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Fluttering scraps of paper
drift over the desk, portions of letters, pages that might have
come from a journal, pictures of beautiful women. We have been
sifting through boxes of memorabilia for days and are no closer
to solving the mystery of the Count and Countess Gaglione . All
the information we have is in the eclectic, jumbled contents
of many battered and worn trunks that arrived here from New York
City without explanation or warning some weeks ago.
The clues are maddening
and illusive. Volumes of correspondence fill most of the chests.
There are bundles of letters decorated with colorful and mysterious
stamps and tied with pale silk ribbons. A scrap of paper with
an address and the words "Please come quickly. Tell no one.",
penned in obvious haste. Scribbled across the back of a hotel
napkin, a room number perhaps and the name, "Olivia".
A purse full of old coins.
A wooden case holds old
sketchbooks, brushes and paints that once belonged to the well-known
Parisian artist, Pauline. A leather box inscribed "London",
curiously, holds both the delicate portrait of a Chinese bride
and the picture of a young couple poleing along a river winding
through typically English countryside. As we unfold the old crisping
paper around the picture of a beautiful baby girl and a tiny
lace cap, a pressed red rose falls apart. Its delicate perfume
still lingers.
Inside an embroidered dancing
slipper trimmed in lace is a packet of antique keys tied with
a gold cord. A length of soft, red velvet is folded around programs
from the Russian Ballet. A famous prima ballerina was a close
friend of the Count and Countess. Was there any truth to the
rumor that she was the Princess Ekaterina and a member of the
Russian aristocracy? One letter asserts that it was Katia, the
gypsy princess who danced for them in St. Petersburg? A
connection perhaps?
Who was the mysterious
Lady Ashwinder and why is there a peacock feather in a silk scarf
wrapped carefully around her picture? At the bottom of a painted
trunk, in an elaborately carved box, are gold coin earrings and
a necklace, the same ones Helene is wearing in the portrait we
found. Were they the "friends" who smuggled the Countess
into the harem? Their accomplice, the Polish Major Edward Domel,
was highly praised in the diaries for his efforts in their rescue.
The diaries also state
that it was soon after this adventure that the Countess left
for Africa. There was a large expedition, arranged quite hastily,
to a remote city somewhere along the coast where she enjoyed
the extended hospitality of a woman referred to as "Her
Excellency, Candasha". We found exquisite vases figured
in bright patterns and mosaic topped boxes wrapped in lengths
of rare mudcloth, obviously mementos of this extraordinary visit.
Perhaps our meeting with
Miss Kathryn can offer some clues, as she is a descendant of
the original Mademoiselle Rose, who supervised the creation of
the gardens at Villa Amore, the fabled country home in Tuscany.
The orchards and vineyards are still legendary; producing exceptional
wines, oils, and essences. The Count’s design of the herb
and cutting gardens for his country estate has been copied all
over Europe. Voluminous notebooks contain recipes for the renowned
herbal lotions and creams that Mme. Rose created especially for
Signorina Vanessa and her friends.
Some of the poetry and
esoteric notes we have found are the work of a mysterious woman
called Tina. The Countess may have studied with her and had her
help developing the various star charts and elaborate planting
timetables we have found. Tina traveled all over the world with
her companions, Lady Lori and Miss Alice, and amassed an impressive
collection of books and writings about plants for information
on their medicinal and cosmetic uses.
There are pieces of the
puzzle everywhere. Numerous albums overflow with postcards and
photos. Ancient currency notes are tucked into the lining of
a striped silk hat. There is an antique clock along with several
old rubber stamps, and portfolios containing elaborate yellowing
maps of cities and countries that no longer exist.
What are we do to with
all this? Perhaps you have the answer. Be our guest. Email
us your piece of
the story and we'll post it here.
We thank you sincerely.
Darlene Domel
Picasso Gaglione
THE MYSTERY OF STAMPLAND PART 2
The mystery began for us
with a delivery receipt. How astonished and intrigued we were
to suddenly become heirs to a collection of memorabilia amassed
by the Count and Countess Gaglione. Our many months of investigation
have only begun to hint at the stories hidden within the many
journals, scrapbooks, collections and correspondence that accompanied
this enigmatic largesse.
Apparently the Count and
Countess traveled and collected extensively. Notebooks and correspondence
reveal that the Count's hobby of landscape design was widely
admired and his advice valued highly. As a result, they were
much sought after guests. Their
wide range of interests brought them into contact with an unusual
assortment of personalities all over the world and often, under
curious circumstances. The Count's stamp collection was quite
amazing and the Countess acquired an eclectic library of rare
volumes.
Ticket stubs for train
trips and voyages are well documented and hotel bills from all
over the world are informative but not at all explanatory. Many
boxes contain cryptic messages with detailed timetables and strange
numbers. " Helene- Rue Lapin 466" and a French menu
in a map of Prague. Letters from London in a box with timetables
for the Orient Express. A map of a city in India with many seals
and notations is folded in a folder of ships and schedules out
of New York. But timelines and locations do not seem to correlate
into any logical pattern.
For instance, there are
several notebooks with elaborate drawings, describing the creation
of verdant gardens in obviously English climates. Yet many of
those letters listing the plantings originate in Poland, or India.
The Gaglione's Italian villa was in Tuscany, but during the time
it was being designed their primary residence seemed to be in
Paris. He
often refers to his family in Naples and there are wonderful
cameos among the jewelry we have found that are obviously family
treasures. But many letters from Naples are directed to them
in a hotel in Istanbul. In other correspondence the Countess
recalls exciting
parties she enjoyed with her family in Moscow. There are many
signed programs from the Bolshoi Ballet and dance cards from
parties and balls. A drawing of the famous prima ballerina is
inscribed "To my darling sister, love Ekaterina".
But records we have found
show the Countess was raised in New York.
Found in one of the Count's
notebooks is an impressive design of exotic flower gardens along
a winding riverside which seem to have been planned for a Lady
Susan. She may be the woman seen in a painting of a couple
enjoying an afternoon of boating on a river.
Or perhaps she is the woman pictured in the flower frame and
named, "Sylvana". The flowers in this portrait are
exactly the ones listed in the notebooks for the English garden.
Another journal chronicles the building of a large greenhouse,
a rose gardens and woodland retreats in the English countryside
for Major Domel, who was first mentioned in military reports
from India. The plans mention a riverside pavilion and include
notes about semi-tropical plants from the gardens of someone
called Lady Ashwinder. There are
striking similarities to the English plans. Could there be a
connection to the mysterious beauty, Lady "S"? What
was their relationship with the Count and Countess?
Another curious discovery
involves a long lost flower. The famous gardens of Villa
Amore were the domain of Mademoiselle Rose and the many varieties
of roses she developed with the Gagliones were world famous and
meticulously recorded. Only one picture found in the trunk
full of Italian garden catalogs shows the exquisite antique,
"Rose d'amour", which has long claimed the title of
most fragrant, delicate and long lasting of the many lost roses
of Villa Amore. It is displayed in the graceful hands of a woman
called Rebecca. She has a gentle smile and soft shadowed eyes.
She wears a soft indian gauze shawl draped over her curls.
This was a very rare and fashionable material at the time, worn
by the wealthiest ladies. There is no mention of her in
any of the vast records of this period. Who was she? A relation,
a friend? Why would she display the famous rose,
and not
Mademoiselle or the Countess? The picture seems to originate
in a studio in Naples,
but the gardens of the Gagliones were in Tuscany. Every
discovery leads to more questions.
Envelopes and portfolios
full of fashion drawings and plates fill many large boxes, along
with pieces of fabrics, snippets of ribbons and laces, drawings
of buttons and detailed notes on tucks and pleating. There
are notes by a Madame Elizabeth and sketches of
exquisite costumes complete with wraps and shoes and hats. A
Miss Judith seems to have been responsible for most of the elaborate
chapeaux and accessories designed for the various costumes. Some
designs seem to originate in Paris and some in New York. There
is a portrait of a woman called Lady Karen, facing her mirror
and her distinctively draped skirts and ruffled sleeves show
the particular grace of Miss Elizabeth's designs. A clipping
from a popular magazine of the time shows a scene at society
party with gentlemen and their lady partners resting on the steps
of an ornate staircase. The dresses are obviously Ms. Elizabeth's
handiwork. The notes have been carefully preserved. Yet
this too is puzzling.
The few pictures and portraits
of the Countess that have surfaced show her wearing outfits that
are obviously of Madame Elizabeth and Miss Judith's distinct
design. But the Countess seemed to habitually wear outfits of
much more elegant and refined simplicity than many of the drawings.
Why would there be so many detailed patterns and notes of
these other collections kept with her papers? Was there a more
significant connection for these women?
Many of the journals are
written in Italian, French, and German, in addition to English,
but the artistic calligraphy is similar in all languages. Many
pages of cursive exercises have been found along with the letters
and notebooks, some showing illustrations done in single pen
strokes. The delicate drawing of a bird often appears at the
top of a letter or page. We have not been able to determine
whose writing this might be, since both the Count and Countess
contributed to the records and their writing was very similar.
There is a small inventory
of artworks. We found a small but exquisite collection of pottery
pieces and sculpture, paintings, drawings and tapestries. These
are in the process of being examined by experts for the purpose
of dating and preservation. The Gagliones
were intimately acquainted with many artists and accumulated
a collection of small works. One letter refers to the acquisition
of a rare painting from the Netherlands. We have been able to
decipher the name "Stephan" or "Stephanie"
in a corresponding bill of sale. But since there is no artist
listed, we have chosen to call this one "Stephanie at the
Window".
Another unusual drawing seems to be from the story of the bluebird,
and is lightly penciled with the name Lydia in the corner. The
name Olivia shows up in many listings, but as artist or agent
or collector, we cannot determine. She seems to have been very
important in the art scene and involved in many transactions.
There is a cryptic note on the back of a sketch of a woman with
flowing hair, a London playbill and a delicate bouquet of pressed
violets in an old leather portfolio marked with the initial "O".
Who was she?
We are still overwhelmed
by this puzzling gift. There are more boxes of books and paper
ephemera to explore. There are crates and trunks
in storage that have not yet been opened. Fragments, clues,
and treasures appear every day and pull us deeper into the mystery
of this remarkable pair. What will the contents of the next
trunk or journal reveal?
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