Nancy Luce (August 23, 1814 - April 9, 1890) was a poet and folk artist who lived in West Tisbury, Massachusetts on Martha's Vineyard.
Nancy Luce | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Nancy Luce, island eccentric, and her bantie hens. | |
| Born | August 23, 1814[1] |
| Died | April 9, 1890 (aged 75) |
| Occupation(s) | Folk artist, poet, businesswoman |
Biography edit
Luce was orphaned by her parents, Philip Luce and Anne Manter, in her late twenties and suffered a debilitating disease leaving her nearly homebound at the family farmhouse.[1] She raised bantam hens to survive, often giving them fanciful names such as Ottee Ophete, Pondy Lilly and Letoogie Tickling.[2] She wrote and self-published poetry pamphlets about her chickens and got professional portraits done of them and herself.[3] Tourists would come to her cottage and small store on the property to visit with her and purchase keepsakes to bring home.[2] As she buried her chickens on the property, her collection of chicken gravestones became its own tourist attraction. She was considered "one of the Island's most well-known historical figures."[4]
When Luce died, the chicken gravestones were given to the town library. Luce herself is buried in the West Tisbury cemetery, where her marble gravestone is decorated with chickens.[1]
Legacy edit
Luce's chicken names live on in the names of chickens at the Los Angeles Zoo.[5] Composer Thomas LaVoy is currently working on a commissioned choral piece based on her writings.[6] Vineyard artist Daniel Waters has created a series of linoleum block prints featuring Luce and her chickens.[7]
Nancy Luce's manuscripts and other related material are at the John Hay Library at Brown University.[8]
References edit
- ^ a b c Bender, Sydney (2014-10-23). "Island Eccentric Clucked to Her Own Beat". The Vineyard Gazette - Martha's Vineyard News. Retrieved 2018-12-22.
- ^ a b Nadler, Holly (2006). Vineyard confidential : 350 years of scandals, eccentrics, and strange occurrences. Camden, ME: Down East Books. pp. 73–74. ISBN 978-0-89272-687-5. OCLC 70822421.
- ^ "Portrait of Nancy Luce, island eccentric, and her bantie hens". NYPL Digital Collections. Retrieved 2018-12-22.
- ^ "Martha's Vineyard Museum Exhibitions". Martha's Vineyard Museum. 2015-01-31. Retrieved 2018-12-22.
- ^ Brennan, George (2017-08-02). "The Nancy Luce story goes Hollywood, sort of". The Martha's Vineyard Times. Retrieved 2018-12-22.
- ^ "Nancy Luce Commission Consortium - Composer". Thomas LaVoy - Composer. 2018-03-26. Retrieved 2018-12-22.
- ^ "Gallery of Prints". Daniel Waters, Poet & Printmaker. Retrieved 2018-12-22.
- ^ "Nancy Luce Papers". Brown University Library. Brown University. Retrieved 22 December 2018.