Kathleen Langone
Amalia Kussner: Darling Artist of the Gilded Age (1885–1910)
Amalia Kussner was a renown miniature artist of the Gilded Age (from the 1880s up until 1910), who painted the “greats” of that era. This included the Astor Family; Lillian Russell; and various royalty, including Edward VII of England and the Czar and Czarina of Russia.
Her artistic talent was only part of what made her so impressive. She had an inherent ability to market herself and could command thousand’s of dollars for a single portrait. She traveled all over the world doing her portraits, including a dramatic trip to South Africa during the Boer War.
The presentation will cover the full span of her career, show photos of her work, and fascinating stories of her interactions with the Gilded Age “greats.”
Session Handouts
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Kathleen Langone (hkl4833@verizon.net) has been a historical researcher most of her adult life and has given presentations at historical societies and universities, and has been interviewed for TV and radio. She has written historical articles which covered local New England characters and natural disasters. Currently, Langone has a podcast series, People Hidden in History (iTunes), which highlights fascinating people in the arts and politics which are unknown to the general public.