Goldsmith, Ellen, 1926-2007.

Ballet and opera fan, employee of Chicago's Civic Opera House.

Ellen Goldsmith (known as "Teddy") was born in 1926, having arrived in the United States in 1938. She was a long-time resident of the Hyde Park area of Chicago and graduated from Hyde Park High School. Among other jobs, during the 1960s and 1970s Goldsmith ran the coat check concession at the Civic Opera House, home of the Lyric Opera of Chicago. An enthusiastic supporter and devotee of the Chicago ballet and opera scene, back-stage work afforded her opportunities to form friendships with world-renowned performers and allowed her to develop an interest in photographing them at work and play. Goldsmith's deep love of opera led her to learn Italian, to vacation in Italy and to correspond with several singing stars. She was an indefatigable collector of opera, ballet and cinema-related materials, which included clippings, programs, and a large accumulation of studio photographs, many of them autographed. She was also an amateur artist and writer. Goldsmith died in May 2007.

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