One of the ways American Lucie Bigelow Rosen, née Dodge (1890-1968), used her tremendous social and financial privilege was to sponsor Léon Theremin, a Russian scientist who invented one of the first electronic musical instruments, the eponymous "theremin." She also became one of his pupils, learning to expertly play the unique instrument and performing in the U.S. and Europe. This beautiful portrait shows Lucie posing with her theremin, possibly at Caramoor, the country estate she and her husband, Walter Tower Rosen, built in New York. Per the couple's wishes, the estate became after their deaths a center for music and the arts, and is today known as the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts (https://www.caramoor.org/). Lucie is one of the many women in history whose lives have never been properly studied and documented. From an episode in 1913 when she made international news for "running away" (this is the term that was used despite the fact that she was in her early 20s) from her mother's home to live an independent life, to her somewhat unconventional marriage, to her passionate dedication to music and art, Lucie's life is one that I believe is worthy of far more attention than it has received. Image courtesy Alchetron (https://alchetron.com/Lucie-Bigelow-Rosen#-), which also has many other photos of Lucie and some good background on her. Further background can be found at the following links: https://www.caramoor.org/about/history/ http://www.thereminworld.com/Article/13920/lucie-bigelow-rosen---getting-to-know-her http://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-walter-tower-rosen-house-no-35-west.html #FemaleFriday #WriteAboutWomen #LucieBigelowRosen #Theremin #womenshistory #musichistory #Caramoor https://www.instagram.com/p/BzBLQvqIHS9/?igshid=1hpu9eez79hnm
