Elsie Celeste Hutton

Identity:

Elsie Celeste Hutton was a collector and relative of Whistler. She was the daughter of Gaun McRobert Hutton (1848-1916) and Celeste Marguerite Winans (1855-1925) of Baltimore. She was born in Baltimore but the family also had a summer residence at Shamrock Cliff, Newport, RI. She had three siblings: Lucette Marguerite Hutton, born in Newport on 20 September 1885; Una Louise Hutton, born in Baltimore on 2 June 1888; and Reginald Winans Hutton, born in Newport on 25 June 1894. Her father, an American diplomat who worked for a while in St Petersburg, was born in Ballygrangey, County Down, Ireland. He became a naturalized American citizen on 19 March 1900. Her mother was the daughter of Thomas de Kay Winans (1820-1878) and Celeste Louise Revillon (1828-1861). Her maternal grandfather's sister Julia was married to Whistler's half-brother, George William Whistler.

Life:

On 17 November 1903 Elsie Hutton made her debut into Baltimore society. As an adult she lived in New York City; in 1922-28 she is recorded as living at 507 Madison Ave and in 1929-36 at 125 East 50th Street.

Hutton acquired a group of early Whistler etchings from her mother, who had acquired them from Thomas DeKay Winans, who had acquired them from Whistler himself. They included K0010126, K0010128, K0090532, K0100421, K0110430, K0130442, K0140229, K0150232, K0160232, K0170323, K0190430, K0210228, K0220320 and K0250151.

Bibliography:

'Coming-Out Reception at Baltimore', New York Times, 18 November 1903; 'Gaun M. Hutton Dies', New York Times, 10 July 1916, p. 11; New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957, http://jsfecmd.fortunecity.com/gibsonweb-p/p2172.htm (accessed September 2009); Winans Family History, http://www.friendsoforiandahouse.com/html/Research.html (accessed September 2009).