Queer Places:
124 E Ohio St, Marquette, MI 49855
Cornell University (Ivy League), 410 Thurston Ave, Ithaca, NY 14850
760 W 4th St, Williamsport, PA 17701
1015 N 3rd St, Marquette, MI 49855
148 E 61st St, New York, NY 10065
112 E 64th St, New York, NY 10065
250 E 49th St, New York, NY 10017
Park Cemetery
Marquette, Marquette County, Michigan, USA
Edward "Ed" Reinhold Tauch, Jr (July 30, 1905 - 1954) has been referred as “The great love of Cole Porter’s life…” according to Michael Pearlman. Tauch is considered Porter’s inspiration for songs such as “Easy to Love,” “I’ve Got You on my Mind” and even perhaps “Night and Day.” The biopic De-Lovely (2004) film hints at this sentiment when Porter tells the actor Jack regarding the song, ”Night and Day” that, “I wrote it with you in mind.” Jack is struggling to sing the song because it varies from very high notes to low notes. Cole Porter reassures that he is completely able, and the two share a duet. The scene changes to Jack successfully performing the song on stage before giving an intimate glance to Porter. The relationship between Jack and Porter is not developed and never becomes physical but this scene more accurately portrays the writing process for Cole Porter. He is a professional that is paid to write lyrics for shows and often will tailor his music to his show while filling his songs with various innuendos. Although the film does not establish a long-term relationship with Jack, it is known that at least some of his music is inspired by long term homosexual lovers. While the movie juxtaposes these songs within various stages of his marriage, it is much more likely for them to coincide and reflect his intimate life that he could not share publicly. As a composer of love songs, Porter could express his true feelings through his lyrics, but also had to masquerade their meanings with hints at heterosexuality because the public would not be receptive of a homosexual lyricist.
In Cole Porter (1981), by William McBrien, never-before-seen letters shine light into Porter's ongoing relationships with Ballets Russes star Boris Kochno, architect Ed Tauch, choreographer Nelson Barclift, director John Wilson, and longtime friend Ray Kelly -- whose children still receive half of the childless Porter's copyrights.
Edward Reinhold Tauch, Jr. was born in Marquette, MI. He graduated from Cornell in 1928 with a bacherlor degree in Architecture.
In 1935 Tauch returned from Paris, France, where he had been practicing architecture for three years, to take charge of an extensive city beautification project in Marquette, Mich. He lived at 1015 North Third Street.
He was discharged from the Marine Corps in January 1946 after two years in the Pacific (Saipan and Japan). He bought a house at 250 East Forty ninth Street, New York City, which he hoped to get altered into an office by October. His address was 112 East Sixty-fourth Street, New York City. Late in 1946, he moved his office from 112 East Forty-fourth Street to 250 East Forty-ninth Street, New York City 17.
When Christopher Isherwood and William "Bill" Caskey were together, they saw something of Isherwood's friends, but a good deal more of Caskey's friends, among whom Tauch was one of the best. Tauch had the big house divided up into apartments which he leased to other architects, all friends of his and all gay. He looked after his tenants like an uncle; he was the only one of these architects who knew how to fix plumbing, gas, electric light and leaks in the roof. He was quiet, friendly and good-looking. Earlier on, in his navy uniform, he had been a dreamboat to many. Caskey himself had been violently in love with him, but only briefly.
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