Wilkes-Barre in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Florence Foster Jenkins
July 19, 1868 - November 26, 1944
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Charity & Public Work • Religion & Religious Structures • Women. A significant historical year for this entry is 1901.
Location. 41° 14.794′ N, 75° 53.052′ W. Marker is in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, in Luzerne County. It is on South Franklin Street just north of Club House Lane, on the left when traveling north. The marker lies on the grounds of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 35 S Franklin St, Wilkes Barre PA 18701, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Pennsylvania’s Anthracite Coal Region and in the Wyoming Valley. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Mid-Atlantic, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World,
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Roberts Tower (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); American Institute of Mining Engineers (about 500 feet away); F.M. Kirby & Co. Store (about 600 feet away); AIME (about 600 feet away); Old Ship Zion Church Bell (about 600 feet away); The Birthplace of HBO (about 600 feet away); America's First Jazz Festival (about 600 feet away); Birthplace of the AIME (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Wilkes-Barre.
Also see . . . Wikipedia article about Florence Foster Jenkins.
Florence Foster Jenkins (born Narcissa Florence Foster; July 19, 1868 November 26, 1944) was an American socialite and amateur soprano who became known, and mocked, for her flamboyant performance costumes and notably poor singing ability. Stephen Pile ranked her "the world's worst opera singer ... No one, before or since, has succeeded in liberating themselves(Submitted on July 22, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.)quite so completely from the shackles of musical notation."
Despite or perhaps because of her technical incompetence, she became a prominent musical camp cult-figure in New York City during the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. Cole Porter, Gian Carlo Menotti, Lily Pons, Sir Thomas Beecham, and other celebrities were counted among her fans. Enrico Caruso reportedly "regarded her with affection and respect".
The poet William Meredith wrote that a Jenkins recital "was never exactly an aesthetic experience, or only to the degree that an early Christian among the lions provided aesthetic experience; it was chiefly immolatory, and Madame Jenkins was always eaten, in the end."
Credits. This page was last revised on July 22, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 22, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 265 times since then and 37 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 22, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
