Alma de Bretteville Spreckels, beauty and beautifier
Alma de Bretteville Spreckels on the throne of her friend, Queen Marie of Romania. By Richard Hall
Alma Charlotte Corday le Normand de Bretteville's family came to San Francisco from Denmark. As you probably guessed from her name, they were French and noble. So noble, in fact, that Viggo de Bretteville, Alma's father, would not sully his hands with work. This made the family very poor, despite his wife's brave descent into trade. Mathilde de Bretteville gave massages, washed clothes, and baked - assisted by her remarkably beautiful daughter Alma and six other children.
This beauty allowed Alma to support her artistic training (she studied at the Mark Hopkins Institute and did miniatures) by modeling nude and being kind to lonely Klondike millionaires, one of whom she sued for "personal defloweration"1Alma demanded $50,000, was awarded $1,250, but never got paid, so she continued to model..
She was modeling for the Dewey Monument2Some say Aitken's model was Clara Petzold, but I have not seen enough evidence of this. (that's the big column in Union Square. Alma is almost life-sized on top of it3She was six feet tall - about half a foot taller than the average man of her time..) when she met Adolph Spreckels, a man of strong family values4Adolph's family values were so strong, that when San Francisco Chronicle published an article, implying that there was no honest way for the Spreckels family to get a monopoly on the sugar trade he walked right into their offices and shot the publisher, Michael H. de Young, in the back. Twice. He'd have kept shooting, but one of the clerks returned fire, wounding his arm, and a cashier tackled him to the ground. The jury found Adolph not guilty of attempted murder. They were definitely not bribed at all. For sure. Positively., twenty-two years her senior. It is said that Adolph fell in love at first sight, but it took him five years to convince Alma to accept his person and his millions5His millions came from sugar, hence the urban legend that Alma originated the phrase "sugar daddy". . Others say that he was waiting for his syphilis to enter the latent, non-infectious stage.
At first, Alma found it hard to integrate into the haute society of San Francisco. Her first parties were attended only by riff raff Bohemians, such as Jack London. To overcome this coldness Mrs. Spreckels took to buying art and building museums. She started by going to Paris and returning with thirteen Rodin bronzes, which she graciously displayed at the Panama Pacific Exhibition of 1915. It worked, so Alma leaned in even more into buying and displaying art, as well as holding charity auctions for citizens of France, Belgium, and Romania affected by WWI.
To hold her collection she built a full-scale replica of the French pavilion from the 1915 Exhibition. The California Palace of the Legion of Honor6That is, a three-quarters replica of the Palais de la Légion d'Honneur in Paris opened in 1924, on which occasion the French Government bestowed upon Mrs. Spreckels the Cross of the Legion of Honor. The Legion of Honor museum is now ironically joined with its first competitor7There is an urban legend that the de Young museum was founded to spite Alma Spreckels, because her husband had shot one of the de Young brothers. That is not so. In fact the Legion of Honor was founded to spite de Youngs, who had built San Francisco's first art museum a few years earlier. As Alma Spreckels used to say when seeing the de Young daughers: "We haven't been friends since my husband shot their father.", the de Young museum8Originally housed in the Fine Arts building of the 1894 Exposition.
Although Mrs. Spreckels is mainly remembered for her charity work during WWI and Depression and for the Legion of Honor Museum, she also built the Maryhill Museum of Art in Washington and helped create the San Francisco Maritime Museum. She was fully accepted as a leader by the circles she wished to join, and spent her time building fabulous houses and having celebrity-filled parties.
At the age of eighty, having buried her only son, Mrs. Spreckels went into semi-seclusion, spending her time swimming naked, drinking martinis, and visiting with her daughters and grandchildren9One of them grew up to be the famous surfer Bunker Spreckels, who designed the tucked-under rail (https://www.surfersjournal.com/product/bunker-spreckels/) until she died at the age of eighty-seven. Her funeral, one of the most opulent in San Francisco history, was held at the Legion of Honor museum.
1Alma demanded $50,000, was awarded $1,250, but never got paid, so she continued to model. Alma demanded $50,000, was awarded $1,250, but never got paid, so she continued to model.
2Some say Aitken's model was Clara Petzold, but I have not seen enough evidence of this. Some say Aitken's model was Clara Petzold, but I have not seen enough evidence of this.
3She was six feet tall - about half a foot taller than the average man of her time.She was six feet tall - about half a foot taller than the average man of her time.
4Adolph's family values were so strong, that when San Francisco Chronicle published an article, implying that there was no honest way for the Spreckels family to get a monopoly on the sugar trade he walked right into their offices and shot the publisher, Michael H. de Young, in the back. Twice. He'd have kept shooting, but one of the clerks returned fire, wounding his arm, and a cashier tackled him to the ground. The jury found Adolph not guilty of attempted murder. They were definitely not bribed at all. For sure. Positively.Adolph's family values were so strong, that when San Francisco Chronicle published an article, implying that there was no honest way for the Spreckels family to get a monopoly on the sugar trade he walked right into their offices and shot the publisher, Michael H. de Young, in the back. Twice. He'd have kept shooting, but one of the clerks returned fire, wounding his arm, and a cashier tackled him to the ground. The jury found Adolph not guilty of attempted murder. They were definitely not bribed at all. For sure. Positively.
5His millions came from sugar, hence the urban legend that Alma originated the phrase "sugar daddy".His millions came from sugar, hence the urban legend that Alma originated the phrase "sugar daddy".
6That is, a three-quarters replica of the Palais de la Légion d'Honneur in ParisThat is, a three-quarters replica of the Palais de la Légion d'Honneur in Paris
7There is an urban legend that the de Young museum was founded to spite Alma Spreckels, because her husband had shot one of the de Young brothers. That is not so. In fact the Legion of Honor was founded to spite de Youngs, who had built San Francisco's first art museum a few years earlier. As Alma Spreckels used to say when seeing the de Young daughers: "We haven't been friends since my husband shot their father."There is an urban legend that the de Young museum was founded to spite Alma Spreckels, because her husband had shot one of the de Young brothers. That is not so. In fact the Legion of Honor was founded to spite de Youngs, who had built San Francisco's first art museum a few years earlier. As Alma Spreckels used to say when seeing the de Young daughers: "We haven't been friends since my husband shot their father."
8Originally housed in the Fine Arts building of the 1894 ExpositionOriginally housed in the Fine Arts building of the 1894 Exposition
9One of them grew up to be the famous surfer Bunker Spreckels, who designed the tucked-under rail (https://www.surfersjournal.com/product/bunker-spreckels/) One of them grew up to be the famous surfer Bunker Spreckels, who designed the tucked-under rail (https://www.surfersjournal.com/product/bunker-spreckels/)
This beauty allowed Alma to support her artistic training (she studied at the Mark Hopkins Institute and did miniatures) by modeling nude and being kind to lonely Klondike millionaires, one of whom she sued for "personal defloweration"1Alma demanded $50,000, was awarded $1,250, but never got paid, so she continued to model..
She was modeling for the Dewey Monument2Some say Aitken's model was Clara Petzold, but I have not seen enough evidence of this. (that's the big column in Union Square. Alma is almost life-sized on top of it3She was six feet tall - about half a foot taller than the average man of her time..) when she met Adolph Spreckels, a man of strong family values4Adolph's family values were so strong, that when San Francisco Chronicle published an article, implying that there was no honest way for the Spreckels family to get a monopoly on the sugar trade he walked right into their offices and shot the publisher, Michael H. de Young, in the back. Twice. He'd have kept shooting, but one of the clerks returned fire, wounding his arm, and a cashier tackled him to the ground. The jury found Adolph not guilty of attempted murder. They were definitely not bribed at all. For sure. Positively., twenty-two years her senior. It is said that Adolph fell in love at first sight, but it took him five years to convince Alma to accept his person and his millions5His millions came from sugar, hence the urban legend that Alma originated the phrase "sugar daddy". . Others say that he was waiting for his syphilis to enter the latent, non-infectious stage.
At first, Alma found it hard to integrate into the haute society of San Francisco. Her first parties were attended only by riff raff Bohemians, such as Jack London. To overcome this coldness Mrs. Spreckels took to buying art and building museums. She started by going to Paris and returning with thirteen Rodin bronzes, which she graciously displayed at the Panama Pacific Exhibition of 1915. It worked, so Alma leaned in even more into buying and displaying art, as well as holding charity auctions for citizens of France, Belgium, and Romania affected by WWI.
To hold her collection she built a full-scale replica of the French pavilion from the 1915 Exhibition. The California Palace of the Legion of Honor6That is, a three-quarters replica of the Palais de la Légion d'Honneur in Paris opened in 1924, on which occasion the French Government bestowed upon Mrs. Spreckels the Cross of the Legion of Honor. The Legion of Honor museum is now ironically joined with its first competitor7There is an urban legend that the de Young museum was founded to spite Alma Spreckels, because her husband had shot one of the de Young brothers. That is not so. In fact the Legion of Honor was founded to spite de Youngs, who had built San Francisco's first art museum a few years earlier. As Alma Spreckels used to say when seeing the de Young daughers: "We haven't been friends since my husband shot their father.", the de Young museum8Originally housed in the Fine Arts building of the 1894 Exposition.
Although Mrs. Spreckels is mainly remembered for her charity work during WWI and Depression and for the Legion of Honor Museum, she also built the Maryhill Museum of Art in Washington and helped create the San Francisco Maritime Museum. She was fully accepted as a leader by the circles she wished to join, and spent her time building fabulous houses and having celebrity-filled parties.
At the age of eighty, having buried her only son, Mrs. Spreckels went into semi-seclusion, spending her time swimming naked, drinking martinis, and visiting with her daughters and grandchildren9One of them grew up to be the famous surfer Bunker Spreckels, who designed the tucked-under rail (https://www.surfersjournal.com/product/bunker-spreckels/) until she died at the age of eighty-seven. Her funeral, one of the most opulent in San Francisco history, was held at the Legion of Honor museum.
1Alma demanded $50,000, was awarded $1,250, but never got paid, so she continued to model. Alma demanded $50,000, was awarded $1,250, but never got paid, so she continued to model.
2Some say Aitken's model was Clara Petzold, but I have not seen enough evidence of this. Some say Aitken's model was Clara Petzold, but I have not seen enough evidence of this.
3She was six feet tall - about half a foot taller than the average man of her time.She was six feet tall - about half a foot taller than the average man of her time.
4Adolph's family values were so strong, that when San Francisco Chronicle published an article, implying that there was no honest way for the Spreckels family to get a monopoly on the sugar trade he walked right into their offices and shot the publisher, Michael H. de Young, in the back. Twice. He'd have kept shooting, but one of the clerks returned fire, wounding his arm, and a cashier tackled him to the ground. The jury found Adolph not guilty of attempted murder. They were definitely not bribed at all. For sure. Positively.Adolph's family values were so strong, that when San Francisco Chronicle published an article, implying that there was no honest way for the Spreckels family to get a monopoly on the sugar trade he walked right into their offices and shot the publisher, Michael H. de Young, in the back. Twice. He'd have kept shooting, but one of the clerks returned fire, wounding his arm, and a cashier tackled him to the ground. The jury found Adolph not guilty of attempted murder. They were definitely not bribed at all. For sure. Positively.
5His millions came from sugar, hence the urban legend that Alma originated the phrase "sugar daddy".His millions came from sugar, hence the urban legend that Alma originated the phrase "sugar daddy".
6That is, a three-quarters replica of the Palais de la Légion d'Honneur in ParisThat is, a three-quarters replica of the Palais de la Légion d'Honneur in Paris
7There is an urban legend that the de Young museum was founded to spite Alma Spreckels, because her husband had shot one of the de Young brothers. That is not so. In fact the Legion of Honor was founded to spite de Youngs, who had built San Francisco's first art museum a few years earlier. As Alma Spreckels used to say when seeing the de Young daughers: "We haven't been friends since my husband shot their father."There is an urban legend that the de Young museum was founded to spite Alma Spreckels, because her husband had shot one of the de Young brothers. That is not so. In fact the Legion of Honor was founded to spite de Youngs, who had built San Francisco's first art museum a few years earlier. As Alma Spreckels used to say when seeing the de Young daughers: "We haven't been friends since my husband shot their father."
8Originally housed in the Fine Arts building of the 1894 ExpositionOriginally housed in the Fine Arts building of the 1894 Exposition
9One of them grew up to be the famous surfer Bunker Spreckels, who designed the tucked-under rail (https://www.surfersjournal.com/product/bunker-spreckels/) One of them grew up to be the famous surfer Bunker Spreckels, who designed the tucked-under rail (https://www.surfersjournal.com/product/bunker-spreckels/)
Alma de Bretteville Spreckels
