glossy black and white of their 1931 honeymoon trip. I was immediately taken by the intimacy and quirkiness of the photos. They took snapshots of each other mainly, mimicking each other’s poses or including fun candid pictures. There are of course a few of the both of them together, by/on a ship or at a meal, and even in traditional German clothing. I believe these photos really show their artistic nature and love for each other.

We did not have much information on where Frederic and Evelyn went on their honeymoon exactly. Venice, Munich, Paris, and Monaco were confirmed; however, these photos show other locations as well. I began to do some research through reverse image searching. I was able to find that Frederic and Evelyn visited the Gorges Du Loup viaduct near Nice, France, the Rhône Glacier ice grotto in Switzerland, and multiple locations in Garmisch, Germany. There are as-yet-to-be-identified spots as well. You can see some of the pictures here in this article, and for the curious like myself, the links to these locations are here:

Garmisch-Partenkirchen: beautiful scenery on the Zugspitze – Germany Travel

Rhone Glacier Ice Grotto | Switzerland Tourism (myswitzerland.com)

The Gorges du Loup viaduct, or Viaduc du Loup, was unfortunately destroyed by German troops during World War II and only partial remnants exist today. Here is a website link to its history:

Pont-du-Loup Viaduct | Historical Society of Tourrettes-sur-Loup (shtourrettessurloup.com)

A few of these are direct inspirations for paintings we have on the property! I was in a state of awe seeing photos that Frederic used for the honeymoon painting diptychs in the studio that I wrote about in our latest newsletter. The railings, clothing, poses, and backgrounds are clearly recognizable in the paintings. I just knew I had to include them in our museum somehow – so now you can find a collage of these photos and information in the Studio, as well as a copy of the entire photo album in the Drawing Room that all are welcome to peruse. If you recognize any other locations, feel free to reach out and let us know. Hope you enjoy!