Carl Van Vechten

Carl Van Vechten (June 17, 1880 – December 21, 1964) was an American writer and artistic photographer who was a patron of the Harlem Renaissance and the literary executor of Gertrude Stein.

Biography

Born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, he was the youngest child of Charles and Ada Van Vechten. He graduated from Washington High School in 1898, and later the University of Chicago in 1903. In 1906, he moved to New York City. He was hired as the assistant music critic at The New York Times. His interest in opera had him take a leave of absence from the paper in 1907, to travel to Europe to explore opera. While in England he married his long-time friend from Cedar Rapids, Anna Snyder. He returned to his job at the New York Times in 1909, where he became the first American critic of modern dance. At that time, Isadora Duncan, Anna Pavlova, and Loie Fuller were performing in New York City. The marriage to Anna Snyder ended in divorce in 1912 and he wed actress Fania Marinoff in 1914.<ref name=Carl Van Vechten's Biography on nybooks.com>"Carl Van Vechten's Biography on nybooks.com". Retrieved July 10, 2012. </ref> Their marriage lasted until the end of his life, even while his relationships with men were an open secret.