Kellogg, Clara Biographer, Singer. <p>Clara Louise Kellogg was born in Sumterville, South Carolina to a musical family, particularly in her mother, father, and maternal grandmother. In her biography, Kellogg claims that her first musical efforts occurred at the age of ten months, when she attempted to sing in mimesis of her &ldquo;negro mammy.&rdquo; The family relocated to Birmingham, Connecticut, where Kellogg continued to demonstrate her interest and talent in singing and playing the piano. After her father, a &ldquo;dignified scholar,&rdquo; failed and moved the family to New York in 1857, Kellogg was discovered by Colonel Henry G. Stebbins of the Academy of Music. Though originally trained as a musician, Kellogg devoted herself to vocal lessons for four years, studying under Millet of the Conservatory of Paris and later under Manzocchi, Rivarde, Errani, and Muzio. Drawn to the stage, Kellogg performed for soldiers at West Point before making her debut in opera (Kellogg 1-10). The Civil War had a characteristic impact on Kellogg&rsquo;s career, and she writes, &ldquo;It has always been a matter of secret pride with me that, in my small way, I did something for the Union too. I heard that our patriotic and inartistic Daughter of the Regiment caused several lads to enlist&rdquo; (Kellogg 58).</p><p>Linking Kellogg to the Pfaff&rsquo;s scene, Albert Parry calls her &quot;the diva&quot; and describes her as &quot;an American prima donna then at the sunset of her career but prosperous enough to be kind to the young art-gentry of New York and to go to Italy for her winters&rdquo; (92). Kellogg also frequented Maria&rsquo;s, &quot;a New York restaurant popular among the &quot;Bohemians&quot; of the 1890s (92). Parry describes Kellogg&rsquo;s gossip sessions in which she told &ldquo;droll stories&rdquo; about Ada Clare&rsquo;s lover, Louis Gottschalk, and his &ldquo;innumerable conquests of silly females&hellip;Madame said she had no dealings with Louis except professionally. The voluptuaries at Maria&rsquo;s winked at each other behind Madame&rsquo;s broad back&quot; (92).</p><p>Making her first appearance as Gilda in &ldquo;Rigoletto&rdquo; at the Academy of Music in 1861, Kellogg gained widespread attention in 1864 as Marguerite in Gounod&rsquo;s &ldquo;Faust.&rdquo; Harriet Prescott Spofford contrasts Kellogg during her first performance, &ldquo;a girl of seventeen, slight and pale, so nervous that she could hardly mover her rigid lips, so frightened that she could hardly command her young voice,&rdquo; to her several years later &ldquo;before a house crowded from floor to ceiling with the best culture of the British empire, with dukes and duchesses flinging her their flowers,&hellip; sure of herself and of her audience, mistress of her art and of the stage&hellip;&rdquo; (359-60). She made her first trip to London in 1867, where she continued to gain repute before returning to the U.S. the following year. <em>Appletons&#39; Cyclopædia</em> describes her as &ldquo;the first American to win musical recognition for her country from the Old World&rdquo; (506). Over the course of several European tours, Kellogg was gifted $250,000 worth of jewels by &ldquo;royal personages and others&rdquo; (Clara Kellogg&rsquo;s Will.&rdquo;) Kellogg organized two successful opera companies and would appear in forty-five operas throughout her life, first as a high soprano and later in lower, richer tones (Grant &amp; Fiske, eds. 506).</p><p>In 1887 Kellogg married Carl Strakosch, her manager of several years who was seventeen years her junior (&ldquo;Carl Strakosch Dead.&rdquo;). The two settled in New Hartford, Connecticut, although Kellogg continued to perform until the year before her death. Kellogg suffered a nervous breakdown at the age of seventy-four (&ldquo;Clara Louise Kellogg Ill.&rdquo;), died shortly after in 1916, and was buried in New Hartford. According to a <em>New York Times</em> announcement of her funeral, &ldquo;Many persons prominent in the musical world were present from New York, Boston, and elsewhere&rdquo; (&ldquo;Clara Louise Kellogg Buried.&rdquo;)</p> References & Biographical Resources\n"; <div class="view view-works-related-to-people view-id-works_related_to_people view-display-id-default"> <div class="view-content"> <ul id="views-bootstrap-works-related-to-people-default"class="views-bootstrap-list-group views-view-list-group"> <li class="list-group-item"> <article data-history-node-id="59020" about="/node/59020" class="node node--type-work node--view-mode-bibliography-link"> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/node/59020">"Appletons&#039; Cyclopaedia of American Biography, Volume III, Grinnwell-Lockwood." In <em>Appletons&#039; Cyclopaedia of American Biography, Volume III, Grinnwell-Lockwood</em>, edited by Wilson, James Grant and John Fiske. New York: D. Appleton &amp; Co., 1888.</a> </div> </article> <p class="list-group-item-text"><div class="views-field views-field-field-mention-note"><div class="field-content"><p>Kellogg debut as Gilda in Rigoletto" in 1864 at the Academy of music in New York; however, she did not gain fame until 1864 as Marguerite in Gounod's "Faust."</p> </div></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-mention-pages"><div class="field-content">[pages: 506]</div></div><div class="views-field views-field-edit-node"><span class="field-content"></span></div></p> </li> <li class="list-group-item"> <article data-history-node-id="78269" about="/node/78269" class="node node--type-work node--view-mode-bibliography-link"> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/node/78269">"“Carl Strakosch Dead.”." <em>The New York Times</em>, October 24, 1916, 13.</a> </div> </article> <p class="list-group-item-text"><div class="views-field views-field-field-mention-note"><div class="field-content"><p>Husband of Late Clara Louise Kellog Expires Suddenly.</p> </div></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-mention-pages"><div class="field-content"></div></div><div class="views-field views-field-edit-node"><span class="field-content"></span></div></p> </li> <li class="list-group-item"> <article data-history-node-id="78266" about="/node/78266" class="node node--type-work node--view-mode-bibliography-link"> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/node/78266">"Clara Kellog&#039;s Will." <em>The New York Times</em>, June 1, 1916.</a> </div> </article> <p class="list-group-item-text"><div class="views-field views-field-field-mention-note"><div class="field-content"><p>Left Her Entire Estate to Husband-Its Value Not Indicated</p> </div></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-mention-pages"><div class="field-content"></div></div><div class="views-field views-field-edit-node"><span class="field-content"></span></div></p> </li> <li class="list-group-item"> <article data-history-node-id="78260" about="/node/78260" class="node node--type-work node--view-mode-bibliography-link"> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/node/78260">"“Clara Louise Kellogg Buried.”." <em>The New York Times</em>(1916).</a> </div> </article> <p class="list-group-item-text"><div class="views-field views-field-field-mention-note"><div class="field-content"><p>“Clara Louise Kellogg Buried.”</p> </div></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-mention-pages"><div class="field-content"></div></div><div class="views-field views-field-edit-node"><span class="field-content"></span></div></p> </li> <li class="list-group-item"> <article data-history-node-id="78263" about="/node/78263" class="node node--type-work node--view-mode-bibliography-link"> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/node/78263">"“Clara Louise Kellogg Ill.”." <em>The New York Times</em>, May 9, 1916.</a> </div> </article> <p class="list-group-item-text"><div class="views-field views-field-field-mention-note"><div class="field-content"><p>Once Famous Prima Donna Suffers a Nervous Breakdown at 74</p> </div></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-mention-pages"><div class="field-content"></div></div><div class="views-field views-field-edit-node"><span class="field-content"></span></div></p> </li> <li class="list-group-item"> <article data-history-node-id="56858" about="/node/56858" class="node node--type-work node--view-mode-bibliography-link"> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/node/56858">Figaro [Clapp, Henry Jr.]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." <em>New York Saturday Press</em>, August 19, 1865, 40-41.</a> </div> </article> <p class="list-group-item-text"><div class="views-field views-field-field-mention-note"><div class="field-content"></div></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-mention-pages"><div class="field-content"></div></div><div class="views-field views-field-edit-node"><span class="field-content"></span></div></p> </li> <li class="list-group-item"> <article data-history-node-id="56307" about="/node/56307" class="node node--type-work node--view-mode-bibliography-link"> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/node/56307">Figaro [Clapp, Henry Jr.]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." <em>New-York Saturday Press</em>, March 24, 1866, 4, 5.</a> </div> </article> <p class="list-group-item-text"><div class="views-field views-field-field-mention-note"><div class="field-content"></div></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-mention-pages"><div class="field-content"></div></div><div class="views-field views-field-edit-node"><span class="field-content"></span></div></p> </li> <li class="list-group-item"> <article data-history-node-id="56669" about="/node/56669" class="node node--type-work node--view-mode-bibliography-link"> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/node/56669">Figaro [Clapp, Henry Jr.]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." <em>New York Saturday Press</em>, October 14, 1865, 168-169.</a> </div> </article> <p class="list-group-item-text"><div class="views-field views-field-field-mention-note"><div class="field-content"></div></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-mention-pages"><div class="field-content"></div></div><div class="views-field views-field-edit-node"><span class="field-content"></span></div></p> </li> <li class="list-group-item"> <article data-history-node-id="56683" about="/node/56683" class="node node--type-work node--view-mode-bibliography-link"> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/node/56683">Figaro [Clapp, Henry Jr.]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." <em> New York Saturday Press</em>, October 17, 1865, 152-153.</a> </div> </article> <p class="list-group-item-text"><div class="views-field views-field-field-mention-note"><div class="field-content"></div></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-mention-pages"><div class="field-content"></div></div><div class="views-field views-field-edit-node"><span class="field-content"></span></div></p> </li> <li class="list-group-item"> <article data-history-node-id="56659" about="/node/56659" class="node node--type-work node--view-mode-bibliography-link"> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/node/56659">Figaro [Clapp, Henry Jr.]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." <em>New York Saturday Press</em>, October 21, 1865, 184-185.</a> </div> </article> <p class="list-group-item-text"><div class="views-field views-field-field-mention-note"><div class="field-content"></div></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-mention-pages"><div class="field-content"></div></div><div class="views-field views-field-edit-node"><span class="field-content"></span></div></p> </li> <li class="list-group-item"> <article data-history-node-id="56713" about="/node/56713" class="node node--type-work node--view-mode-bibliography-link"> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/node/56713">Figaro [Clapp, Henry Jr.]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." <em>New York Saturday Press</em>, September 23, 1865, 120-121.</a> </div> </article> <p class="list-group-item-text"><div class="views-field views-field-field-mention-note"><div class="field-content"></div></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-mention-pages"><div class="field-content"></div></div><div class="views-field views-field-edit-node"><span class="field-content"></span></div></p> </li> <li class="list-group-item"> <article data-history-node-id="56701" about="/node/56701" class="node node--type-work node--view-mode-bibliography-link"> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/node/56701">Figaro [Clapp, Henry Jr.]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." <em> New York Saturday Press</em>, September 30, 1865, 136-137.</a> </div> </article> <p class="list-group-item-text"><div class="views-field views-field-field-mention-note"><div class="field-content"></div></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-mention-pages"><div class="field-content"></div></div><div class="views-field views-field-edit-node"><span class="field-content"></span></div></p> </li> <li class="list-group-item"> <article data-history-node-id="59827" about="/node/59827" class="node node--type-work node--view-mode-bibliography-link"> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/node/59827">Kellogg, Clara Louise. <em>Memoirs of an American Prima Donna</em>. New York : G. P. Putnam&#039;s Sons, 1913.</a> </div> </article> <p class="list-group-item-text"><div class="views-field views-field-field-mention-note"><div class="field-content"></div></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-mention-pages"><div class="field-content">[pages: FP (ill.),12(ill.),14(ill.),20(ill.),28(ill.),56(ill.),72(ill.),74(ill.),82(ill.),88(ill.)134(ill.),230(ill.)252(ill.),292(ill.)]</div></div><div class="views-field views-field-edit-node"><span class="field-content"></span></div></p> </li> <li class="list-group-item"> <article data-history-node-id="55766" about="/node/55766" class="node node--type-work node--view-mode-bibliography-link"> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/node/55766">Parry, Albert. "Garrets and Pretenders: A History of Bohemianism in America." <em>Garrets and Pretenders: A History of Bohemianism in America</em>(1933).</a> </div> </article> <p class="list-group-item-text"><div class="views-field views-field-field-mention-note"><div class="field-content"><p>Parry describes her as "the diva," "an American prima donna then at the sunset of her career but prosperous enough to be kind to the young art-gentry of New York and to go to Italy for her winters.She was the link between Pfaff's and Maria's," a New York restaurant popular among the "Bohemians" of the 1890s (92).Parry continues that "She remembered the fascinatingly drooping eyelids of Gottschalk, Ada's gay deceiver.She told at Maria's droll stories of his unnumerable conquests of silly females.The frequenters of Maria's gasped at this long-ago deviltry.They pressed Madame Kellogg for more details, forgetting to be discreet.But Madame primly assured them that she herself had had a good guardian in the person of her mother who warned her against Gottschalk.Madame said she had no dealings with Louis except professionally.The voluptuaires at Maria's winked at each other behind Madame's broad back" (92).</p> </div></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-mention-pages"><div class="field-content">[pages: 92]</div></div><div class="views-field views-field-edit-node"><span class="field-content"></span></div></p> </li> <li class="list-group-item"> <article data-history-node-id="56080" about="/node/56080" class="node node--type-work node--view-mode-bibliography-link"> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/node/56080">Personne [Wilkins, Edward G. P.]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." <em>New-York Saturday Press</em>, April 21, 1860, 3.</a> </div> </article> <p class="list-group-item-text"><div class="views-field views-field-field-mention-note"><div class="field-content"><p>Personne mentions rehearsals for her at the opera; she is also referred to as "La Kelloggini" (3).</p> </div></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-mention-pages"><div class="field-content">[pages: 3]</div></div><div class="views-field views-field-edit-node"><span class="field-content"></span></div></p> </li> <li class="list-group-item"> <article data-history-node-id="59828" about="/node/59828" class="node node--type-work node--view-mode-bibliography-link"> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/node/59828">Spofford, Harriet Prescott. <em>Our Famous Women: An Authorized Record of The Lives and Deeds of Distinguished American Women of Our Times</em>. Hartford, Conn. : A. D. Worthington, 1884.</a> </div> </article> <p class="list-group-item-text"><div class="views-field views-field-field-mention-note"><div class="field-content"></div></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-mention-pages"><div class="field-content">[pages: 359-385]</div></div><div class="views-field views-field-edit-node"><span class="field-content"></span></div></p> </li> <li class="list-group-item"> <article data-history-node-id="56208" about="/node/56208" class="node node--type-work node--view-mode-bibliography-link"> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/node/56208">Whitman, Walt. "Letter to Ellen M. O&#039;Connor, November 15, 1863." <em>Walt Whitman: The Correspondence</em> 1, (1961): 182-184.</a> </div> </article> <p class="list-group-item-text"><div class="views-field views-field-field-mention-note"><div class="field-content"></div></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-mention-pages"><div class="field-content"></div></div><div class="views-field views-field-edit-node"><span class="field-content"></span></div></p> </li> </ul> </div> </div>