Harry Crosby facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Harry Crosby
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Crosby in 1919
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| Born | Henry Sturgis Crosby June 4, 1898 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | December 10, 1929 (aged 31) New York City, U.S. |
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| Alma mater | Harvard University |
| Period | 1925–1929 |
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Harry Crosby (born June 4, 1898 – died December 10, 1929) was an American writer and publisher. He was also a poet and a veteran of World War I. Harry came from a very wealthy banking family in New England. His uncle was J. P. Morgan, Jr., a famous financier.
Harry volunteered to serve in the American Field Service during World War I. He later joined the U.S. Ambulance Corps. His experiences in the war deeply changed him. After the war, Harry decided to live life his own way. He left behind the usual expectations for someone from his wealthy background.
In 1920, he met Mary Phelps Jacob, who was six years older than him. Mary later divorced her husband and married Harry. Soon after, they moved to Europe. There, they focused on art and poetry. Harry wrote poems that often used the sun as a symbol. He also explored themes of life and death in his writing.
Harry and Mary, who changed her name to Caresse, became friends with many famous people. These included artists like Salvador Dalí and writers like Ernest Hemingway. Together, they started a publishing company called the Black Sun Press. This company helped publish early works by authors who later became very famous. Some of these writers were James Joyce, Kay Boyle, and D. H. Lawrence. Harry Crosby died in 1929.
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Harry's Early Life
Harry Crosby was born Henry Sturgis Crosby in 1898. His parents, Stephen Van Rensslaer Crosby and Henrietta Marion Grew, later changed his middle name to Grew. He grew up in a fancy neighborhood in Boston called Back Bay. His family had deep roots in English and Dutch American history. His ancestors included important figures like Alexander Hamilton's sister-in-law and a signer of the Declaration of Independence, William Floyd.
Harry had one sister, Katherine, born in 1901. Their family lived in a large estate with a dance floor big enough for 150 people. Harry's mother taught him to love poetry. The family spent their summers in Manchester, Massachusetts. His mother was religious and loved nature. She helped start the Garden Club of America. His father was a banker who loved football.
As a child, Harry went to the special Noble and Greenough School. In 1913, when he was 14, his parents sent him to St. Mark's, a top prep school in Massachusetts. He graduated from St. Mark's in 1917.
Harry's War Experience
When Harry was 19, he volunteered for the American Field Service in France. Many young American men from wealthy families joined this service. Other writers he later published, like Ernest Hemingway, also served in the ambulance corps. Harry arrived in France on July 7, 1917.
When the United States officially joined the war, the American Ambulance Service became part of the U.S. Army Ambulance Corps. Harry enlisted in this group. During the Battle of Verdun, he worked very close to the front lines. He transported wounded soldiers for three days without rest.
On November 22, 1917, Harry's ambulance was hit by an artillery shell. It landed only 10 feet away and destroyed his vehicle. Amazingly, Harry was not hurt. But his best friend, Way Spaulding, who was in another ambulance nearby, was hit by shrapnel. Harry helped get his friend to a hospital. After this event, Harry felt like he had changed from a boy to a man. He said he never feared death again.
Harry wrote many letters home during his two years in France. At first, he thought the war was God's way to clean up the world. But over time, his letters described the terrible scenes of trench warfare. He wrote about dead and dying soldiers.
I saw the most gruesome sight I've ever seen. Lying on a blood-stained brancard was a man—not older than twenty I afterwards ascertained—suffering the agonies of hell. His whole right cheek was completely shot away so you could see all the insides of his face. He had no jaws, teeth, or lips left. His nose was plastered in. Blood was streaming all over. Under his eyes the skin was just dead blue...It took us an hour driving between two or three miles per hour to get him to his destination. Of course he couldn't yell as his mouth or what was left of it was a mere mass of pulp. For a while I was afraid our ambulance was to be turned into a hearse, but he was still alive when we got him there. Of course in typical French fashion the doctors held their usual debate of questioning whether it was the right hospital or where his papers were.
In August 1918, during a battle near Orme, Harry's section helped over 2,000 wounded soldiers. They were praised for their bravery under heavy German attack. In 1919, Harry became one of the youngest Americans to receive the Croix de guerre, a French military medal. He was very happy to have a medal to show his courage.
When the war ended in November 1918, Harry wanted to go home. He waited over a month for orders. He even asked his mother to have his "Uncle Jack" J.P. Morgan help him. J.P. Morgan's company had loaned a lot of money to the Allies during the war. On March 21, 1919, Harry left France and arrived home as a hero.
Life at Harvard University
After returning from World War I, Harry Crosby went to Harvard University in the spring of 1919. He was part of a special program for veterans. He took many courses, including French and English literature. He also studied fine arts, music, Spanish, and social ethics.
Harry didn't take his studies very seriously. He even paid someone to tutor him for exams. He graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in 1921.
However, Harry felt trapped by the strict life in Boston. His time in France made it hard for him to live among what he called "dreary Boston." He wanted to escape the "horrors of Boston." He felt a strong desire to live in the moment and forget about rules or consequences.
Meeting Mary Phelps Jacob
Harry's mother invited Mary Phelps Jacob to a picnic on July 4, 1920. Mary was supposed to look after Harry and his friends. During dinner, Harry didn't speak to the girl next to him, which was unusual. Some say Harry fell in love with Mary in just two hours. He told her he loved her in the Tunnel of Love at an amusement park. Two weeks later, they spent the night together. Their public relationship caused a lot of talk among Boston's wealthy families.
Mary was 28, six years older than Harry. She was married and had two young children. Harry wanted her to divorce her husband and marry him, but she refused for a while. Harry took a job at a bank in Boston, which he didn't like. He often took the train to visit Mary in New York. In June 1921, she officially separated from her husband. Later that winter, Mary started allowing Harry to visit her on weekends. In December, Mary's husband offered to divorce her. Their marriage officially ended in February 1922.
After eight months at the bank, Harry quit his job on March 14, 1922. His uncle, J. P. Morgan, Jr., helped him get a job in Paris at Morgan, Harjes et Cie, the Morgan family's bank. Harry already spoke French well. He moved to Paris in May. Mary went to Paris before him but returned to the United States in July. On September 2, 1922, Harry proposed to Mary using a transatlantic cable. The next day, he got on the Aquitania to go to New York.
Harry and Mary Get Married
On September 9, 1922, Harry and Mary were married in New York City. Two days later, they sailed back to Paris on the RMS Aquitania with Mary's children. In Paris, they joined a group of Americans called the Lost Generation. These were people who felt disappointed by the war and the values of their parents' generation. Harry continued working at the Morgan bank in Paris.
They found an apartment on the Île Saint-Louis, an island in the Seine River. It overlooked the river. Mary, wearing a red bathing suit, would row Harry down the Seine. He would be in his business suit, with a hat, umbrella, and briefcase, on his way to the bank.
After their first year in Paris, Mary sent her children to boarding schools. At the end of 1923, Harry quit his bank job. He decided to focus on being a poet and, later, a publisher.
Life as Expats in Paris
Harry and Mary were drawn to the artistic lifestyle of Montparnasse, a neighborhood in Paris. They lived a very free and exciting life.
In June 1924, they bought their first racehorse. They bought two more in April 1925. At the end of 1924, Harry convinced Mary to officially change her first name to Caresse. He thought "Polly" sounded too proper for her. They chose Caresse because it started with a "C" like Crosby.
In 1924, they rented a fancy apartment in Paris. They brought with them two maids, a cook, a governess, and a chauffeur. Harry's inheritance, combined with the strong American dollar in Europe, allowed them to live a very expensive life. Harry's trust fund gave them $12,000 a year. Still, he often spent more than he had.
In 1929, Harry asked his father, a banker, for more money several times. He asked for money to "make up for past extravagances" and "to enjoy life when you can." In July, he sent a message to his father saying:
PLEASE SELL $10,000 WORTH OF STOCK. WE HAVE DECIDED TO LIVE A MAD AND EXTRAVAGANT LIFE
His father agreed, but he also told Harry off for spending so much.
Their Lifestyle
Harry and Caresse were known for hosting small dinner parties from their huge bed in their fancy townhouse. After dinner, everyone was invited to share their large bathtub, with champagne nearby.
They also took long trips. In January 1925, they traveled to North Africa. Harry had tattoos on the soles of his feet: a cross on one and a sun symbol on the other.
In November 1925, Harry and Caresse rented a stylish apartment in Paris where they lived for the rest of their time there.
Harry became very interested in the sun. His poems and journals often focused on the sun. For him, it symbolized perfection, excitement, freedom, heat, and destruction. Harry said he was a "sun worshiper in love with death." He often drew a "black sun" next to his signature.
Harry met Ernest Hemingway on a skiing trip in 1926. In July 1927, Harry and Hemingway visited Pamplona, Spain, for the running of the bulls. Harry wrote that Hemingway "could drink us under the table." Harry and Caresse published Hemingway's book The Torrents of Spring in Paris. In early 1928, they traveled to the Middle East.
In late 1928, they leased an old mill outside Paris in Ermenonville for 20 years. They called it Le Moulin du Soleil ("The Mill of the Sun"). It had three old stone buildings, no electricity or phone, and only one bathroom. The Crosbys added a racing course for donkey polo and a small swimming pool. Inside the mill, Caresse turned old rooms into a large kitchen. The ground floor of the mill tower was a dining room. Guests sat on logs cut from the nearby woods. The mill also had a brass cannon that was fired for special guests. A whitewashed wall near the stairs served as a guest book. Many famous guests signed it, including D. H. Lawrence and Salvador Dalí.
Harry spent hours sunbathing on top of the mill's tower. He often wore a black flower in his jacket and sometimes colored his fingernails and toenails. He once hired four horse-drawn carriages and raced them through the streets of Paris.
Harry also experimented with photography. He saw it as a true art form before many others did. In 1929, he met Henri Cartier-Bresson. Harry gave Henri his first camera. They spent time together taking and printing pictures at Harry's home.
Harry also learned to fly a plane by himself in November 1929. Airplanes were so new then that people hadn't even agreed on how to spell the word.
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In 1923, soon after they arrived in Paris, Caresse introduced Harry to her friend Constance Crowninshield Coolidge. Constance was also from a wealthy Boston family and was an American living in France.
The Black Sun Press
In April 1927, Harry and Caresse started an English language publishing company. They first called it Éditions Narcisse, named after their black whippet dog. They used the press to publish their own poetry. They made small editions of beautifully bound books.
They printed books on high-quality paper in limited numbers. Publishing in Paris in the 1920s and 1930s meant their company was a hub for many American writers living abroad. In 1928, as Éditions Narcisse, they printed a special edition of "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe. It had illustrations by Alastair.
In 1928, they liked how their first books were received. They decided to publish other authors too. They renamed the company the Black Sun Press, inspired by Harry's interest in the sun. They quickly became known for publishing beautiful, perfect editions of unusual books. They took great care with every book, choosing the best papers and inks.
They published early works by several writers before they became famous. These included James Joyce's Tales Told of Shem and Shaun and Kay Boyle's first book, Short Stories, in 1929. They also published works by Hart Crane, D. H. Lawrence, Ezra Pound, and Ernest Hemingway. The Black Sun Press became one of the most important small presses in Paris in the 1920s. After Harry died, Caresse Crosby continued publishing into the 1940s.
The Fire Princess
On July 9, 1928, Harry met Josephine Noyes Rotch. She was 20 years old and from a well-known Boston family. Josephine was shopping for her wedding dress in Venice. She was planning to marry Albert Bigelow.
Harry later called Josephine the "Youngest Princess of the Sun" and the "Fire Princess." Josephine inspired Harry's next book of poems, Transit of Venus, which he dedicated to her.
Josephine and Harry had a relationship until June 21, 1929. That was the day she married Albert Smith Bigelow.
Visit to the United States
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On November 20, 1929, the Crosbys returned to the United States. They sailed on the RMS Mauretania for a visit. They planned to attend the Harvard-Yale football game. Harry and Josephine met and traveled to Detroit. They checked into the expensive Book-Cadillac Hotel.
On December 7, 1929, Harry and Josephine returned to New York. Josephine said she was going back to Boston to her husband. Harry's friend Hart Crane threw a party that evening. It was to celebrate finishing his long poem, The Bridge. The Black Sun Press was going to publish it soon. Crane also wanted to say goodbye to Harry and Caresse. They were planning to sail back to France the next week. Many famous guests were at the party, including E. E. Cummings and William Carlos Williams. The party lasted until almost morning. Harry and Caresse planned to see Crane again before they left for Europe on December 10.
On December 9, Josephine, who had stayed in New York, sent a poem to Harry. He was staying with Caresse at the Savoy-Plaza Hotel. The last line of Josephine's poem said, "Death is our marriage."
On the same day, Harry Crosby wrote his last entry in his journal. He wrote: "One is not in love unless one desires to die with one's beloved. There is only one happiness it is to love and to be loved."
Harry Crosby's Legacy
Harry Crosby was not a very famous poet during his lifetime. But he is important because he helped start the Black Sun Press. Caresse continued to run the press after he died. She also started a side business called Crosby Continental Editions. This company published paperback books by writers like Ernest Hemingway and Dorothy Parker. These paperbacks did not sell well, and the company closed in 1933. However, the Black Sun Press kept publishing until the 1950s.
The Black Sun Press made beautifully crafted books in small editions. They published works by D. H. Lawrence, James Joyce, and Hart Crane, among others.
Harry's friend Hart Crane died less than two years after Harry. Malcolm Cowley, whose work Harry had published, wrote about Harry's death in his 1934 book Exile's Return. He said Harry's death became a symbol of the rise and fall of the Jazz Age. Cowley pointed to Harry's expensive lifestyle as an example of how shallow society was at that time. Later, when he re-published the book, he changed his opinion a bit. He wrote that he had focused on Harry's death to avoid writing about Hart Crane, whom he knew very well.
In 1931, Caresse published Torchbearer, a collection of Harry's poetry. It included an afterword by Ezra Pound. She also published Aphrodite in Flight, a long prose-poem. In 1931, Caresse published a special boxed set of Harry's collected poems. Only 50 copies were printed.
In 1931 and 1932, Caresse worked with Harry's mother, Henrietta. They published letters Harry had written to his family while he was serving in France. The book, called War Letters, was published in a small number of copies. As of 2015, a special leather-bound edition of the book was very valuable.
Caresse Crosby also edited and published Harry's diaries and papers. She wrote her own book of poems called Poems for Harry Crosby in 1931. The Black Sun Press lasted longer than many other American presses started in Paris in the 1920s.
Books printed by the Black Sun Press are highly valued by collectors. Each book was designed by hand, beautifully printed, and had elegant typefaces. In 2009, a rare copy of Hart Crane's poem The Bridge, published by Black Sun Press, sold for $21,250. An expert on old books said in 2009 that a Black Sun book is like a painting by a famous artist, but much more affordable.
In April 2010, a collection of Harry Crosby's poetry called Ladders to the Sun: Poems by Harry Crosby was published.
In 2004, a film company bought the rights to a screenplay about Harry and Caresse called Harry and Caresse.
Harry Crosby's Published Works
- Sonnets for Caresse. (1925)
- Red Skeletons. (1927)
- Chariot of the Sun. (1928)
- Shadows of the Sun. (1928)
- Transit of Venus. (1928)
- Mad Queen. (1929)
- Shadows of the Sun-Series Two. (1929)
- The Sun. (1929) (A very small book)
- Sleeping Together. (1929)
- Shadows of the Sun-Series Three. (1930)
- Aphrodite in Flight: Being Some Observations on the Aerodynamics of Love. (1930)
- Collected Poems of Harry Crosby. (4 Volumes: Chariot of the Sun, Transit of Venus, Sleeping Together, and Torchbearer). (1931)
- War Letters. (1932)
Images for kids
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Julien Bryan in front of his Ambulance 464 in April 1917 near Verdun.
See also
- List of ambulance drivers during World War I
