-The Educational Estate Holding Archive Collections-

Collections

Neal A. Prince & Herbert (Bert) W. Hemphill, Jr.
Estate Holding Trust Collections
from 1949 to 1967

Neal Prince and Hebert Waide Hemphill, Jr.

Neal Prince and Hebert Waide Hemphill, Jr. located at the New York Botanical Gardens.

Mr. Neal Prince, and late Mr. Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr. (a/k/a Bert Hemphill) were introduced to each other by a mutual friend, Carrie Donovan (she later became the New York Times Fashion Editor and after that, the Television Public Relations spokesperson for the Old Navy Clothing Store, which she was best known for her wearing those enormous black frame glasses) in the spring of 1950. Soon Mr. Prince and Mr. Hemphill, Jr. decided to moved in together to share an apartment from 1950 until the late 1967. Mr. Prince supported Mr. Hemphill, Jr. in various ways until he was able to realize his talents to become the leading American Folk Art Collector and Expert of that field of American Folk Art. Both gentleman regularly attended Broadway productions and the era's chic Cabarets and Clubs, such as the Copa Cabana, Bon Soir, Upstairs at the Downstairs, and Basin Street until the late 1960's. Mr. Prince came to New York from Houston, Texas, during the late 1940's, in hopes of becoming a Playwright and Director, and was active at Lee Strasberg's Actor's Studio for approximately five years as a Directical and Playwright. Mr. Prince supported himself as an Architect, and by the early 1960, he was the Vice-President of Interior and Graphic Design for Inter-Continental Hotels. Between 1950 and 1952. Mr. Prince and Mr. Hemphill, Jr. shared a brownstone on East Sixty-Fifth Street with Katherine Anne Porter, who was then slowly writing her book, and later became the movie, Ship of Fools until their move to another apartment. Mr. Prince and Mr. Hemphill, Jr. enjoyed rubbing elbows with the likes of Noel Coward who gathered in the garden to listen to Ms. Porter read aloud from her work. These two men proved to be formidable party-goers and givers themselves, and at their salon-style gatherings on Saturday nights one could have met Alice Ghostley, Paul Lynde, Eartha Kitt, Paul Newman, Leonard Sillman the (Broadway producer), Jerome Robbins, or Carrie Donovan, then the editor for Vogue. The following Collections were acquired together by Mr. Prince and Mr. Hemphill, Jr. during the period they were together.