Queer Places:
24 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019
Blanche
Wolf Knopf (July 30, 1894 – June 4, 1966) was the president of Alfred A.
Knopf, Inc. and wife of publisher Alfred A. Knopf Sr., with whom she
established the firm in 1915. Blanche traveled the world seeking new authors
and was especially influential in the publication of European and Latin
American literature in the United States. In 1916 they published
Carl Van Vechten’s book, Music and
Bad Manners. In
all, the Knopfs would publish nearly twenty books by Carl Van Vechten. In
1918, Van Vechten dedicated his The Music of Spain to Knopf. His
fondness for Blanche Knopf is further evident in his letters, in which he
addresses her as “Grand Duchess” or “Blanchette,” the endearing name he used
in his dedication. In a May 1929 letter to Blanche Knopf, Van Vechten
concluded with one of his unique signatures: “The carnations were long, the
lilies were lovely, & so is Blanche. Carlo.”
For her accomplishments in developing and promoting the literature of
France, she was named a Chevalier (Knight) of the Légion d'honneur by the
French government in 1949, and became an Officier de la Légion d'honneur in
1960. She was also honored by Brazil with the Order of the Southern Cross.[1]
Blanche Wolf was born in 1894 on the Upper West Side of New York City to[2]
to a Jewish family; her parents were Julius Wolf and Bertha Samuels. Blanche
told others that Julius had been a jeweler in Vienna but in fact he had been a
day laborer in Bavaria.[3]
After coming to America, he co-owned a millinery business (from which he
divested before it went bankrupt), and later he owned the second largest
children's hat company in the country.[4]
Her mother, Bertha, was the daughter of Lehman Samuels who co-owned Samuels
Brothers, which was at one point the largest exporter of cattle in America.[5]
Blanche attended the Gardner School for Girls on the Upper East Side of New
York City.[2]
by Carl Van Vechten
Blanche was introduced to Alfred A. Knopf at a party at the Lawrence
Athletic Club in Lawrence, New York, in 1911.[6]
Their relationship was built on their mutual interest in books. Blanche said
of their relationship, "Alfred had realized I read books constantly and he had
never met a girl who did.... I saw him and [all we did was] talk books, and
nobody liked him — my family least of all. But I did, because I had someone to
talk books to and we talked of making books.... We decided we would get
married and make books and publish them."[6]
They were married on April 4, 1916 at the St. Regis hotel in New York.[4][7]
Their first home which they called Sans Souci (meaning carefree) was in
Hartsdale, New York.[4]
Their son, Alfred A. Knopf Jr., known as "Pat", was born on June 17, 1918.[1][4]
After Pat's birth, Blanche and Alfred moved back to Manhattan.[8]
Knopf launched Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. with Alfred Knopf in New York in 1915.[9]
She learned the mechanics of printing and publishing and went on to become a
highly influential editor. Knopf is credited with designing the Borzoi, a
Russian wolfhound imprint marking Knopf titles. She became the Vice President
of the company when it was incorporated in 1918.[8]
She often clashed with Alfred's father, Sam Knopf, who was named Treasurer
when the firm was incorporated.[8]
Knopf became president of Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. in 1957 when Alfred Knopf
became the chairman.[3]
Knopf frequently traveled to Europe and Latin America to meet foreign
authors and publishers. She is credited with recruiting Sigmund Freud, Albert
Camus, André Gide,
Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Ilya Ehrenburg, Mikhail Sholokhov,
Thomas Mann, and
Gilberto Freyre, striking deals to publish translations of their works in the
United States.[3][10]
In 1936 Blanche Knopf returned from Europe concerned about the plight of
German publishers and authors driven out of Germany because of Nazi
persecution. Knopf told the reporter, "There's not a German writer left in
Germany who is worth thinking about. The gifted writers and enterprising
publishers who had any independence have all left Germany. Only Nazi writers
and publishers remain. They write and publish to please the Nazi Government."[11]
Thomas Mann called Blanche Knopf, "the soul of the firm."[9]
Knopf is credited for advancing the careers of numerous authors, serving as an
adviser while agreeing to publish the work of several influential authors. By
the time she died, 27 Knopf authors had won the Pulitzer Prize and 16 the
Nobel Prize.[12]
Knopf also worked closely with many American writers, including John
Updike, Carl Van Vechten,
Willa Cather,
H.L. Mencken, Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett and
Langston
Hughes.[13]
Knopf helped Carl Van Vechten launch writers of the Harlem Renaissance
including Langston Hughes and
Nella Larsen.[9]
According to her biography by Laura Claridge she "legitimized the genre of
hard-boiled detective fiction" with authors such as Dashiell Hammet, Raymond
Chandler and Ross Macdonald."[9]
Knopf was also responsible for acquiring William Shirer's Berlin Diary,
John Hersey's Hiroshima and works by Edward R. Murrow.[9]
My published books:
BBACK TO HOME PAGE
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blanche_Knopf
-
http://brbl-archive.library.yale.edu/exhibitions/cvvpw/gallery/knopf1.html