Sidney Mttron Hirsch

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sidney Mttron Hirsch
BornJanuary 3, 1884
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
DiedApril 7, 1962(1962-04-07) (aged 78)
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
OccupationModel, playwright

Sidney Mttron Hirsch (January 3, 1884 – April 7, 1962) was an American model and playwright. He was a model for sculptors Auguste Rodin and Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney. He was a member of The Fugitives.

Early life[]

Sidney Mttron Hirsch was born on January 3, 1884, in Nashville, Tennessee.[1][2][3] His father was a wealthy merchant.[2] He was raised as an Orthodox Jew.[1]

Hirsch was educated in public schools in Nashville and attended the Joseph W. Allen College in Carthage, Tennessee.[1] He did not graduate from college.[3] However, his half-sister Rose "Goldie" Hirsch married James Marshall Frank, a Professor of English at Vanderbilt University.[2][3] Through his brother-in-law, he became acquainted with The Fugitives.[3]

Hirsch joined the United States Navy and served in the Philippines and China for two years.[1][4] While in the Far East, he took up boxing and studied many forms of mysticism and esoterism, including Kabbalah (where his middle name from Metatron), rosicrucianism, numerology, astrology and etymology.[4] Once off duty, he traveled in Korea and India.[4]

Career[]

Hirsch returned to Nashville but soon moved to Paris, France, where he became a model for the sculptor Auguste Rodin.[4] He was introduced to Gertrude Stein and George William Russell, who encouraged him to look at the double meanings of words in literary texts.[4] Meanwhile, he learned to read Latin, Ancient Greek and Hebrew.[4] Additionally, he learned some "Babylonian, Syrian, Chaldean, Arabic, Sanskrit, and ancient Egyptian."[4]

Hirsch moved to New York City, where he modeled for sculptress Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney.[3] Additionally, Hirsch published short stories and art criticism in literary reviews. He wrote his first play, Potiphar's Wife, based on Potiphar.[1] The play was never performed in New York due to differences between Hirsch and the producers.[1] In April 1912, Hirsch visited Nashville briefly to give a lecture on the Trinity in art at the chapel of the Ward Seminary (now Belmont University).[5]

Hirsch returned permanently to Nashville, where he became a playwright and a member of The Fugitives.[3][4] The group met at his sister's house near the Vanderbilt University campus, where Hirsch lived.[4][6] Hirsch was elected their first president in 1923.[4] As such, he was the one who started each meeting.[4]

Hirsch published , a play about Greek mythology, in February 1912.[4] It was performed at the May Festival of 1913 organized by the Nashville Art Association, outside The Parthenon in Centennial Park.[4][7] Meanwhile, the play attracted nationwide attention,[8] from as far as Washington, D.C. and Santa Cruz, California.[9][10] The play was so successful that the United States Department of State considered organizing a performance at the Acropolis of Athens in Greece.[4] However, the plan was abandoned in the wake of World War I.[4]

Hirsch published The Mysteries of Thanatos in 1914, but the play was unsuccessful.[4] His next play, The Passion of Washington Square, received good reviews.[11] It was performed in New York City and Chicago in 1915.[12] Meanwhile, Hirsch was asked to write a vaudeville sketch for actress Phyllis Neilson-Terry.[13]

Death and legacy[]

Hirsch died on April 7, 1962, in Nashville, Tennessee.[3][4] A nude sculpture of Hirsch, designed by African-American sculptor William Edmondson, is in the collection of the Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art.[14]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Sidney M. Hirsch--An Appreciation". Nashville Tennessean and The Nashville American Magazine Section. Nashville, Tennessee. May 4, 1913. p. 34. Retrieved November 30, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  2. ^ a b c Winchell, Mark Royden (2000). Where No Flag Flies: Donald Davidson and the Southern Resistance. Columbia, Missouri: University of Missouri Press. pp. 27–30. ISBN 0826212743. OCLC 704455998. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "The Fugitives and Agrarians". Jean and Alexander Heard Library. Vanderbilt University. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Stewart, John Lincoln (1965). The Burden of Time: The Fugitives and Agrarians. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. pp. 3–34. ISBN 9781400876266. OCLC 859825119. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  5. ^ "Lecture Given On "Trinity In Art": Sidney Hirsch Addresses Representative Audience At Ward Seminary". Nashville Tennessean and The Nashville American. Nashville, Tennessee. April 30, 1912. p. 14. Retrieved November 29, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  6. ^ Farrell, Michael P. (2003). Collaborative Circles: Friendship Dynamics and Creative Work. Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press. p. 79. ISBN 0226238679. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  7. ^ "Gifted Artist Busy Writing Greek Drama". Nashville Tennessean and The Nashville American. Nashville, Tennessee. November 17, 1912. p. 17. Retrieved November 29, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  8. ^ "Pageant Attracting Nation-Wide Attention". The Nashville American. Nashville, Tennessee. April 15, 1913. p. 14. Retrieved November 29, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  9. ^ "More Cities After "The Fire Regained"". The Nashville American. Nashville, Tennessee. December 10, 1913. p. 4. Retrieved November 29, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  10. ^ "Pleased With Nashville Idea: Sidney Hirsch to Stage Fire Regained at Washington". Nashville Tennessean and The Nashville American. Nashville, Tennessee. February 5, 1914. p. 2. Retrieved November 30, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  11. ^ "Sidney Hirsch Writes Successful Play". The Nashville American. Nashville, Tennessee. November 22, 1914. p. 31. Retrieved November 29, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  12. ^ "Sidney Hirsch's Playlet Put On In Chicago". Nashville Tennessean and The Nashville American. Nashville, Tennessee. December 12, 1915. p. 17. Retrieved November 30, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  13. ^ "Honor Is Paid To Sidney Hirsch. Local Dramatist to Write Vaudeville Sketch for Phylis Neilson-Terry". The Nashville American. Nashville, Tennessee. December 5, 1915. p. 23. Retrieved November 29, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  14. ^ Thompson, Robert Harris (1999). The Art of William Edmondson. Oxford, Mississippi: University Press of Mississippi. p. 150. ISBN 1578061806. OCLC 41932532. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
Retrieved from ""