Attractive Ladies On Banknotes ~ Sweden

[Scottishmoney]

 

With biography from Wikipedia.

 

Johanna Maria Lind (October 6, 1820 – November 2, 1887), better known as Jenny Lind, was a Swedish-born opera singer, often known as the "Swedish Nightingale". She is known for her performances in soprano roles in Sweden and Europe, as well as for an extraordinarily popular tour of America beginning in 1850, and for her philanthropic work.

 

Lind was the illegitimate daughter of a schoolteacher named Anne Marie Felborg, who married Nikla Lind after Jenny's birth. Her October 6, 1820 recorded birthdate in Stockholm, Sweden is not conclusive, however, because when Lind arrived in New York City from Liverpool, England on the ship S. S. Atlantic on September 1, 1850, she listed her age as 39. If true, then Lind would have been born around 1810 and been a child resulting from her mother's earlier relationships. It is recorded that Lind's mother gave birth to a girl about 1810. After her February 5, 1852 marriage to Otto Goldschmidt (1829 - 1907), she often signed her name as Jenny Lind-Goldschmidt.

Contents

 

Early life and career

 

Lind's mother, Anne Marie, ran a day school for girls out of her home. Lind was noted for her singing voice from a very young age. When she was about nine years old, her singing was overheard by the maid of Mademoiselle Lundberg, the principal dancer at the Royal Swedish Opera. The maid, astounded by Lind's extraordinary voice, returned the next day with the ballet dancer, who arranged an audition and who helped her get accepted at the Royal Theater School, where she studied with Herr Croelius, the singing master at the Royal Theater.

 

Lind began to sing on stage when she was ten, and by the age of 17 she was a favorite in the Royal Swedish Opera. At age 20 she was a member of the Swedish Royal Academy and court singer to the King of Sweden. Her first great role was Agathe, in Carl Maria von Weber's Der Freischütz in 1838 at the Swedish Royal Opera. She was received throughout Europe with tremendous acclaim, but she suffered from stage fright throughout her career. She studied French and Italian opera in 1841-42 with Manoel Garcia in Paris, undoubtably extending her talents, but her time was lonely there.

 

Lind soon toured Denmark where, in 1843, Hans Christian Andersen met and fell in love with the singer, but while the two became good friends, she had no romantic feelings for him. Three of his fairy tales were inspired by her: "The Ugly Duckling," "The Angel," and "The Nightingale." She then performed widely in Germany, especially with Felix Mendelssohn in Leipzig. Lind did have feelings for the composer, but he was married. She then performed in Vienna.

 

Lind traveled to London in 1847 where she first became known as the "Swedish Nightingale". Her first performance in England was on May 4, 1847, in the role of Alice in Giacomo Meyerbeer's Robert le Diable, which led to great successes in London, Manchester, Liverpool, Berlin, and Stockholm. She quickly became wealthy and extremely popular. In January 1849, she performed in a concert in Norwich England organised by the Norwich Choral Society. She liked the city so much that she gave two free concerts a month later. These concerts raised £1,253 for charitable purposes. The money raised was used to buy a house in Pottergate, which was converted into an infirmary for sick children.

 

After Mendelssohn died, Lind returned to Sweden and became engaged to an English captain, George Jones, but this brief romantic interlude did not result in marriage. Lind fled England for Germany, still upset over Mendelssohn's death. In the winter of 1849-1850 Lind became a member of the student fraternity Burschenschaft Hannovera in Goettingen, Germany. She was the only female member in a classical German fraternity. Her membership in the fraternity earned her the name "Little Lady Jenny" among the appreciative male members of the organization.

 

Lind's American tour

 

"The Grand Opening," middle section of a Nathaniel Currier lithograph (later Currier and Ives) celebrating Lind's first U.S. appearance at New York's Castle Garden on September 11, 1850. Her last U.S. Concert was also at Castle Garden on May 24, 1852. She left for Europe on May 29, 1852

"The Grand Opening," middle section of a Nathaniel Currier lithograph (later Currier and Ives) celebrating Lind's first U.S. appearance at New York's Castle Garden on September 11, 1850. Her last U.S. Concert was also at Castle Garden on May 24, 1852. She left for Europe on May 29, 1852

Parody of Lind's American tour for impresario P. T. Barnum in 1850.

Parody of Lind's American tour for impresario P. T. Barnum in 1850.

 

By 1849, P. T. Barnum had become aware of Lind's success and the large audiences she attracted. Earlier in 1845 and 1846 Barnum had toured Europe with his first great attraction, General Tom Thumb. Although he had never heard Lind sing, Barnum knew that concert halls sold out wherever she sang and that she was known for her virtue and charity as well as for her voice. In October 1849, Barnum hired an Englishman, John Wilton, to locate Lind and make her an offer. She wanted to fund new schools in Sweden, and Barnum's offer would allow her to earn a great deal of money. After checking Barnum's credit with a London Bank, on January 9, 1850 Lind accepted Barnum's offer of $1,000 a night (plus expenses) for up to 150 concerts in the United States. Lind insisted on the services of Julius Benedict, a German conductor, composer and pianist with whom she had worked in England, and of Italian baritone Giovanni Belletti as assisting artist since solo recitals were still unknown to American audiences. Benedict's fee was $25,000 and Belletti's $12,500. All told, Barnum had committed to $187,500 (plus expenses) to bring Lind and her musical troupe to America.

 

Lind's contract called for the total fee to be deposited in advance with the London Banking House of Baring Brothers. Barnum had not anticipated front end payments for Lind, since he always had paid performers as performances were completed. To raise the money, Barnum sought loans from New York bankers, who refused to make the loans based on a percentage of the Lind tour, so Barnum mortgaged all his commercial and residential properties. Still a bit short, Barnum finally persuaded a Philadelphia minister, who thought that Lind would be a good influence on American morals, to lend him the final $5,000. Barnum sent the $187,500 to London.

 

Few Americans had ever heard of Lind, and Barnum's first press release set the tone of the promotion. "A visit from such a woman who regards her artistic powers as a gift from Heaven and who helps the afflicted and distressed will be a blessing to America." Her biographical pamphlet and photograph proclaimed: "It is her intrinsic worth of heart and delicacy of mind that produces Jenny's vocal potency." Barnum heavily promoted her record of giving frequent benefit concerts for hospitals and orphanages. Before Lind had even left England, Barnum had made her a household name in America. In August 1850, before Lind left England, Barnum arranged for her to give two farewell concerts in Liverpool. A critic engaged by Barnum to cover the concert wrote of the enthusiasm of the Liverpool audience and its grief at Lind's imminent departure. This review was widely circulated in English, European and American newspapers a week before Lind arrived in New York on September 1, 1850. Over 40,000 people greeted her arrival, trying to get a glimpse of the star.

 

Barnum and Lind renegotiated their contract on September 3, 1850, giving Lind the original $1,000 per concert agreed to, plus the remainder of each concert's profits after Barnum's $5,500 concert management fee was paid. Lind was represented by her lawyer John Jay. Lind gave 93 concerts in America for Barnum, earning over $250,000, while Barnum netted at least $500,000. Lind gave the majority of her U.S. concert earnings to charities, including $1,000 to help build a church in Chicago.

 

Lind's first two American performances were given as charity concerts in New York City on September 11 and 13, 1850 at the Castle Garden Theater, now known better as Castle Clinton, with thousands attending and collecting an astonishing $10,141 and $14,200. The first "Regular Concert" was given on September 17, 1850.

 

In September 1850 Lind gave $5,000 to her Swedish friend, Poly Von Schneidau, to purchase a new camera for his Chicago Studio. As noted above on September 14, 1850, Von Schneidau took the first American daguerrotype of Lind at the New York Brady Studio. Ref: http://runeberg.org/bremlett/0236.html His photo of Lind is in the Library of Congress Collection (Call Number DAG 509X).

 

Thw daguerreotype camera which Von Schneidau purchased from the Lind donation was used by him to take a portrait of Abraham Lincoln in Chicago on October 27, 1854.

 

This is the second oldest known Lincoln image. A 1858 ambrotype print of the 1854 Von Schneidau daguerreotype was purchased in 2006 for $150,000 by the Springfield, Illinois Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum.

 

In Washington, DC during the 1850 tour, Lind was the first performer in the newly renovated National Theater. The "New National Hall" was enlarged to seat 3,400 people for her arrival. The entire police force was called out to keep order in the crowd clamoring for tickets. Congress was adjourned, and the Supreme Court Justices attended.

 

Jenny Lind 1850 to 1851 US / Cuba Concerts Under P T Barnum: New York 35, Philadelphia 8, Boston 7, Providence 1, Baltimore 4, Washington 2, Richmond 1, Charleston 2, Havana 3, New Orleans l2, Natchez 1, Memphis 1, St. Louis 5, Nashville 2, Louisville 3, Madison 1, Cincinnati 5, Wheeling 1, Pittsburg 1. TOTAL CONCERTS 95 (Gross Receipts $712,161).

 

Later years

 

While in the United States, on February 5, 1852, Lind married pianist Otto Goldschmidt, at 20 Louisburg Square, Beacon Hill, Boston. The couple returned to Europe together in May 1852 on the same ship she came to America on, the S. S. Atlantic. They had three children: Walter Otto Goldschmidt, born September 1853 in Germany, Jenny Maria Katherine Goldschmidt, born March 1857 in England, and Ernest Svend David Goldschmidt, born January 1861 in England.

 

Although she ceased her professional singing career with her return to Europe, Lind continued to perform in a number of oratorios, concerts, and choruses, with a particular interest in Bach. She lived first in Dresden, Germany, and then in England for the remainder of her life, where she became a philanthropist, and for some years a professor of singing at the Royal College of Music. Her last public performance was at Düsseldorf on January 20, 1870, where she sang in "Ruth", an oratorio composed by her husband.

 

Lind died on November 2, 1887 in Malvern, Worcestershire, as a result of cancer. Lind lived her last years at Wynd's Point, behind the Little Malvern Priory, and is buried in the Great Malvern Cemetery. She bequeathed a considerable part of her wealth to help poor Protestant students in Sweden receive an education.

 

 

Lind's fame garnered her many commemorations. The artwork on the Swedish 50 krona banknote has a musical theme, the front of the note featuring a large portrait of Lind as a tribute to her memory.

 

In Britain, when the Pottergate infirmary was closed in 1898, a new Jenny Lind Infirmary for Sick Children was built in Unthank Road, which opened in 1900. The Infirmary closed in 1975, with the children's services transferred to Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, St Stephen's Road where, in 1985 a wing of the hospital was named the Jenny Lind Children's Department. When the new Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital was established in 2001, the Lind Department moved with it, where it remains today.

 

Under the name "Jenny Lind-Goldschmidt", she is commemorated in Poet's Corner, Westminster Abbey. There is also a plaque commemorating Lind in The Boltons, Kensington, London.

 

The Jenny Lind archive is at North Park College in Chicago.

 

Many objects have been named for Lind as well, including the Jenny Lind locomotive, Jenny Lind Island in Canada and the gold-rush town of Jenny Lind, California (despite the fact that she only performed on the East Coast while in the United States). During her visit to America, she was reported to have slept in a bed with turned spindles, leading to the naming of a bed or crib with vertical bars on all sides as a "Jenny Lind cot" (or crib or cradle).

 

Many artistic works have honored or featured Lind. Anton Wallerstein composed the "Jenny Lind's Lieblings-Polka" in 1845.[1] In the 1930 Hollywood film A Lady's Morals, Grace Moore starred as Lind, and Wallace Beery appeared as P.T. Barnum.[1] In 1941 Ilse Werner starred as Lind in the German-language film Schwedische Nachtigall, with Joachim Gottschalk as Hans Christian Andersen. In January 2005, Elvis Costello announced that he was writing an opera about her, called The Secret Arias. It includes songs by Hans Christian Andersen, who had fallen in love with Lind.

 

Trivia

 

Reportedly, Lind was extremely jealous of fellow Swedish soprano (and successor to the title "Swedish Nightingale") Christina Nilsson. In a bid to redirect attention being given to her rival, during an interview with a reporter after a performance by Sicilian-American Adelina Patti, Lind dismissed Nilsson with the emphatic opinion that Patti was a far better singer than Nilsson ever could be.

[see323]

must have taken from this painting for the banknote protrait

 

 

Anyway, she is beautiful.

[Drusus]

I guess you could say she was an early super star...she IS cute