Irene Hayes
Encyclopedia
Irene Hayes was a Ziegfeld girl
and businesswoman who owned Irene Hayes Wadley & Smythe, a leading Manhattan
florist, and Gallagher's Steak House
after the death of her husband, Jack Solomon
.
She bought the florist Wadley & Smythe on Park Avenue
, adding her name, as no new businesses were allowed on Park Avenue at that time. "The right flowers do a lot of good and the wrong ones work mischief," she would often say. "I honestly believe that flowers, or rather the lack of them, have the power to change the map of the world.
"Do you think Nero
would have burned Rome
if he had been surrounded with the peace and gentleness of mimosa
, lilies and acacia
? I could mention any number of tyrants whose lives would have been less violent if only they had loved flowers."
A number of years after her husband's death in 1963 she sold Gallagher's to Jerome Brody. An active participant in the Manhattan social scene she was a good friend of the Nordstrom Sisters
. Until her death in the 1970s she always had a table at the Ziegfeld Ball and made her home in Manhattan at her apartment on Sutton Place
.
She died of an apparent heart ailment at St. Vincent's Hospital in Greenwich Village
, New York City
, aged 79 and was cremated at Ferncliff
.
Ziegfeld girl
Ziegfeld Girls were the chorus girls from Florenz Ziegfeld's theatrical spectaculars known as the Ziegfeld Follies , which were based on the Folies Bergère of Paris....
and businesswoman who owned Irene Hayes Wadley & Smythe, a leading Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
florist, and Gallagher's Steak House
Gallagher's Steak House
Gallagher's Steak House, located at 228 W 52nd St in New York City, was founded in November 1927 by Helen Gallagher, a former Ziegfeld girl, the wife of Edward Gallagher , and Jack Solomon, a colorful gambler with a large loyal following from the sporting element...
after the death of her husband, Jack Solomon
Jack Solomon
Jack Solomon was a colorful gambler-and-sports enthusiast turned restaurateur. He co-founded Gallagher's Steak House in 1927 with Helen Gallagher, the wife of Ed Gallagher ....
.
She bought the florist Wadley & Smythe on Park Avenue
Park Avenue (Manhattan)
Park Avenue is a wide boulevard that carries north and southbound traffic in New York City borough of Manhattan. Through most of its length, it runs parallel to Madison Avenue to the west and Lexington Avenue to the east....
, adding her name, as no new businesses were allowed on Park Avenue at that time. "The right flowers do a lot of good and the wrong ones work mischief," she would often say. "I honestly believe that flowers, or rather the lack of them, have the power to change the map of the world.
"Do you think Nero
Nero
Nero , was Roman Emperor from 54 to 68, and the last in the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Nero was adopted by his great-uncle Claudius to become his heir and successor, and succeeded to the throne in 54 following Claudius' death....
would have burned 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...
if he had been surrounded with the peace and gentleness of mimosa
Mimosa
Mimosa is a genus of about 400 species of herbs and shrubs, in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the legume family Fabaceae. The generic name is derived from the Greek word μιμος , meaning "mimic."...
, lilies and acacia
Acacia
Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not...
? I could mention any number of tyrants whose lives would have been less violent if only they had loved flowers."
A number of years after her husband's death in 1963 she sold Gallagher's to Jerome Brody. An active participant in the Manhattan social scene she was a good friend of the Nordstrom Sisters
Nordstrom Sisters
The Nordstrom Sisters were an American cabaret act which performed internationally from 1931 to 1976.Dagmar Nordstrom the younger of the two sisters was a composer, arranger and the pianist of the duo...
. Until her death in the 1970s she always had a table at the Ziegfeld Ball and made her home in Manhattan at her apartment on Sutton Place
Sutton Place, Manhattan
Sutton Place is the name given to one of the most affluent streets in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, New York, United States, situated on the border between the Midtown and Upper East Side neighborhoods...
.
She died of an apparent heart ailment at St. Vincent's Hospital in Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, aged 79 and was cremated at Ferncliff
Ferncliff Cemetery
Ferncliff Cemetery and Mausoleum is located on Secor Road in the hamlet of Hartsdale, town of Greenburgh, Westchester County, New York, about 25 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. It was founded in 1902, and is non-sectarian...
.