Swooningly Steenie

🪭NEWS

Update: New release of Serious Pleasures (Philip Hoare)

📖RESOURCES

Stephen Tennant Resources (books, film, etc)

Edith Olivier's First Impressions of Everyone

🧑‍🦰SPOTLIGHTS

The Final Moments of Rex Whistler

🐒VIDEOS/RECORDINGS

Video: Stephen's American Voyage Pt 1

Video: Stephen's American Voyage Pt 2

Video/GIFs: Stephen & Cecil Playing (Savay Farm)

Stephen's Voice on Video (Hugo Vickers)

Siegfried, Forster & others reading their poems aloud

Short documentary on Stephen

🦢PHOTOS

Stephen as a pageboy at a wedding

With Cecil, and group

The Leopard Dress

"There is death in that beloved face"

Stephen as Prince Charming

Stephen as Thinima, Edith Olivier play

Stephen & Cecil, 1954

Mother & Kneeling Son 1918

I also post photos over on my Instagram!

🏖️LOCATIONS

Photo Review: Trafalgar Square

Haus Hirth, Bavaria

Mulberry House, London

Global Map: Stephen Tennant Locations

Wilsford Theatre

🐚STEPHEN'S ART/WRITING

Travel Journal for Morocco & Tangier

Hollywood Temptress, Photography Session

Lascar: Manuel's Dream

🪷QUOTES ABOUT STEPHEN

Book Quote: lote by shola von reinhold

Book Quote: Stephens Letter to Sieg Nov 1927

"ASK A QUESTION" SECTION

What modern music did Stephen like?

🦎FAN ART

Ski Hat & Plus-Fours (2025)

Photo Paint-over: Starry Stephen

Learning to Draw Stephen

Greetings from Hollywood

🩰MEMES & FUN

Siegfried: "They're the same picture"

Stephen-Inspired Spotify Playlist

Stephen's Family Tree

🧥MILES MALPRACTICE/MAITLAND

Deep Dive: Miles (film, book, and real person) *coming soon*

One of 3 major influences for Miles

Fan Art: Happy Birthday from Nar0art

About Me

Hello! I am Tigg, an agender artist with Inattentive ADHD who loves to research biographies of artistic historic people. I want to climb into the mind of the person to understand them better, to learn from them, and stand where they've been to fully appreciate their lived experience. I do not live in the UK, so all of my research is done by book or online.

I found Stephen through the following route:

Doctor Who (David Tennant)> Good Omens> Michael Sheen> Miles in "Bright Young Things" (2003)> Stephen Tennant & the BYTs.

A review in The Sphere - October 14, 1933:

Wonderful to hear someone back then rave about him! Honestly, I feel the same about his work. The ending is a familiar sentiment that could be said today, tbh. Escapism is eagerly sought and whimsy is desperately needed.

The Sketch - March 14, 1934:

A mention of Rex at a previous party:

Then, the Olympian Party at Claridges:

I wanted to add this photo of them together from another source..

Look at how he stares at her. Her hand is on his skin. It had to have affected him. Can I also say, he has really lovely legs here.

The silly fellows in the back are dressed as Nijinsky fauns! This is such a fun photo that I have to share it.

The Tatler - July 21, 1937:

Mr. Cecil Beaton's Fete Champetre was at his house at Ashcombe, among the downs near Shaftesbury. All the guests were asked to disguise themselves as something truly rural, and the host himself did it no fewer than three times, firstly in a creation of broken eggs, vegetables and beetles, then as something from the Stuart period, and lastly as a scarecrow. Some of the guests were also rather Protean, including Sir Michael Duff-Assheton-Smith, who changed from Roman to Greek attire. Lord Berners assisted the host in the organisation of the party, which was complete in all but one point -- even the photographers wore smocks and the waiters masks -- the deficiency being that Mr. Sacheverell Sitwell was not in fancy dress. The Hon. David and Anthony Herbert, the two younger sons of the Earl of Pembroke, were among "the life and soul of the party." ... A play and a burlesque of Restoration Days was part of the programme, and the cast is seen here.

LOL Cecil up there!

Aw, Rex smiling!

I have yet to find Stephen in his sailor outfit at this party. The hunt continues!

The Bystander - November 24, 1937:

Lady Caroline Paget and her sister Lady Rose Paget were both at the cocktail-party Miss Viola Tree gave to celebrate the publication of her book "Can I Help You?"

The Bystander, Feb 2, 1938:

The Sketch - September 21, 1938:

REX WHISTLER AND "THE NEW MODEL" - The first of a series of photographs by brilliant photographer Cecil Beaton which we are to publish is a conversation - piece featuring MR. REX WHISTLER, the artist and designer, and MRS. VAN HOFFMANSTHAL, noted American hostess. This poetical and rather mixed-period group was arranged and photographed on the lawn of Mr. Beatons's country house, Ashcombe, near Salisbury. "Cecil Beaton's New York" is to be published this autumn.

The Sketch 1939:

The Montmartre Ball in aid of Royal School for the Blind, Swiss Cottage at the Dorchester. Lady Diana Cooper was the chairman of this effort, so need not tell you that it was crowded with what's known as the "right people", wearing very much the right dresses. In fact, it was all very chic, smart, and also enjoyable.

Lady Diana wore little satin ribbon bows on either side of her head, tucked in among her curls, and had a lovely pearl and diamond necklace.

Art as well as sports and politics represented by guests, for Rex Whistler was there, and also Cecil Beaton. Energetic dancers included Lord Stanley of Alderley.

Caroline's hands tell a story. She's startled, as though Rex just had a drink knocked into his lap and he's looking down at it like "Yep.." and starts to mop it up as she apologizes profusely. 😂

I must say, it's a surprise to see just how often Rex was able to be with Caroline at parties and events. They seemed to rely on each other to be their date at any event that came up. She'll always be his unrequited love, but it's clear that they were so fond of each other.

Here is the photo of Lady Diana with bows in her hair. It reminded me of the part of Serious Pleasures when Stephen wore similar bows. It gives an idea of how they would've been worn and how his hair may have been styled.

The film premiere of "Carefree" at the New Theatre, 1938:

This photo is on Alamy under the tag "Lady Caroline Paget", but then I noticed Rex is with her, untagged! So, Rex fans may never find this one due to their faux pas.

The Tatler & Bystander - May 19, 1954: COCTEAU IN WILTSHIRE. An important event in provincial repertory took place at Salisbury, when the first production in England of Jean Cocteau's "Knights of the Round Table" was given at the Playhouse Theatre. The courage and imagination of the production, which went very smoothly, were widely praised.

Photo of the play:

The performance of "Blue Beaver," which took place at the New Theatre, Salisbury, in aid of the Wilton Nursing Charities, was a tremendous success, and the clever amateurs who produced it deserve the warmest congratulations. Miss Edith Olivier, who took the part of Sister Anne, wrote the pantomime specially for the occasion, and the Hon. Stephen Tennant, youngest son of Viscountess Grey of Fallodon, and of the first Lord Glenconner, designed the scenery and dresses and took the part of Thinima, wife to Blue Beaver.

The Countess of Pembroke and Montgomery presented the play, and took the role of The Witch. Her debutante daughter, Lady Patricia Herbert, played Jessica, and also appeared as a member of the Beauty Chorus; and other members of the cast were Lord Herbert, the Hon. David Herbert, and the Hon. Anthony Herbert, the three sons of the Earl and Countess of Pembroke and Montgomery; Lady Margaret Douglas-Hamilton, second daughter of the Duke of Hamilton and Brandon; Miss Marjorie Stuart-Wortley, and Sir Michael Duff, third Baronet, who succeeded his father in 1914.

(/End quote)

It is not mentioned in book "Edith Olivier's Journals" which only covers 1925 onward. However, Phillip Hoare found a few extra details. The character of "Blue Beaver" is based on "the wicked pirate Blue Beard" and that the play had "two charity performances - at Wilton House on Jan 23, and then on the following day at the New Theatre." Stephen's Thinima "was a principal character, one in fact upon whom fell most of the work." (Serious Pleasures, pg30-1) Nothing seems to be written about the play itself or what it entailed in any source that I can find.

I want to talk about Stephen's name, Thinima, for a minute. Name sites claim that the name Thanima is of Hindu origin and means "Beautiful, weakness" which aptly describes him. The fact that it was changed to Thinima has me wondering if it's due to how slender he is. (Thin-ima)

Now on with the photos!

Sigh, I'm sorry.. Please ignore the blackfce. It was a product of its time. 🫣

The pretentious young Thinima welcoming the wise older Edith Olivier's character Sister Anne. Seen with David and Anthony Herbert. I can imagine Stephen saying "You may kiss my hand." followed by Edith giving him a look like "Surely you're joking." and pinches his finger to drag his hand out of her way. The thought of it had me cackling! The cross expression he must have given her after that happened. 😂

Keep in mind, she's 53 here, and he's 17. Hilarious!

His sheer organza dress would shine when light hits it, which you can see in the photo. He seems to have a knee-length underdress to keep his modesty. On the floor is a matching cover-up garment. Edith is dripping in pearls and beaded jewellery and gorgeous fabrics. One of Stephen's favorite design ideas was to have pearls hanging from the head from a bandeau, which is mirrored in his design for Pamela Paget's wedding veil when she married his brother, Christopher.

I found it amusing that Edith is in the steepest heels possible while lady Stephen is dressed in flats, velvet slippers that have a moccasin-like gathered edge. It would've been lovely to see him in heels, but then I'd imagine that he'd tower over everyone in the room if he stood.

He is wearing a large ring on his index finger, but she is not pulling his hand away by it.

The Sketch article: "A final touch for the lovely Thinima: Lord Herbert helps to make-up the Hon. Stephen Tennant." This photo was cropped into a headshot for a newspaper article collage in "Serious Pleasures" but I didn't know where it came from until I stumbled onto this. Here Stephen is wearing a cover-up garment, which he eventually shrugs off in the first photo and left to pool at his feet.

Set Art and Costume Designs by Stephen

(Pictured: Mr. F. Bickerstaffe-Drew & Sir Michael Duff in front of Stephen's backdrop. I'm assuming they are pirates?)

Stephen seemed to have 1 thick paintbrush at his disposal for this project and seemed to go for a loose ancient Egyptian motif, determined only by the bobbed wigs pictured. The svelt boy in the middle painting looks oddly familiar, doesn't he? I love it when he manages to sneak himself into his art. Judging by the bird's curved beak and black head to the left of him is an African sacred ibis, which would represent ancient Egyptian god Thoth, the scribe. As an aspiring writer, I would imagine that would be the god to worship. He was also the god of the moon, wisdom, knowledge, science, magic, art and judgment. Very Stephen!

Stephen painted the set, and also designed the costumes. Here is an example of what the ladies wore as the Beauty Chorus, featuring Miss Veronica Duff, Lady Margaret Douglas-Hamilton, Miss Marjorie Stuart-Wortley, and Lady Patricia Herbert. Every outfit seems to shimmer and pearls prevailed.

I love Behind the Scenes shots in theatre productions. The mirror on the right is the one that Stephen was holding, showing where he must have been sitting. Inside the boxes are makeup brushes, I think. A few more examples of Stephen's costume designs. The mixture of modern clothing and historical fantasy clothes leaves me wondering what it was about.

What a hat! Neither shot of Lady Pembroke can capture the top of her very tall hat which has lightning bolts on it. It has me wondering how she managed to keep such a thing from falling off of her head while acting. Someone in the background wearing a proper pirate hat!

Hon. David Herbert as "the ape" (with a tail?) and another look at Lady Pembroke's witch outfit. She has a jagged apron and the bottom hemline of her dress in tattered in layers.

The two of them together is giving The Wizard of Oz.

A closer look at the Chorus costumes and the art behind them. A better look at his invented hieroglyphics. The Chorus seems to have had a costume change at one point.

Reviews

He prompted members of the audience to ask whether he was a boy or a girl, so convincing was his disguise. "And he was very beautiful." admitted Rosemary Olivier, Edith's young niece.

Jan 26, The Salisbury & Wiltshire Journal: "The Hon. Stephen Tennant was responsible for a meritorious performance. And his movements were adequately ladylike, although he was not able to simulate a feminine voice with equal success."

Stephen's voice, once broken, had become something of a baritone.

(Source: Serious Pleasures, page 31)

Close-ups

Since these are in a PDF format, I'll end this post by giving a few zoomed in shots of him.

Here are a few more photos from that night. Note that he's using the same sort of ballet slippers that he would walk around Wilsford in. The tail of the coat was built to stand up similar to a tutu around him like the petals of a flower. I envy those who had the chance to see him dance in this. The movement of the sleeves and coat would be so fun to watch.

My Observation: On his return trip, Stephen is in a less sullen mood. He pops his collar to pose for the cameras while his mother talks to the news person. The conversation turns to Stephen and everyone addresses him, However, he is unresponsive due to still posing. Pam and David laugh. Then, Stephen seems to break out of it, relaxes and smiles.

In both videos, his lower lip seemed to be bothering him, constantly sucking on it as if his lips are dry, or perhaps it's a nervous habit. Regardless, I love the little smirk created by it. lol

I wish I knew what she was saying but she seems to be evading my novice lip-reading abilities.

THE SHIP

The SS Adriatic, or after further research would probably be the RMS Adriatic was a White Star liner, the same company who would go on to create the Titanic. It was built in the year of Stephen's birth, 1906. It had all the comforts of a modern-day hotel, including a swimming pool and turkish bath. It traveled between Southampton and New York.

It seemed to do odd jobs of filling in for other ships that needed to be worked on. "From January through June 1920, Adriatic maintained the Southampton service on her own, until the Olympic returned to service on 25 June. Throughout 1920, Olympic and Adriatic made a combined 37 crossings and carried a combined 59,660 passengers for an average of 1,612 passengers per crossing. Adriatic carried a career high 31,202 passengers over 21 crossings for an average of 1,486 passengers per crossing." (Wiki)

These photos are of the upper-class rooms on the Adriatic (returning ship):

Double Stateroom

Sources & More Photos of the Ship: Extensive Photo Gallery on Reddit

I asked Philip Hoare about the context and he had replied with this bit of history from his book RISINGTIDEFALLINGSTAR:

More information about their trek across the United States can be found on pg16-17 of "Serious Pleasures." But the brief history is that Sir Edward Grey had plotted out a trip for the Tennant family across America by train, starting in New York, then through Ohio, Denver, and finally to California. This is where Stephen saw sea shells for the first time, and as he went across the western states, most-likely characters in books by Willa Cather filled his head as he saw the landscapes they would inhabit. There are two videos which book-end Stephen's first-ever trip to America. The Fox Movietone news crews were recording all the famous socialites and celebrities who were traveling by ships to be reported on later. Both of these videos are *outtakes*, not the actual footage used. Perhaps one day we will find the newsreels to which these belonged.

From England to America January 2, 1920 (Ship: Mauretania)

They left December 21, 1919, and arrived on Jan 2. A long journey, but 1-2 weeks was typical of sailing on a White Star liner between England and the US.

At the beginning, a few frames give us a quick glimpse of what he would've seen while sailing into port. A snowy Ellis Island & Statue of Liberty.

(Original Source & info here, University of South Carolina)

Here we see father Edward, mother Pamela, and Stephen. His older brother, David, is also wandering the ship elsewhere.

My Observations: It begins with them standing on the frigid deck, with snow on the stairs behind them. Stephen looks up at his mother and says something which seems to affect him deeply for a moment. Then continues to suck on his lower lip. Pamela laughs. A sudden chilly breeze hits their faces, causing Pamela to reach up to adjust her collar while Stephen blinks rapidly. Pam looks down and notices that Stephen isn't wearing the gloves that he is holding in his hand. She reaches down to guide his hand towards his pocket to keep his hand warm. He looks down and manages to get his hand and gloves inside. Then, Stephen stares at the camera waiting for it to be over.

He may say "It doesn't matter ..now" though I could be wrong.