“Frances Elkins: Visionary American Designer” – Lecture and book-signing by Scott Powell

Interiors scholar and author Scott Powell will give a lecture about his new book, “Frances Elkins: Visionary Interior Designer”, published by Rizzoli. Frances Elkins (1888-1953) was a “grand dame” of early 20th century interior design, revered for her classic, erudite, and multi-dimensional decor. Ahead of her time, Elkins reached the top of her profession in the early 1930s and was the only rival to Elsie de Wolfe. Her sophisticated international perspective and architectural sensibility made her popular with such leading creatives as Jean-Michel Frank, Coco Chanel and Syrie Maugham, and her work continues to influence many important designers today. Elkins was also the sister of Chicago architect David Adler (1882-1949), who designed the Crane mansion at Castle Hill in Ipswich, Massachusetts. Thanks to Mr. Powell’s research, we now know that Elkins collaborated with her brother on the Castle Hill interiors. Join us for this unique opportunity to learn about her influence while inside the elegant Adler/Elkins-designed Crane mansion.

Doors open at 5pm for self-guided tours and book purchases. At 6pm, Mr. Powell will present his illustrated lecture, “Frances Elkins: Visionary American Designer.” Following the talk, there will be a book-signing and light reception.

About the Speaker: Scott Powell is a noted arts and design historian and a frequent lecturer on Frances Elkins. Through his extensive research on her life and work, he has become a leading expert on Elkins’s designs, influence, and biography and has documented more than 250 Elkins commissions, many previously unknown. Powell has gathered the most definitive images of Elkins’s interiors, as well as her extensive correspondence with the leading designers, artists, and creatives of her day.