A PERSONAL FAMILY HISTORY
BY A GREAT-GREAT-GRANDDAUGHTER OF
WALTER M. SMALLWOOD
BY A GREAT-GREAT-GRANDDAUGHTER OF
WALTER M. SMALLWOOD
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| Circa 1887: B.C. and Bessie Shields on the front steps of the first incarnation of 925 Burdette Street; he added the caption later. Six columns and a picket fence are features of the house today. |
By Sue Shields Marchman
Colonel Walter Marion Smallwood fought under the Union flag during the Civil War. A personal friend and political sympathizer of President Johnson, who appointed him Postmaster of New Orleans in 1868, Colonel Smallwood had by the late 1870s settled with his Quaker wife, Emeline, and their two daughters—Martha, known as Mattie, and Elizabeth, known as Bessie—in "an old plantation house" in suburban upriver Carrollton, which had been annexed by New Orleans in 1874. Emeline named the house "Arcady," which means "Peace."
As Mattie and Bessie gained their economic independence and became successful career women, Arcady became a center of gay entertainment for their friends, many of whom were famous for connections in their worlds of theater, politics, and journalism. Mattie eventually left home to work in California, where she married Charles Field and had a daughter, Flora (known as Flo); by 1880, Mattie had returned to Arcady after the sudden death of her young husband. Bessie worked as a press agent and as an actress, using the stage name "Bessie Bernard." She relinquished her career when she married Bernard C. (B.C.) Shields in 1887. The couple lived at Arcady with Emeline, Mattie, and Flo. Walter Smallwood had died on December 6, 1884.
I believe all of Bessie and B.C.'s children were born at Arcady. Sydney was born in May 1888, Bessie in October 1891, my grandfather Bernard S. ("Bernie") in May 1893, and the twins Sarah and Santos in May 1896. By November 15 of that year, according to the Times-Democrat, the Shields family had moved a few blocks away to 7602 Hampson Street. According to my great-aunt Bessie's notes, Bessie and B.C. moved to the new house because "Bessie wanted modern conveniences." They christened the Hampson Street house "Bohemia." Bessie mentions that it was beautiful in many ways and had lovely hardwood floors, but that they were not nearly as pretty "as Arcady's polished mahogany floors."
B.C. had completed his law degree and was admitted to the Bar in 1895. He was also involved in New Orleans politics as a city councilman and was for many years the Assistant Secretary of the Board of Liquidation, City Debt. He had his hand in many other projects as well—he was a champion rower, an amateur photographer—apparently he sold photographs to Cosmopolitan, then a very different magazine—and was president for several years of the New Orleans Camera Club, which had been founded in 1886. But most dear to B.C.'s heart was the theater. He continued to act in many productions, as did Bessie occasionally, and the children joined them as soon as they were old enough to say lines on stage. Vaudeville was just finding its footing, and the entire family spent much time traveling and acting. I have no idea how they managed this while my great-grandfather was working and the children were in school. I guess those were different times. When at home, the house was always full of interesting people—politicians, artists, writers—as well as actors traveling the Orpheum circuit including Fanny Brice, Sarah Bernhardt, Annie Oakley, Oscar Wilde, Minnie Maddern Fiske, Claus Bogel, and Sophie Tucker, among many others. My grandfather, Bernie, became friends with Harry Houdini while they were in vaudeville together, and Houdini taught him numerous tricks, including his famous needle-swallowing stunt. I can still remember my grandfather showing me card tricks when I was a child, and I have his Society of American Magicians membership card signed by Harry Houdini himself.
It is really quite remarkable to have my great-grandfather's photo albums from a time when most people couldn't even dream of owning a camera. We take cameras so much for granted now, but most people of that time only had formal portraits taken on special occasions. According to his daughter Bessie, B.C. took photos of all of his children every six months, putting together albums for each of them. I have the book he compiled for my grandfather from the time he was an infant until his early 20s. B.C. also took a lot of informal pictures of the children playing and play-acting. He also took photos of the lengthy European honeymoon he took with Bessie, with her writing a travelogue to accompany them. The honeymoon book resides in the Harvard University Library archives along with a lot of Bessie's papers.
One key bit of information I've dug up about the Burdette Street house is Emeline's will, which was filed in 1906. In it, she leaves 925, along with a small piece of property in Waveland, to her eldest granddaughters, Sydney Shields and Flo Field. Apparently the will was olographic, written on a single piece of paper with no witnesses. This is acceptable under Louisiana law, and B.C. had to attest that the handwriting was Emeline's. It is curious that the will was filed so late, since she died in 1902. Perhaps they didn't find it among her papers until later, or perhaps they decided to wait to file until they were ready to sell Arcady.
As Mattie and Bessie gained their economic independence and became successful career women, Arcady became a center of gay entertainment for their friends, many of whom were famous for connections in their worlds of theater, politics, and journalism. Mattie eventually left home to work in California, where she married Charles Field and had a daughter, Flora (known as Flo); by 1880, Mattie had returned to Arcady after the sudden death of her young husband. Bessie worked as a press agent and as an actress, using the stage name "Bessie Bernard." She relinquished her career when she married Bernard C. (B.C.) Shields in 1887. The couple lived at Arcady with Emeline, Mattie, and Flo. Walter Smallwood had died on December 6, 1884.
I believe all of Bessie and B.C.'s children were born at Arcady. Sydney was born in May 1888, Bessie in October 1891, my grandfather Bernard S. ("Bernie") in May 1893, and the twins Sarah and Santos in May 1896. By November 15 of that year, according to the Times-Democrat, the Shields family had moved a few blocks away to 7602 Hampson Street. According to my great-aunt Bessie's notes, Bessie and B.C. moved to the new house because "Bessie wanted modern conveniences." They christened the Hampson Street house "Bohemia." Bessie mentions that it was beautiful in many ways and had lovely hardwood floors, but that they were not nearly as pretty "as Arcady's polished mahogany floors."
B.C. had completed his law degree and was admitted to the Bar in 1895. He was also involved in New Orleans politics as a city councilman and was for many years the Assistant Secretary of the Board of Liquidation, City Debt. He had his hand in many other projects as well—he was a champion rower, an amateur photographer—apparently he sold photographs to Cosmopolitan, then a very different magazine—and was president for several years of the New Orleans Camera Club, which had been founded in 1886. But most dear to B.C.'s heart was the theater. He continued to act in many productions, as did Bessie occasionally, and the children joined them as soon as they were old enough to say lines on stage. Vaudeville was just finding its footing, and the entire family spent much time traveling and acting. I have no idea how they managed this while my great-grandfather was working and the children were in school. I guess those were different times. When at home, the house was always full of interesting people—politicians, artists, writers—as well as actors traveling the Orpheum circuit including Fanny Brice, Sarah Bernhardt, Annie Oakley, Oscar Wilde, Minnie Maddern Fiske, Claus Bogel, and Sophie Tucker, among many others. My grandfather, Bernie, became friends with Harry Houdini while they were in vaudeville together, and Houdini taught him numerous tricks, including his famous needle-swallowing stunt. I can still remember my grandfather showing me card tricks when I was a child, and I have his Society of American Magicians membership card signed by Harry Houdini himself.
It is really quite remarkable to have my great-grandfather's photo albums from a time when most people couldn't even dream of owning a camera. We take cameras so much for granted now, but most people of that time only had formal portraits taken on special occasions. According to his daughter Bessie, B.C. took photos of all of his children every six months, putting together albums for each of them. I have the book he compiled for my grandfather from the time he was an infant until his early 20s. B.C. also took a lot of informal pictures of the children playing and play-acting. He also took photos of the lengthy European honeymoon he took with Bessie, with her writing a travelogue to accompany them. The honeymoon book resides in the Harvard University Library archives along with a lot of Bessie's papers.
One key bit of information I've dug up about the Burdette Street house is Emeline's will, which was filed in 1906. In it, she leaves 925, along with a small piece of property in Waveland, to her eldest granddaughters, Sydney Shields and Flo Field. Apparently the will was olographic, written on a single piece of paper with no witnesses. This is acceptable under Louisiana law, and B.C. had to attest that the handwriting was Emeline's. It is curious that the will was filed so late, since she died in 1902. Perhaps they didn't find it among her papers until later, or perhaps they decided to wait to file until they were ready to sell Arcady.
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| If there was a Carrollton Hall of Fame, it would include the energetic Shieldses. B.C. Shields, born in New Orleans in 1853, had a shining example in his father, Thomas H. Shields, who was a member in his day of the state legislature and of the City Council, as well as a director of the school board for 25 years. His son followed him into public service. According to a biography, B.C. was no mere krewe- or clubman. Among other accomplishments, he was commissioned by the City Council in 1882 to urge the state to pass bills to restructure the city debt of New Orleans. Two years later, he was elected to the legislature and became "one of the youngest and most brilliant members of the House." As a pioneer woman editor and reporter, Bessie Shields was herself an extraordinarily accomplished New Orleanian. Detailed biographies can be found here. |
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| B.C. Shields wrote "Spanish Daggers at Arcady" beneath this image in his album of the front yard of 925 Burdette Street; the view through brick piers underneath a raised house, the ground-floor space not yet converted to additional living area, is familiar to many New Orleanians of a certain vintage. How much of the original house survives in the current version? |
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| Bernie Shields's handwritten key to this 1893 album image identifies family and friends gathered on the rear stairs of Arcady: Among them are (2) Bessie Jr.; (3) Sydney; (4) newborn Bernie; and (5) Bessie Smallwood Shields. Numbers 10 and 11 are Walter and Lulu Saxon, who appear to be the aunt and uncle of writer and journalist Lyle Saxon, author of, among other works, Fabulous New Orleans. Bernie's full name was Bernard Saxon Shields, his middle name a tribute to his godfather, Walter Saxon—perhaps the group was together here to celebrate his christening. The lens makes a giant of well-known actor Claus Bogel at left. |
Illustrations: Smallwood/Shields/Marchman Family Collection;
