Dorothy Adlow | |
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| Born | (1901-06-07)June 7, 1901 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | January 11, 1964(1964-01-11) (aged 62) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Education | Radcliffe College |
| Occupation | Art critic |
| Spouse | Nicolas Slonimsky |
| Children | Electra Slonimsky Yourke |
Dorothy Adlow (1901-1964) was a nationally known art critic and lecturer from Boston.[1]
She was born in Boston on June 7, 1901, to Jewish immigrant parents. Her father, Nathan Adlow, emigrated as a youth from Kazarez, Poland, and opened a furniture store in theRoxbury neighborhood of Boston. Her mother, Bessie (Bravman) Adlow, was born in Dauge, Lithuania.[2] Her brother,Elijah Adlow, eventually became chief justice of theBoston Municipal Court.[1]
Dorothy grew up in Roxbury and attendedGirls' Latin School. At her mother's urging, and despite her father's warnings that "if she gets too educated, she'll never marry," she went on to earn a bachelor's and a master's degree fromRadcliffe College, graduating in 1923.[2]
After college, Adlow worked briefly for theBoston Evening Transcript before beginning a 41-year career as an art critic forThe Christian Science Monitor. By her mid-twenties, she had achieved a remarkable level of independence and professional success for a young woman of her time.[2]
To supplement her income, Adlow traveled widely, lecturing at colleges and museums and serving as an art juror. In 1930 she lectured at theCarnegie International exhibit series in Pittsburgh, the first woman to do so. She also appeared frequently on television programs produced by theMuseum of Fine Arts, Boston,[3] and taught at theKatharine Gibbs School.[1]
Adlow was Boston's leading art critic during the 1940s, when the city's art scene changed dramatically. She regularly attended exhibitions at theMuseum School and discussed the students' work withKarl Zerbe.[4] Jean Gibran, wife of the artistKahlil Gibran, names Adlow in her memoir as one of those who contributed to the "flowering" ofBoston Expressionism.[5]
In 1931, at the age of 30, Adlow married composer-conductorNicolas Slonimsky. She kept her maiden name and continued working, providing a small, but steady income for the household while her husband's fortunes fluctuated.[2] Her daughter, Electra, was born in 1933.[3]
Adlow corresponded frequently with her husband, who traveled a great deal. She carefully saved his letters, but her letters to him have been lost. Her daughter published a posthumous collection of Slonimsky's letters titledDear Dorothy: Letters from Nicolas Slonimsky to Dorothy Adlow (University of Rochester Press, 2012).[2]
She died of a heart attack on January 11, 1964, at her home on Beacon Street in Boston, aged 62.[1]
A room is named in her honor at Hilles Library, Radcliffe College.[3]
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