The Eccentric Socialites

I recently watched a bio film about a reclusive pair of American socialites both called Edith Beale.

The Beales

grey gardens in 1914

 The movie, entitled Grey Gardens, chronicles the lives of  two generations of the Beale family of East Hampton New York. Edith Bouviar Beale - known as Big Edie was aunt to Jackie Onassis played by Jessica Lange and Litlle Edie Beale played by Drew Barrymore
 In the 20s and 30s Little Edie was famous across New York for her looks and style. An aspiring model she was confident, bright and had a very exciting future ahead

 But her behaviour became more and more erratic in her 20s and with the breakdown of her parents marriage and the subsequent loss of their fortune the two Edies struggled to hold on to their estate; Grey Gardens. She had moved to New York to persue her career but as her mother became ill and the money began to run low she returned to Grey Gardens in 1952 where she stayed until the death of her mother in 1977

Little Edie

Big Edie

Grey Gardens the 1975 documentary and the film of the same name are both fascinating. Their story is one of sadness, mental illness and isolation but its one that should be seen

The Edies together at Grey Gardens

http://littleediebeale.tumblr.com/ - attribute most of these amazing images to this tumblr where you can see much more about little Edie