Kip Rhinelander
Encyclopedia
Leonard Kip Rhinelander (1903 - 1936) was a New York socialite. His sensational 1925 divorce
trial highlighted a contemporary racial issue, i.e. the vague legal definition of that time on who was to be considered "white
" or "colored
". Its circumstances also led to a new development in journalistic photography, i.e. using (ethical) photomanipulation (see Composograph
).
on May 9, 1903 to Adelaide Kip and Philip Jacob Rhinelander, the youngest of five children, four boys and a girl. The eldest, a son, died at thirteen days of age. Mrs. Rhinelander died in 1915 as a result of injuries suffered when an alcohol lamp on her dressing table exploded. The third son, T.J. Oakley Rhinelander died in France during World War I, in 1918.
Standard Star hunting for a story, uncovered the fact that Alice was of mixed race and suggested that she had hidden this fact from her husband. Newspaper headlines soon read, "Rhinelander's Son Marries Daughter of Colored Man."
complaint that his father's lawyers had prepared. It charged Alice with hiding her race from her husband. The document asserted that she had tried to pass
herself off as white. The trial was known as Rhinelander v. Rhinelander. Kip's attorney was a former New York Supreme Court
justice, Isaac Mills. Alice retained a former protege of Mills, Lee Parsons Davis. The jury was all-white and all-male. Vaudeville
star Al Jolson
was among the witnesses.
The most famous aspect of the trial was the question of whether she was really "colored" as both sides contended. In a notorious episode of indecisiveness, an attorney instructed her (in the judge's chambers) to remove her upper clothing so that the jury could inspect the precise color of her nipples (245 N.Y. 510). They viewed her breasts, back and legs, concluding that she was indeed "colored
" and that Kip must have known that she was not white. The judge barred reporters from seeing this, leading to the creation of a composograph
.
Alice won the case. The annulment was denied and the marriage upheld. According to the terms of the settlement, Kip paid Alice a lump sum of $32,500 and $3600 per year for life. In return, Alice forfeited all claims to the Rhinelander estate and agreed not to use the Rhinelander name, nor to lecture or write publicly about her story, pledges which she honored for the rest of her life. Her life over, the name carved on her gravestone is "Alice J. Rhinelander."
, a single man. There he won a divorce, but it was valid only in the state of Nevada. The two signed a separation agreement in New York
at a later date.
, on February 20, 1936, but Alice outlasted him, dying in 1989. He is buried in the family plot at Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx.
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
trial highlighted a contemporary racial issue, i.e. the vague legal definition of that time on who was to be considered "white
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
" or "colored
Colored
Colored is a term once widely used in the United States to describe black people and Native Americans...
". Its circumstances also led to a new development in journalistic photography, i.e. using (ethical) photomanipulation (see Composograph
Composograph
Composograph refers to a forerunner method of photo manipulation and is a retouched photographic collage popularized by publisher and physical culture advocate Bernarr Macfadden in his New York Graphic in 1924....
).
Early years
Leonard was born in Pelham, New YorkPelham, New York
Pelham, New York is the name of two locations in Westchester County, New York:*Pelham , New York, the Town of Pelham*Pelham Manor , New York, the Village of Pelham Manor*Pelham , New York, the Village of Pelham...
on May 9, 1903 to Adelaide Kip and Philip Jacob Rhinelander, the youngest of five children, four boys and a girl. The eldest, a son, died at thirteen days of age. Mrs. Rhinelander died in 1915 as a result of injuries suffered when an alcohol lamp on her dressing table exploded. The third son, T.J. Oakley Rhinelander died in France during World War I, in 1918.
Marriage
After Rhinelander met Alice Jones, a domestic servant, in 1921, a three-year long romance followed, culminating in their marriage in October, 1924. Their marriage did not go unnoticed for long. Headlines read "L. Kip Rhinelander Weds Obscure Girl". Reporters for the New RochelleNew Rochelle, New York
New Rochelle is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state.The town was settled by refugee Huguenots in 1688 who were fleeing persecution in France...
Standard Star hunting for a story, uncovered the fact that Alice was of mixed race and suggested that she had hidden this fact from her husband. Newspaper headlines soon read, "Rhinelander's Son Marries Daughter of Colored Man."
Divorce trial
For a time, Kip stood by his wife during the intense national coverage of their marriage. After two weeks, he left her and signed an annulmentAnnulment
Annulment is a legal procedure for declaring a marriage null and void. Unlike divorce, it is usually retroactive, meaning that an annulled marriage is considered to be invalid from the beginning almost as if it had never taken place...
complaint that his father's lawyers had prepared. It charged Alice with hiding her race from her husband. The document asserted that she had tried to pass
Passing (racial identity)
Racial passing refers to a person classified as a member of one racial group attempting to be accepted as a member of a different racial group...
herself off as white. The trial was known as Rhinelander v. Rhinelander. Kip's attorney was a former New York Supreme Court
New York Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the trial-level court of general jurisdiction in thestate court system of New York, United States. There is a supreme court in each of New York State's 62 counties, although some smaller counties share judges with neighboring counties...
justice, Isaac Mills. Alice retained a former protege of Mills, Lee Parsons Davis. The jury was all-white and all-male. Vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
star Al Jolson
Al Jolson
Al Jolson was an American singer, comedian and actor. In his heyday, he was dubbed "The World's Greatest Entertainer"....
was among the witnesses.
The most famous aspect of the trial was the question of whether she was really "colored" as both sides contended. In a notorious episode of indecisiveness, an attorney instructed her (in the judge's chambers) to remove her upper clothing so that the jury could inspect the precise color of her nipples (245 N.Y. 510). They viewed her breasts, back and legs, concluding that she was indeed "colored
Quadroon
Quadroon, and the associated words octoroon and quintroon are terms that, historically, were applied to define the ancestry of people of mixed-race, generally of African and Caucasian ancestry, but also, within Australia, to those of Aboriginal and Caucasian ancestry...
" and that Kip must have known that she was not white. The judge barred reporters from seeing this, leading to the creation of a composograph
Composograph
Composograph refers to a forerunner method of photo manipulation and is a retouched photographic collage popularized by publisher and physical culture advocate Bernarr Macfadden in his New York Graphic in 1924....
.
Alice won the case. The annulment was denied and the marriage upheld. According to the terms of the settlement, Kip paid Alice a lump sum of $32,500 and $3600 per year for life. In return, Alice forfeited all claims to the Rhinelander estate and agreed not to use the Rhinelander name, nor to lecture or write publicly about her story, pledges which she honored for the rest of her life. Her life over, the name carved on her gravestone is "Alice J. Rhinelander."
Later years
Kip appealed several times but the verdict held. He disappeared from public view, although rumors suggested that they had reunited. In 1930, Kip resurfaced in NevadaNevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, a single man. There he won a divorce, but it was valid only in the state of Nevada. The two signed a separation agreement in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
at a later date.
Death
Kip died of pneumonia at his father's house in Long Beach, New YorkLong Beach, New York
Long Beach is a city in Nassau County, New York. Just south of Long Island, it is located on Long Beach Barrier Island, which is the westernmost of the outer barrier islands off Long Island's South Shore. As of the United States 2010 Census, the city population was 33,275...
, on February 20, 1936, but Alice outlasted him, dying in 1989. He is buried in the family plot at Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx.
Case citation
Leonard Rhinelander v. Alice Rhinelander; 219 A.D. 189; 219 N.Y.S. 548; Supreme Court of New York, Appellate Division, Second Department (1927).Resources
- "Reprimand." Time Magazine 7 Dec. 1925. 25 Apr. 2008.
- "Reply." Time Magazine 18 Jan. 1926..
- Hidden in plain sight: defying juridical racialization in Rhinelander v. Rhinelander
- A. Cheree Carlson, "'You Know It When You See It:' The Rhetorical Hierarchy of Race and Gender in Rhinelander V. Rhinelander." Quarterly Journal of Speech 85 (1999): 111-128.
- The Blues, Black Vaudeville, and the Silver Screen, 1912-1930s: Selections from the Records of Macon's Douglass Theatre
- Composograph of Alice Rhinelander
Sources
- THE LONG TRADITION OF DOCTORING PHOTOS
- Love and Race Caught in the Public Eye
- Early-century court case was won by deconstructing race
- Till Divorce Do Us Part - Ellen Feldman November 2000
- http://academic.udayton.edu/race/04needs/sex05.htm
- Why Did One-Drop Become Nationwide Tradition? Essays on the Color Line and the One-Drop Rule - Frank W Sweet - January 1, 2006