Partner LeClair Bissell
Queer Places:
1932 Woodring Rd, Sanibel, FL 33957
Nancy Palmer (1917 - March 31, 2007) was born in Cleveland, OH, then moved with parents to Ossining, NY where she finished high school and soon after moved to New York City. She lived there almost continuously until the 1980's. During WWII, she worked as a drill press operator till her job was reclaimed by a returning veteran. Nancy worked at a variety of jobs and places, spending most of her time as a night club photographer in Manhattan jazz clubs. She loved to drink, loved the musicians and enjoyed most of the patrons. She went on to study photography with Lisettte Modell and other New York artists. They encouraged her but she never felt sure of her own talent with a camera although she had a wonderful eye for the work of other photographers. Eventually, Nancy's drinking got out of hand and resulted in hospitalizations, the loss of several jobs, many hours of psychotherapy and eventually an "or else" referral to AA. She stopped drinking in 1959 and after that never relapsed. Once healthy and sober, she found her niche. She became an agent for news photographers all over the world and represented them to the editors of Life, Look, National Geographic, the NYTimes magazine and many others. Later, television would gradually kill off the picture magazines but she loved helping her clients plan a photo shoot and selling the ideas to publishers. That often entailed a fast trip to Kennedy to be handed films by a pilot and then another race back to Manhattan to get them developed, printed and into the hands of the editors. Nancy was active in the early days of the women's movement, was part of its first big march in NYC. She loved marching with other activists, be it for women's rights or for other causes. She still has a collection of buttons from ERA, gay rights, reproductive choice, and AIDS marches in Washington. On a vacation trip to Florida in the late 1960's, Nancy and her life partner, LeClair Bissell, found Sanibel and a small furnished house on Woodring Point. They bought it. Like so many snowbirds, once they were retired, they spent longer and longer periods of time in Florida until it made sense to become voting residents here. They continued to spend time in Connecticut in summer but Sanibel had become home. Their original home here has been replaced but the old house traveled by barge to the Sanibel historic village where it remains. Nancy was active with FISH, helped CROW develop its transportation system for injured animals and was an enthusiastic supporter of EMILY's List and other Democratic efforts.
Nancy Palmer died at home at the age of 90 early on March 31, 2007, with her dogs, five elderly female Chihuahuas, and familiar faces near her. She had been suffering from Alzheimer's Disease as well as from other medical problems for many months.
My published books:
