Draper Family History & Genealogy

Ruth Draper Born December 2, 1884 New York City, New York, United States Died December 30, 1956 (aged 72) New York City, New York, United States Occupation Stage actress Ruth Draper (December 2, 1884 – December 30, 1956) was an American actress, dramatist and noted diseuse who specialized in character-driven monologues and monodrama. Her best-known pieces include The Italian Lesson, Three Women and Mr. Clifford, Doctors and Diets, and A Church in Italy. Early life and family Ruth Draper was born in New York City, the youngest child of Dr. William Henry and Ruth (née Dana) Draper. Her father, who was born in Brattleboro, Vermont, had the affluence to support a large family with the help of several servants. Ruth Draper's mother was the daughter of Charles Anderson Dana, editor and publisher of The New York Sun and had married Dr. Draper in 1878 some years after the loss of his first wife, Lucy. Her nephew, Paul Draper, was a noted dancer and actor. Draper's second cousin was the society architect Paul Phipps, father of British actress Joyce Grenfell (Grenfell's career as a monologist was directly inspired by Draper). Her nephew Raimund Sanders Draper was a heroic WWII pilot. Career Ruth Draper's inspiration to become an actress came from the Polish pianist Ignacy Jan Paderewski, a friend of her family. She made her Broadway debut in the 1916 play A Lady's Name by Cyril Harcourt, and by 1921 was becoming well known as monologist, or more specifically diseuse, appearing in monodramas. Thus, Draper dominated the field of professional solo performance during the second quarter of the twentieth century, performing with great success throughout the United States and Europe. Draper's one-person shows differed in kind from the majority of the early lyceum and Chautauqua solo performers coming before her, as the monologues/monodramas she performed were original characters as opposed to selections of published literature. With a chair, shawl and occasional table as her only props, Draper entertained audiences in a half dozen languages worldwide for nearly forty years. Her best-known pieces include The Italian Lesson, Three Women and Mr. Clifford, Doctors and Diets, and A Church in Italy. Ruth Draper as a Dalmatian Peasant by John Singer Sargent Such theatre legends as George Bernard Shaw, Thornton Wilder, John Gielgud, Katharine Hepburn, Maurice Chevalier, Laurence Olivier, and Uta Hagen were among those dazzled by Draper's artistry and talent, as were authors Henry James, Henry Adams, Edith Wharton and Agatha Christie. Draper inspired characters in two of Christie's works — Carlotta Adams in the 1933 novel Lord Edgware Dies,[11] and Aspasia Glen in the short story "The Dead Harlequin". In 1951 King George VI of the United Kingdom awarded Ruth Draper honorary membership in the Order of the British Empire with the rank of Commander (CBE). On April 29, 1953, she had lunch with C. S. Lewis the day after he saw her performance at the New Theatre in Oxford. Nearly a quarter century earlier she gave a performance at Windsor Castle after an invitation from King George V and Queen Mary. Draper had many relationships in Italy, in large part through her connection with Lauro De Bosis, a young Italian poet and writer who died in 1931 after a daring flight over Rome during which he threw thousands of leaflets denouncing Benito Mussolini and the National Fascist Party. Death Ruth Draper died on December 30, 1956, of an apparent heart attack, just hours after giving a performance on Broadway at the Playhouse Theatre. Draper's family had a summer home in Islesboro, Maine, which she purchased from her family and where she spent increasing amounts of time in her later years. A short biography of Draper is among several collected by the Anglo-Italian writer Iris Origo in her 1984 book, A Need to Testify. Recordings Recordings of Draper's monologues have influenced many contemporary writers and performers, including Joyce Grenfell, Lily Tomlin, Mike Nichols, Julie Harris, Simon Callow, Emma Thompson, Charles Busch, David Mamet, Julia Sweeney, Annette Bening, Maureen Lipman and John Lithgow. Awards and honors In 2019, the "Complete recorded monologues, Ruth Draper (1954-1956)" was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Elizabeth Elizabeth (Isabel) Draper of Eben Australia. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Elizabeth Isabel Draper.

Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Lauren Draper .

Victoria Jane (Moyle) Draper of Ashfield, Inner West Council County, NSW Australia was born in 1872 in Brunswick, City of Merri-bek County, VIC to William Goldsworthy Moyle and Mary Jane (Austin) Moyle. She had siblings Anna Maria (Moyle) Henderson, John Thomas Moyle, Charles Edward Moyle, Mary Goldsworthy (Moyle) Main, Elizabeth Priscilla (Moyle) Fontaine, Lydia Truscott Moyle, Francis Downing Moyle, Arthur Henry Moyle, William George Moyle, and James Austin Moyle. She married Alexander Charles Draper, and had a child Arthur William Mervyn Draper. Victoria Draper died at age 82 years old on May 6, 1955 in Ashfield, Inner West Council County, NSW.

Pansie Doris Draper of Frankston, Vic Australia was born in May 1913 at At Home in Ballarat, and died at age 70 years old in March 1984 at Frankston Hospital in Frankston. Pansie Draper was buried in March 1984 at Crematorim in Springvale ?.

Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Micheal Draper,.

Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Lenore Draper.

Daniel James Draper of Sandringham, City of Bayside County, VIC Australia was born in 1889 in Alexandra, Murrindindi Shire County, and died at age 65 years old in 1954 in Sandringham, City of Bayside County.

Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember John Robert Draper.

Harvey Draper was born on March 20, 1869 in Williamstown, Hobsons Bay City County, VIC Australia, and died at age 52 years old in 1921. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Harvey George Lloyd Draper.

Arnet E Draper of Aurora, Kane County, IL was born on November 1, 1920, and died at age 72 years old on November 28, 1992.

Hazel (Reck) Draper of Cutler, Carroll County, Indiana was born on August 5, 1904 in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan United States, and died at age 79 years old on May 28, 1984 at Home Hospital in Lafayette, Tippecanoe County, IN. Hazel Draper was buried on May 30, 1984 at Ball Hill Cemetery in Cutler, Carroll County.

Arthur William Mervyn Draper of Lakemba, City of Canterbury-Bankstown County, NSW Australia was born on October 17, 1912 in Leichhardt, Inner West Council County to Victoria Jane (Moyle) Draper and Alexander Charles Draper. He married Esmay Sybil (Farr) Draper on May 3, 1941 at St. Andrew's Church, in Sans Souci, New South Wales, and had children Geoffrey Mervyn Draper and Carolyn Sybil (Draper) Tall. Arthur Draper died at age 57 years old on December 17, 1969, and was buried at Woronora Memorial Park, 121 Linden St, in Sutherland, Sutherland Shire Council County, NSW.

Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Doris June (Fullwood) Draper.

George Frederick Draper of Surry Hills, Victoria County Australia was born in 1927, and died at age 56 years old in January 1984 in Surry Hills.

Daniel Draper of Dumbartonshire Australia. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Daniel Draper.

Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember John (Jack) Draper.

Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Lowell Carter Draper.

Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Daisy Draper.

Rose Draper was born to May Ida Nevin, and has siblings Daisy Caroline Walker, Pansie Doris Draper, Daisy Draper, Jack (John) Draper, and May Draper. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Rose Draper.