Jitoku Akatsuka (1970 - 1970)

Artist. Also known as “Heizaemon Akatsuka, he is famous for his works in gold lacquer, using the “maki-e” technique, as well for some of his oil paintings. A member of the “Teikoku Geijutsu-in (Imperial Art Academy), many of his creations are on display in museums in metropolitan Tokyo and other areas of Japan. (bio by: […]

Maude Adams (1872 - 1953)

Actress. Born Maude Kiskadden in Salt Lake City, Utah to Mormon parents with a theatrical mother, she began her career at the age of nine months, when she was carried on stage by her mother during a Salt Lake City stock company production.  She took speaking roles as soon as she could talk while adopting […]

George Charles Aid (1872 - 1938)

Artist. Born and raised in Quincy, Illinois. He received his primary art education at the St. Louis School of Fine Art. George worked as a staff artist for the St. Louis newspapers before moving to France in 1899. Once he arrived in France he began his studies at the Academie Julian in Paris with renowned […]

Carl Henry Ahrens (1862 - 1936)

Artist.  Prominent in early 20th century North American art, he was most noted for his landscape paintings. Studying with artists William Merritt Chase, George Inness and William Keith, his work ranged from tonalism (painting that utilized the overall tone of colored atmosphere or mist) in the early part of his career to post-impressionistic in the […]

Joaquín Agrasot Juan (1836 - 1919)

Artist. Born in Orihuela, Alicante, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain, at young age, he moved to Valencia with his parents. Soon after he began his career as painter, and he wqs bestowed his first award in 1860 with his works “La Educación de la Virgen,” “El Sacrifico de Isaac” and “Retrato de Don Juan Alfonso de Albuquerque, […]

Adrian (1903 - 1959)

Costume Designer. Born in Naugatuck, Connecticut, to Jewish immigrant parents Gilbert and Helena (Pollack) Greenberg. He attended the New York School for Fine and Applied Arts. In 1922, he transferred to NYSFAA’s Paris campus and while there was hired by Irving Berlin. Adrian then designed the costumes for Berlin’s The Music Box Revue. After creating […]

Bas Jan Ader (1942 - 1970)

Artist. A native of of Winschoten, the Netherlands, he was a popular Dutch conceptual artist, filmmaker, photographer, and performance artist. He studied at the Rietveld Academy in the Netherlands, and at the Otis Art College, and the Claremont Graduate School, in the United States. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1965 from […]

Gypsy Abbott (1896 - 1952)

Actress. She appeared in motion pictures during the “Silent Screen Era”, and was married for a time to film director Henry King. (bio by: A.J. Marik)  Family links:  Spouse:  Henry King (1886 – 1982) Inscription:Wife, MotherAlways in Our Hearts

Charles Samuel Addams (1912 - 1988)

Cartoonist. Born an only child in Westfield, New Jersey, he attended Westfield High School, where he was the art editor for the ‘Weather Vane’. He attended Colgate University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Grand Central School of Art in New York City briefly but refused to graduate from any of them. Making his first […]

Rena Vlahopoulou (1923 - 2004)

Actress, comedienne, dancer and singer. Fondly referred to as the “Lucille Ball” of Greece who appeared in movies and television for more than forty years, mostly in the 1960’s, in productions such as “The Gambler” (“H xartopaixtra”) and “The Countess Of Corfu” (“H Komissa tis Kerkyras”)She died of respiratory problems at her home in Athens, […]

John Ottis Adams (1851 - 1927)

Artist. One of the better-known figures of the “Indiana School” of painting, he studied at the Royal Academy in Munich, Germany, as well as in London, England, before returning to the United States. He specialized in Impressionist landscapes of his native Indiana, spending much of his time in the city of Muncie there. Along with […]

Ansel Easton Adams (1902 - 1984)

Photographer. His photographic images of the American landscape, and especially those of the American West and Yosemite Park, became popular and familiar to millions. Born in San Francisco, California, he was a problem student in school, which may have been caused by dyslexia or a hyperactive condition. When he was twelve, he taught himself to […]

William Adam (1970 - 1748)

Architect, Entrepreneur. Born near Kirkcaldy, Scotland, the son of a builder-architect, he inherited a legacy from previous noted Scottish architects Sir William Bruce and James Smith, and rose to be considered the most prominent architect in Scotland during his lifetime. Developing a Baroque style after which he disseminated through his large practice, he was popular […]

Robert Adam (1728 - 1792)

Architect. One of the most prominent architects of 18th century Great Britain, he was appointed as the Royal Architect of the King’s Works, serving from 1761 to 1769. Robert was born on July 3, 1728 at Gladney House in Kirkcaldy, Fife .He was the son of William Adam, the country’s foremost architect of the time, […]

Salvador Abril y Blasco (1970 - 1924)

Artist. Born in Valencia, Spain, he studied in there at the Real Academia de San Carlos with future renown Spanish painters Joaquín Sorolla and Pedro Ferrer. Best remembered for his paintings of landscapes and sea-scapes, Abril was awarded in the National Exhibitions of 1887, 1890 and 1892. Among his works are “Bosques de La Alhambra”, […]

John Abel (1970 - 1970)

Architect. He rose to prominence in 17th Century England, and served as King’s Carpenter to English monarch King Charles I. John Abel was born in Sarnesfield, Herefordshire. He was a Catholic recusant, along with his wife Johanna. John married twice, but there is no record of his second wife except on his table tomb in […]

Vilmos Aba-Novak (1894 - 1941)

Artist. He was one of Hungary’s leading painters between World Wars I and II. Born in Budapest, he studied at the College of Fine Arts from 1912 to 1914, and served in the Hungarian Army on the Eastern Front during World War I. From 1928 to 1931 he lived in Rome, Italy on a scholarship […]

Slim Aarons (1916 - 2006)

Photographer. He was born in Manhattan, New York. He worked mainly for society publications, taking pictures of the rich and famous both before and after serving as a photographer for the US military magazine Yank during World War II. His work has been included in the publications Town and Country, Holiday, Venture and LIFE. His […]

Wäinö Valdemar Aaltonen (1894 - 1966)

Sculptor. As a young man he studied painting for five years at the School of Drawing of the Turku Art Association in Turku, Findland, but as a sculptor he was largely self-taught. Working in bronze and stone, occasionally incorporating glass, he developed a naturalistic style, with some influence of Cubism, which he had encountered during […]

Yetta Zwerling (1894 - 1982)

Comedienne and motion picture actress of the 1930s through the 1950s. (bio by: A.J. Marik)

Lillian Zuckerman (1916 - 2004)

Actress. A longtime character actress Zuckerman appeared in many films that were set in or had something to do with Florida. Among her films are, “Lenny” (1974), “Deadbeat” (1976), “Nobody’s Perfekt” (1981), “The Mean Season” (1985), and Making Mr. Right” (1987). Zuckerman also was a model, voice actress, and also appeared in commercials, and episodes […]

Frances Marion Zucco (1931 - 1962)

British-born film actress of the 1950s. Daughter of famed character actor George Zucco. (bio by: A.J. Marik)  Family links:  Parents:  George Zucco (1886 – 1960)  Stella Francis Zucco (1900 – 1999)  Spouse:  James Richard Maguire (1933 – 2002)* *Calculated relationship

Voula Zouboulaki (1924 - 2015)

Greek Actress. Born Paraskevi Zouboulaki, she was an actress who appeared in both film and on the theatrical stage for over fifty years. She attended the Dramatic School of the National Theatre, the School of the National Odeon and the Law School of the University of Athens.  Zouboulaki went first into acting on the stage […]

China Zorilla (1922 - 2014)

Actress. Born Concepción Matilde Zorrilla de San Martín Muñoz, daughter of sculptor José Luis Zorrilla de San Martín, and granddaughter of Uruguay’s national poet Juan Zorrilla de San Martín, she grew up in Paris. After a career in the Uruguayan theatre, she moved to Argentina where she began a new lifelong career in movies, theatre […]

Valentina Zimina (1899 - 1928)

Actress. Born in Russia, during the Russian Civil War she escaped the country and came to Hollywood in 1923. She became a popular figure of the silent film era romantic melodramas making her debut in “A Son Of His Father” (1925). Her other credits included “Rose Of The Tenements” (1926), “La Boheme” (1926), “The Woman […]

Marjorie Zier (1909 - 1952)

Actress. Also known as Jerry Zier, she was most noted for appearing in early western talkies. Her credits included “Cactus Trails” (1927), “A Racing Romeo” (1927), “Phantom Of The Range” (1928) and “Dynamite” (1929). (bio by: John “J-Cat” Griffith)  Family links:  Spouse:  Michael John Patrick Cudahy (1907 – 1947)* *Calculated relationship

Monica Zetterlund (1937 - 2005)

Jazz singer, actress, comedienne. One of Sweden’s most acclaimed jazz singers with international recognition. In 1964 she teamed with Bill Evans making the record “Waltz for Debby,” considered one of her best recordings. She also performed with Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong, Thad Jones and Zoot Sims, and the Swedish jazz musician Arne Domnerus, among others. One […]

Mai Elisabeth Zetterling (1925 - 1994)

Actress. Born in Sweden, she moved to London, England to pursue her career in film career. After an impoverished childhood and training at the Royal Dramatic Theatre School, Stockholm, Sweden. She starred in films like Frenzy in 1944 and came to England to play Frieda in 1947. Her film credits include, “Portrait from Life” in […]

Rosel Zech (1942 - 2011)

Actress. A longtime star of the German stage and screen she shall probably remembered for her lead role in 1982’s “Veronika Voss”. Raised in Hoya she broke into show business in 1962 at Landshut’s South Bavarian City Theatre then over the next years was to refine her craft in the increasingly important venues of such […]

Regina Zdanaviciute (1925 - 2015)

Lithuanian Actress. Zdanaviciute was a well-known actress in both the theater and film for many years. She graduated from the Juozas Miltinis Theatre Studio in 1943 and went directly to acting on the stage, appearing in over 120 productions throughout her career.  Zdanaviciute also appeared in numerous films during her career, such as “Niekas nenorejo […]