“She became very attached to her outfits. There are many signs of wear and tear that make it clear she wore the same outfit more than once, unlike many other Hollywood stars. Kelly, in fact, was surprisingly thrifty with her wardrobe. The faint perspiration stains under the arms of that Oscar dress, the humble copper penny embedded for good luck in the right shoe Kelly wore at her wedding ceremony, the scuffed Hermes bag she carried nearly everywhere - all suggest an endearing sense of vulnerability, hope and thrift. Even here, something of the real person behind the facade of the fabric is revealed. Other memorabilia include guest lists for royal Sunday brunches and Kelly family Christmas cards.īut fashion is at the heart of this show, and with Kelly’s wardrobe sporting designs by Dior, Chanel, YSL, Lanvin, Oleg Cassini, Givenchy and Balenciaga, it would be impossible to have it otherwise. There are letters of appreciation from Queen Elizabeth, love letters from Prince Rainier, and notes from Bing Crosby, Cary Grant, David Niven and Alfred Hitchcock. Underneath Kelly’s cool, refined exterior was a warm-hearted, gracious woman, as numerous documents on view attest. Her expression of happiness and love is one only a young mother can radiate. In a poster-size photograph taken in Montego Bay, Jamaica, in 1967, the princess clasps young Albert under her chin, her arms gleaming with water droplets from a dip in the pool. Photographs from the early 1960s show her with her children in carefree family frolic. Home movie clips portray scenes from Kelly’s private life, from summers at her family’s vacation home in Ocean City, N.J., in the 1930s and ’40s, to casual poolside parties in Monaco, where, as Princess Grace, she’d have old friends such as Alfred Hitchcock, Cary Grant and David Niven drop by. “This exhibition brings to life a real story that illustrates the arc of her life, from her roots in Philadelphia through her cinematic career, her royal marriage and her important role as mother and humanitarian.” “Kelly herself said fairy tales tell imaginary stories, and her life was one of a real woman,” says Michener CEO Lisa Tremper Hanover. The Michener show indeed goes beyond the icon in presenting an intimate portrait of Kelly, the woman behind the fairy tale. Yet underneath those signature long white gloves and fashionable sunglasses was compassion and dignity, a loving wife and mother, and an international spokesperson for arts and culture.
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