Hans Gallas

"We had arrived at the Gare du Nord with over three hours to spare. There were, after all, a tremendous number of traveling cases and trunks. It took us two taxi rides from the apartment to the train station before all the pieces could be accounted for. A small group of photographers, who had gathered for the occasion, volunteered to watch over the load while we returned to the rue de Fleurus for more. My Mesdames accepted their offer without hesitation. They had an almost childlike trust in photographers.  Photographers, my Mesdames believed, transformed an occasion into an event. Their presence signaled that importance and fame had arrived, holding each other's hands…" (from The Book of Salt: A Novel by Monique Truong Houghton Mifflin 2003) Ninety years ago. Manhattan. October 24, 1934, 57 °. There were crowds at the Music Box Theatre for tickets to see Kaufman and Hart's Merrily We Roll Along. There were crowds at the Capitol movie palace to see Charles Laughton's latest movie The Barretts of Wimple Street and there were crowds at the cash registers at Saks for the latest perfumes by Schiaparelli.   That week's issue of The New Yorker announced the release of William Saroyan's book The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze saying, "When Mr. Saroyan does Gertrude Stein or Sherwood Anderson, he is not so good; but when speaking in his proper voice, he makes you sit up." But the largest, curious and expectant crowd was at the West pier awaiting the arrival of the S.S. Champlain from France. (The Champlain was also the ship that brought Christopher Isherwood to the U.S. in 1939 and carried Vladimir Nabokov and his family on what would be its last voyage carrying European refugees in 1940. On its return crossing, it hit a German mine and was destroyed.)   There were Fedora hatted reporters, small notebooks in hand and Fedora hatted photographers, cameras ready with globe shaped flash bulbs, bonneted by aluminum colored reflectors. Couples carrying bouquets of flowers mingled with other men, women and children also carrying flowers. People strained their necks to get the first glimpse of one of America's newest celebrity couple, Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas. Many Americans were familiar with Stein primarily because of her extensive art collection and her Parisian salon, but few had read her. If her short works appeared in magazines, many were indecipherable by most readers and sometimes became the source of critics' jokes. Stein had published her first book Three Lives in 1906, but it was her book The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas, published September 1, 1933, 5,400 copies, for $3.50 and a Literary Guild edition was published simultaneously, bringing the real fame that brought her back for a lecture tour. She had been reluctant to return but with the urging by friends, she agreed. They insisted that now she had arrived as a bestselling author and people were anxious to see and hear her. Due to her popularity, a book of her lectures was even published by Random House in March,1935 while they were still in the U.S. For the next six months more reporters and more photographers, more celebrities, more literary types and more everyday people would follow Miss Stein and Miss Toklas in newspapers, on the radio and in movie theater newsreels as they crisscrossed the country visiting thirty-seven cities in twenty-three states. For both of them it would be their first and only return to the U.S. in almost thirty years. When the ship docked some reporters and photographers boarded the S.S. Champlain along with William G. Rogers, whom GertrudeandAlice had met as a WWI soldier and affectionally called "The Kiddie." They had stayed in touch, and he was now a reporter. Questions were asked and Gertrude assured them that she had come "to tell them very plainly and simply and directly what literature is." The frenzy experienced on arrival would continue until they boarded the ship for home on May 4th, 1935. The Champlain had been a luxurious cocoon during their Atlantic crossing. The fare for Cabin Class, the highest class offered, was approximately $160 per person, the equivalent of about $6,000 today. Gertrude presented her recollections of the tour with, at times, strong opinions of who and what they saw and experienced in her book Everybody's Autobiography which was published in 1937. The book contains the now famous 'There, there' quote about her visit to Oakland. Alice also recounts the tour in her 1954 cookbook and again in her 1963 autobiography, What is Remembered. As it is impossible to cover all of the stops on the tour, I decided to let Alice relate some of the highlights of their trek across the States by way of a fictionalized travel diary – nonfiction fiction - written on sheets of S.S. Champlain stationary. It was after all, the bestseller with Alice's name in the title which was bringing them back after three decades.   Many of the photographs included with the diary are actual press photos from my collection which have been colorized to provide a new way of seeing. We are so used to viewing black and white pictures of historic figures from the early part of the 20th century, so I felt colorizing them would allow us, ninety years later, to see them as the enthusiastic throngs saw them in real life. S.S. Champlain A Bord le 23.X.34 On board for six days. Lovey and I have enjoyed the comforts of a luxurious life at sea! How lovely to be treated so excellently at every turn, but tomorrow we'll reach New York and what awaits us there and in the months ahead is a mystery. We certainly will miss the salon and our Cabin Class room is really First Class all the way. The salon is beautifully appointed with plenty of places to relax or meet and converse with other passengers.   The food? Exquisite! As French as French can be. I have saved all of the menus. On the Gala Menu for the final supper, our favorite dishes were the Poularde de Bresse Truffée and of course the dessert, Soufflé Glacé "Champlain," a perfect ending with a perfect dessert named after a perfect ship!   And now to pack. S.S. Champlain A Bord le 27.X.34 New York We have settled into our suite at the Algonquin Hotel. It is truly lovely. Still recovering from the voyage and crowds at the pier but one of the photographers took a photo just before we disembarked. I'm sure we look splendid! My fur coat was a bit warm (we had anticipated cooler weather) but I'm certain I look chic! My satchel contains Lovey's lecture notes. Her simple, pale green suit is most appropriate for a successful writer returning home. And her hat will be the talk of the town! I have read that some think her manner of dressing is too conservative for someone coming from fashion obsessed Paris, but she favors it, and I favor it, so that is that.   I continue to work on our evolving schedule, but Lovey has already had her first radio interview which was heard coast-to-coast with William Lundell. And we were told about an even more exciting thing which happened the other day – a newsreel of our arrival is being shown in motion picture theaters across the country. My, my, motion picture stars in our first few days! S.S. Champlain A Bord le 12.X.34 Chicago Good Lord, Lovey and I took our first airplane ride to Chicago to see her (and Virgil Thomson's) opera "Four Saints in Three Acts." I stiil don't know how they take flight, but what a fantastic adventure! There was no time to take the train from New York because of upcoming lectures in the East, so Carl [Van Vechten] suggested flying. We accepted and he was kind enough to give us two small Indian dolls as good luck charms. We also insisted that he must fly with us, another good luck charm! The pilot, Bob Dawson, was a delight and Ruth, the stewardess, was even more so, making the whole experience quite magical as we traversed the friendly skies.   We saw the performance in the magnificent Auditorium Theatre from two vantage points: the balcony for the first half and orchestra seats for the second half. Both vantage points were marvelous. What a wonderful theatre. Among the many people we were introduced to was a fine gentleman, Harry McCormick, a prominent owner of a number of aviation companies and avid opera fan. In the photograph with him backstage, we saw some of the cellophane scenery from the opera by Florine Stettheimer. We both wore the long velvet robes designed and made for us by Yvonne, the wife of our good friend Jo Davidson. Lovey will wear this robe at all of her lectures. We will be returning to Chicago several times in the next few months as guests in Thornton 's [Wilder] apartment near the University of Chicago, as well as staying at what we presume is sumptuous, the Drake Hotel. Lovey has mentioned several times that she has a feeling that Chicago will be her favorite city on the tour.   S.S. Champlain A Bord le 1.I.35 Pikeville, MD One year just ended and a new one is beginning! What better place to celebrate than with Julian [Stein Sr.] and his family! They are so welcoming and now I see why Lovey has always called him "her favorite cousin!" Not to mention his wife, gracious Rose Ellen with whom Lovey corresponds regularly and who is translating the "Autobiography" into Braille! Now that will be a volume or two or three to hold! I recall one of her letters in which Rose Ellen must have been a sibyl writing:' "Gertrude Stein" in any publication is now apparently just as much a part of its make up as the weather report, so my only surprise is an occasional copy of some newspaper or magazine which neglects to put you in somewhere." ' Time here at Rose Hill, even during the winter, is so comfortable and there is nothing better than beginning 1935 amidst the family's warmth. Lovey has become entranced with their rocking chair, which she says, "is more comfortable than anything in Europe." She insists we'll buy one here and take it back to Paris. In addition to Lovey, the household now also has another celebrity, Julian, Jr., who though he has been unable to pass his driving test this week, is boldly featured in the Baltimore Sun article about Lovey. The photograph with the family dogs, however, reminded us about how much we miss Basket and Pepè. We have always enjoyed Julian, Jr. during his Paris visits and Jo [Davidson] created a bust of him as a young boy, the same year he sculpted his marvelous, seated sculpture of Lovey. Julian's bust sits prominently on a shelf in the living room. On Christmas Eve, we were driven to see the Fitzgeralds. A sad visit on what should be a joyous day with both Scott and Zelda not looking much like the couple we had known in Paris.   Our last tour engagement of 1934 was tea at the White House with Mrs. Roosevelt. The president apparently was not available to join us. Mrs. Roosevelt was totally delightful, expressing interest in both Lovey's writing and my interest in cooking, though I have heard that she is not much of a cook and that even the White House cook leaves much to be desired.   The tea cake, petit fours and buttery shortbread cookies were quite good. S.S. Champlain A Bord le 18.IV.35 San Francisco The last three weeks in California have been a whirlwind with no time to write. Upon arrival the newspaper featured a photograph of Lovey disembarking from the airplane with the following headline and caption: LITERATURE'S "SHOTGUN REPEATER" SEES L.A. LOS ANGELES CALIF. A plane is a plane is a –or more plainly, Gertrude Stein, repeating shotgun of literature, arrived by plane in Los Angeles. She expects to see Hollywood, and claims she stopped seeing movies when they abandoned cowboy dramas---and grew too "solemn." After putting her statement half-a-dozen different ways—just for a beginning—she added that human beings also are motion pictures. San Francisco, which she terms a great center of culture, will be included in her itinerary. What can I say to that?! We have done so much and met so many people both old and new friends. We have dodged Mabel Dodge, however. In Los Angeles we viewed the newsreel of our arrival for the first time at the Pathé studios. Lovey felt uncomfortable seeing herself moving and talking. We have heard that the 'Autobiography' may be made into a motion picture. If Lovey is nervous now, how will she feel if that happens? Wonderful supper in Beverly Hills at the home of a friend of Carl's. Lovey sat next to Charlie Chaplin, still her favorite motion picture star and they got along splendidly! He was there with Paulette Goddard, what a beauty. Lovey had one request of the hostess for the guest list – Dashiell Hammett -as she is such a mystery book fan. He was there with Lillian Hellman. I had wonderful conversations with Anita Loos and we have become friends and have vowed to write to each other regularly. And then it was time to finally return to San Francisco. Lovey has been apprehensive but I'm curious to see what has happened in my birthplace. We rented a Drive-Yourself-Car, and she drove most of the way, except for the Yosemite Valley area. A fine young man named Juan drove us there. So much more to tell about San Francisco and Oakland. Lovey has already decided that she will write a book about our tour and our experiences. Maybe that book will bring us back for another tour!  • By chance I came across a press photo of Gertrude's older brother Michael and his wife Sarah from August 1935. The headline reads: GERTRUDE STEIN'S BROTHER with the caption, "Michael Daniel Stein is pictured with his wife as they arrived in San Francisco to live after a sojourn of 31 years abroad [in Paris]. He predicted his writer sister will return to reside also." She didn't and that's another story.  • And had Stein's tour agents had it together, they would have realized the potential for a rockstar sale! (Not in the Ms. Swift category, but still…) Special thanks to Monique Truong for permission to use the excerpt from her book, and Denny Stein for permission to use the excerpt from her grandmother, Rose Ellen Stein's never before published letter and information from her father, Julian Stein Jr.'s unpublished memoir You Never Know Where You're Going To Have A Good Time. Further reading: Stein, Gertrude. Everybody's Autobiography (Exact Change, 2004) Corn, Wanda M and Tirza True Latimer. Seeing Gertrude Stein: Five Stories (University of California Press, 2011) Morris Jr., Roy. Gertrude Stein Has Arrived: The Homecoming of a Literary Legend (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2019) Leick, Karen. Gertrude Stein and the Making of an American Celebrity (Routledge, 2004)