Hattie Bishop Speed
Encyclopedia
Hattie Bishop Speed was a pianist
, humanist
, and philanthropist
who championed music and the arts in Louisville, Kentucky
.
Born Harriett Theresa Bishop in Louisville on February 12, 1858, Hattie attended Louisville and Boston private schools before going to Europe in 1886. Her music education continued for six years there in Berlin and Rome at the age of 28. Upon returning to Louisville, Ms. Bishop resumed her life as a piano teacher and performer. As a music student in Rome in the late 1880s and early 1890s, Hattie Bishop became close friends with Anita Vedder, daughter of the American expatriate
painter, Elihu Vedder
. After visiting the Vedders at their homes in Rome
and on the island of Capri
, Hattie came to know American painters, Charles Caryl Coleman
and George Randolph Barse
.
Hattie Bishop married prominent Louisville businessman, James Breckinridge Speed, in 1906. She was 48 and he was 62. His first wife, Cora Coffin Speed, had died the year prior. Traveling extensively throughout the US as well as abroad, the two enjoyed collecting paintings and sculptures.
With James Speed’s death in 1912, Hattie established the Speed Art Museum
to memorialize of her husband of his love of art. Mrs. Speed served as the first president and director of the art museum.
Mrs. Speed. was also a fervent advocate of Louisville's American Red Cross
Hospital, which had been founded by African-American physicians and operating the only nurse training program in Kentucky open to black women. Hattie Speed served on the hospital's advisory board and helped fund many of the hospital's operations.
Hattie Speed died in 1942.
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
, humanist
Humanism
Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....
, and philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
who championed music and the arts in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
.
Born Harriett Theresa Bishop in Louisville on February 12, 1858, Hattie attended Louisville and Boston private schools before going to Europe in 1886. Her music education continued for six years there in Berlin and Rome at the age of 28. Upon returning to Louisville, Ms. Bishop resumed her life as a piano teacher and performer. As a music student in Rome in the late 1880s and early 1890s, Hattie Bishop became close friends with Anita Vedder, daughter of the American expatriate
Expatriate
An expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing...
painter, Elihu Vedder
Elihu Vedder
Elihu Vedder was an American symbolist painter, book illustrator, and poet, born in New York City....
. After visiting the Vedders at their homes in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and on the island of Capri
Capri
Capri is an Italian island in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the Sorrentine Peninsula, on the south side of the Gulf of Naples, in the Campania region of Southern Italy...
, Hattie came to know American painters, Charles Caryl Coleman
Charles Caryl Coleman
Charles Caryl Coleman was an American-born Italian painter.Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, Coleman studied art under William Holbrook Beard "and an itinerant painter, Andrew Andrews whose real name was Isaacs." Between 1859 to 1862, Coleman studied in Paris under Thomas Couture, returning...
and George Randolph Barse
George Randolph Barse
George Randolph Barse Jr. was an American artist and illustrator. Born in Detroit, Barse attended public schools in Kansas City and went to Paris in 1878, where he spent five years training at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in the atelier of Alexandre Cabanel, and at the Académie Julien under Jules...
.
Hattie Bishop married prominent Louisville businessman, James Breckinridge Speed, in 1906. She was 48 and he was 62. His first wife, Cora Coffin Speed, had died the year prior. Traveling extensively throughout the US as well as abroad, the two enjoyed collecting paintings and sculptures.
With James Speed’s death in 1912, Hattie established the Speed Art Museum
Speed Art Museum
The Speed Art Museum, originally known as the J.B. Speed Memorial Museum, now colloquially referred to as the Speed by locals, is the oldest, largest, and foremost museum of art in Kentucky...
to memorialize of her husband of his love of art. Mrs. Speed served as the first president and director of the art museum.
Mrs. Speed. was also a fervent advocate of Louisville's American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
Hospital, which had been founded by African-American physicians and operating the only nurse training program in Kentucky open to black women. Hattie Speed served on the hospital's advisory board and helped fund many of the hospital's operations.
Hattie Speed died in 1942.