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Archives For December 31, 2013
Gertrude’s sister, Sarah Jane (“Janie”) Cochran Sanford, married Italian diplomat, Mario Pansa, in 1937. Pansa played polo with Stephen Sanford, and served as a social adviser to Benito Mussolini before and during World War II. Below are images of the couple, as well as images from Mario’s time in fascist Italy and Germany during WWII.
We are still in the process of identifying some of the men in these photographs. If you recognize someone, let us know (mchughck@cofc.edu)!
Jane (left) and Mario Pansa
The Pansa’s wedding invitation and portrait
Jane golfing in Palm Beach, Florida
Mario and his polo team
Mario with his elephant trophy, 1930
June 1943. Benito Mussolini (in white), Mihai Antonescu, Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, (2nd from right) Mario Pansa (6th from left), others unidentified
June 1943. Mihai Antonescu, Mussolini (center), and Pansa (second from center), others unidentified
Mihai Antonescu, June 1943
June 1943. Mihai Antonescu, others unidentified
June 1943. Benito Mussolini (right), Mihai Antonescu (left)
June 1943. Benito Mussolini (right), Mihai Antonescu (left)
Galeazzo Ciano (center), Foreign Minister of Fascist Italy from 1936 until 1943 and Benito Mussolini’s son-in-law.
June 1943. Mihai Antonescu (center), Mario Pansa (front left), others unidentified
Gertrude was an avid writer and artist, and she kept detailed journals of each place she visited over the years. She also wrote several books, including The Sands Ceased to Run, Gertie!, The Time of My Life. Below are images of these manuscripts in their different forms — from scrawled notes to final drafts!
Handwritten preliminary chapter list
Two of Gertie’s travel journals
Testing image placement and captions
A response to one of Gertie’s many solicitations for publication
Manuscript corrections for The Time of My Life
“Final” draft!
This collection includes a large number of detailed scrapbooks Gertrude compiled over the years.
Gertrude funded expeditions for National Geographic and the American Museum of Natural History, during which they would collect specimens to display at Medway Plantation and in various museums.
These images are from some of her earliest expeditions to Africa, Abyssinia, and Indochina (1928-1932) and include Gertrude, her husband, Sidney Legendre, her brother, Stephen “Laddie” Sanford, and her brother-in-law, Morris Legendre.
Thanks to the project’s digital library assistant, Rebecca McClure, for these beautiful scans! These scrapbooks (and many more) will soon be available in a digital exhibit via the Lowcountry Digital Library.
Africa, 1927, and Abyssinia, 1928-1929
Indochina, 1932
Africa, 1928
Africa, 1928