Sidney Mttron Hirsch

Sidney Mttron Hirsch (1883–1962) 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.

Sidney Mttron Hirsch
BornJanuary 3, 1884
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
DiedApril 7, 1962
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
OccupationModel, playwright

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 came from), 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 The Fire Regained, 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]

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References
  1. "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.
  2. 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. "The Fugitives and Agrarians". Jean and Alexander Heard Library. Vanderbilt University. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  4. Stewart, John Lincoln (1965). The Burden of Time: The Fugitives and Agrarians. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. pp. 3–34. 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.
  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.
  8. "Pageant Attracting Nation-Wide Attention". The Nashville American. Nashville, Tennessee. April 15, 1913. p. 14. Retrieved November 29, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "More Cities After "The Fire Regained"". The Nashville American. Nashville, Tennessee. December 10, 1913. p. 4. Retrieved November 29, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  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.
  11. "Sidney Hirsch Writes Successful Play". The Nashville American. Nashville, Tennessee. November 22, 1914. p. 31. Retrieved November 29, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  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.
  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.
  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.
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