Julia Reinhardt nee Smitten (1844-1924) New York
Historical Newspapers, Birth, Marriage, & Death Announcements, 1851-2003
Newspaper Title Location Date of Publication Event
New York Times (1857-Current file) New York, New York 31 Aug 1924 Obituary
REINHARDT-Julia (nee Smitten), noted
suffragist and actress, daughter of Rich-
ard and Ann Smitten of Barbados, B.W.
I., in her 81st year.Born March 17 (St.
Patrick's Day), 1844, at Philadelphia, Pa.
Died Aug. 30, at 2:45 A.M., after a long
illness of five months, at the residence of
her daughter, Maude Madison, 29 West
37th St.Mrs. Reinhardt will be in St.
Joseph's Chapel, the Little Church Around
the Corner, Sunday, Aug. 31, and Mon-
day, Sept. 1.Funeral services Tuesday,
Sept. 2, 1924, at 11 A. M.Burial at the
Fund Plot, Evergreen.Members of the
Episcopal Actors' Guild are requested to
attend.
Historical Newspapers, Birth, Marriage, & Death Announcements, 1851-2003
Newspaper Title Location Date of Publication Event
New York Times (1857-Current file) New York, New York 31 Aug 1924 Obituary
LAST CURTAIN RINGS
ON JULIA REINHARDT
Actress, 80, Noted for Her Un-
tiring Labor for Woman Suf-
frage, Dies in a Narrow Room.
DIES AS JAZZ MUSIC ENDS
Requested That All at Her Funeral
Wear White -- Service in Little
Church Around the Corner
"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall
not want."
These were the last words of Mrs.
Julia Reinhardt, distinguished alike for
her work on the stage and her untiring
labor for woman suffrage, before she
died early yesterday in her narrow room
at 29 West Thirty-seventh Street.
The final curtain was expected to close
the life of the 80-year-old actress for
many weeks, but the friendly stream of
sympathy she received from allsides
swept her into an eddy of new strength.
She was injured last March at El Paso,
Texas, when she stepped into a trunk
shaft and fell to the sidewalk below.
It was 2:45 o'clock when the aged
womna, emaciated and worn, passed
away.The crashing jazz melodies from
a Russian restaurant two doors distant
had just ended.She turned to her nurse
with those dark eyes that had seen so
much of life, gave a sign as though in
benediction, and was gone.
Mrs. Reinhardt was born on St.
Patrick's Day, 1844, in the very shadow
of the Liberty Bell at Philadelphia.
Her parent's were Reibard and Ann
Smitten of Barbadoes, B. W.She
did not take up her stage career until
middle life and little record of her
earlier engagements has been kept.Her
daughter, Mrs. Maude Madison, a pro-
fessional dancer, added many interest-
ing side-lights to the brief summary of
her work in the Theatre's Who's Who.
When David Warfield opened the
Belasco Theatre with his play, "The
Grand Army Man," Mrs. Reinhardt had
a prominent role.It was in this play
that Jane Cowl had her first speaking
lines on the stage, and a friendship
sprang up between the novice and the
older woman which lasted many years.
When Miss Cowl became a star Mrs.
Reinhardt frequently played the mother
parts in her plays.
It was through Mrs. Reinhardt's
speeches for woman's suffrage that the
author, Arline Hines, conceived the idea
for her play "His Honor the Mayor."
Miss Hines was in the audience one day
when Mrs. Reinhardt made an address
for equal rights for women.Some time
later when "His Honor the Mayor" was
ready for rehearsals the authoress called
on the woman who inspired her play and
insisted on her joining the cast.
Although she was the recipient of
much kindness during her last few days
of life, she had grown embittered
through poverty and loneliness.she for-
got the words of encouragement she had
been preaching from platforms and
street corners to the younger generation
and she told of the disappointments in
her own heart.
"I knew Jane Addams, Warfield, Be-
lasco, Rose Coghlan, Barrymore and
many others," she said."I knew them
all.I fought for suffrage, but the wo-
men who have the vote today don't
know it -- and no one remembers it.At
the Victory Ball Inez Milholland and I
led the march as the youngest and old-
est suffragists.They're building a mon-
ument to Inez now, and I'm starving
and dying in this narrow room.
"That's what the world does for its
actors who play a part in life.I am
glad the authors of plays do not
invent the ingratitude of reality.In my
youth I had wealth and strength and I
gave freely of both of them.I have
worked for freedom and peace and now
they tell me I shall be dead in a few
days.'I am alone, unheralded and un-
suung'The wife of the man who wrote
that starved to death, and after he died
they built a memorial to him -- but never
mind, it's all in the day's work."
The woman who so lately made this
speech made other speeches very diff-
ent.Among the words of advice and
encouragement in her fighting days were
these:
"Get used to my ideas, for radical
thought today is the commonplace to-
morrow.Girls should not try to subju-
gate men.They should not overrate or
underrate them.Their place is beside
them.Don't tell me the Lord gave the
bearing of children to an inferior sex.
Girls should choose their career accord-
ing to their type.Soem girls are born
mothers, some are born business 'men.'
Some should be artists, teachers, profes-
sionals in this line or that.The mis-
take is in making a blanket assertion
such as 'Woman's place is in the home.'
Some women's is and some is not."
Some little time before she died Mrs.
Reinhardt made a request that every one
who attended her funeral would please
her by wearing white.Her body will be
taken to St. Joseph's Chapel at the Lit-
tle Church Around the Corner this morn-
ing and will lie there until 11 o'clock
Tuesday morning, when services will be
held.She will be buried in the Actors'
Fund plot in Evergreen Cemetery.
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Re: Julia Reinhardt nee Smitten (1844-1924) New York
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Re: Julia Reinhardt nee Smitten (1844-1924) New York
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Re: Julia Reinhardt nee Smitten (1844-1924) New York
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Re: Julia Reinhardt nee Smitten (1844-1924) New York
Charlene Reinhart 3/23/13
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Re: Daughter, Maude Madison Platte (1870-1953) NYC and CA
Charlene Reinhart 7/05/13
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Re: Granddaughter, Beatrice Maude (1892-1984) California
Charlene Reinhart 7/05/13
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Re: Daughter, Maude Madison Platte (1870-1953) NYC and CA
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Re: Julia Reinhardt nee Smitten (1844-1924) New York
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Re: Julia Reinhardt nee Smitten (1844-1924) New York
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Re: Julia Reinhardt nee Smitten (1844-1924) New York