Truman's Swans

Baron Hubert von Pantz with his wife, the American-born Baroness Terry, and their pups, at El Rincon in Marbella, Spain, 1986, photographed by Slim Aarons  The von Pantz family was one of the oldest noble families during the Hapsburg dynasty and were originally awarded their first title before 1450 by the Roman Empire.

One hundred years ago today, on April 26, 1923, Prince Albert, the then Duke of York, married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the daughter of the 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne In 1936, after the abdication of the Prince’s brother, King Edward VIII, the Duke and Duchess of York, would go on to become King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. Although it was considered one of the strongest royal marriages, Elizabeth wasn’t so sure that the royal life was for her and turned down the Prince twice before saying yes In 1921, Prince Albert proposed for the first time but it was quickly declined by Elizabeth, who told him afterward in a letter that 'It makes me so miserable to think of it - you have been so very nice about it all - please do forgive me.' Elizabeth liked the Prince but did not want to give up her privacy or quiet family life for the trials of royal duties. Prince Albert's second proposal was rejected again by Elizabeth who told him he was one of her 'best & mos...

Marella Agnelli and her son Edoardo, taking a curious peek at this mother's 6x6 reflex camera. Edoardo, the eldest child and only son of Marella and her husband, Fiat industrialist Gianni Agnelli, could never come to terms with his family's wealth and privileged life. Edoardo had been described by friends as a sweet soul and gentle dreamer more interested in mysticism than making cars, choosing to eschew the affluent life and live as far as possible away from the glare of the media. He led a troubled existence hampered by drug use and never seemed cut out for the family’s business tradition. In 1986, he had been quoted by an interviewer as saying "I love to lead a withdrawn life, ascetic if you prefer, to keep in touch with myself". He studied modern literature and oriental philosophy at Princeton but left his studies to travel to India and Iran so he could pursue his interest in religion and mysticism. Edoardo's preoccupations became increasingly erratic, lecturi...

"I don't particularly like rich people. In fact, I have a kind of contempt for most of them...What did they expect? I'm a writer and I use everything. Did all those people think I was there just to entertain them?"

Slim Keith and her then-husband, film producer Leland Hayward at an appearance at the Stork Club, in June 1949. Hayward eventually left Slim for her good 'friend', the infamous Pamela Digby Churchill, a woman considered a world's expert on rich men's bedroom ceilings. Slim said, many years later, that although she was devasted when Hayward dumped her, she still considered him the love of her life. Although married to a British aristocrat (who had given her the title of 'Lady Keith') at the time of Hayward's death she was quoted as saying, "In the end, when I lost Leland, I lost the best part of my life".

(July 28, 1929-May 19, 1994) No words today, just a pictorial homage to the one and only JBKO.

“I loathe narcissism, but I approve of vanity." Diana Vreeland