The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-05-04
EWS OF PERSONS AND EVENTS IN THE 81
Fascinating Portrait Busts Displayed
At Mrs. TOtten 8 Charming Garden Tea
Sculptress Gathers Fresh
Laurels With New Me-
dunn; Guests Enthusias-
tic Over Work

tic Over Work
The hostess who can plan
q garden party" and actually
have it in her garden must
have a drag with the weather
man.
Mrs. Herbert Hoover did
It, entertaining for Mrs. j.
A. Hume and Miss Rita
Hume, sister and niece of
the Secretary of Agriculture
and Mrs. Jardine-making
known at her party the in
teresting news that Miss
Hume is to be married here
on Saturday to Harold
Hughes, of GAINESVILLE, Ohio.
And yesterday afternoon
there was the pleasantest of
garden teas at the home of
Major and Mrs. George Oak
ley Totten, jr.
A Portrait Bust
Mrs. Totten and Countess
Seherr-T hcss were joint hos
tessess, the guests being in
vited especially to view . bust
of Countess Seherr Thoss'
daughter, Countess Margaret
Seherr-Thoss, which Mrs. Tot
ten has just completed. This
was displayed, with some other
charming examples Of Mrs.
Totten's recent work, in the
studio Of her picturesque home.
But after their private view"
of this stimulating little exhi-
bition, the guests drifted out
into the garden for tea and
conversation.
Old World Charm
When Major Totten bought the
old Warder house in x Street to
preserve a fine example Of the
architect, and rebuilt it on art
Of his own property, he shut off
his own house from Sixteenth
Street. Consequently the garden
has q pleasant feeling Of remote
ness. There's none Of the over
cultivated look Of most city gar
dens, but charming luxuriance
OF old lilac bushes. spreading
al ANA Iva
unexpected places. Gay colored
umbrellas shading little tables
and flower-decked tea table laid
In a small arbor contributed %
the picturesque effect yesterday
afternoon.
Pretty Miss Helen Strauss
poured tea for the hostess and
dispensed Strawberries and cream.
with Miss Mango Couzens and two
or three other girls helping out
Neighborliness seems to prevail
In upper Sixteenth Street. for
among the callers on Mrs. Totten
and Countess Seherr-Thoss "a
daughter of the late Henry White.
and a guest of Mr.. and Mrs.
John Campbell White in their big
house just over the way-were
Mrs. Glenn Stewart. who has re-
Gently moved into the house
across the street long occupied by
the former Ambassador Of Spain
and Nine. Riano, Mrs. Thomas w.
Phillips, jr., who lives nearby,
and Mrs. Francis T. A. Junkin.
one Of the residents in Major Tot
tens transplanted apartment
house.
Others who drifted in during
the afternoon were Mrs. James
Couzens, Mrs. Wilbur J, Carr,
Mrs. z. H. g. Slater, Mrs. Rob
ert Hinckley, Mrs. Frederick
Atherton, the Misses Cullen, Mrs.
Peter A. Drury, the Misses Cullen,
Mrs. Henry Parsons Erwin. DR..
Bedoya, Of the Peruvian Embassy,
and Wolcott Waggaman.'
New Expression
Portraiture is a comparatively
new form Of expression for Mrs.
Totten, who, al Vicken Won Post,
has an international reputation for
her fascinating porcelain figur-
ines. OF late she has been expert
nenting with various new me-,
diuns and the head of Countess
Margaret Seherr-Thoss is of
cement material which sounds
thoroughly prosaic but which, as
the artist handles it, presents a
surface which is exquisite in
texture and coloring and has the
warm quality Of flesh. Countess
Seherr-Thoss is enchanted with
her daughters portrait. which is
an excellent likeness as we'll as
an effective bit of work.
In the same medium is a head
of the Infant Jesus, for which
Mrs. Totten's small son was the
d inspiration-the thought being
suggested by the fact that the
boy had this role in the tableaux
from the lives of the saints re-
Gently presented in Washington.
This Is a truly exquisite thing.
Mrs. Totten is also showing some
new portrait busts in porcelain
and majolica, notably fine head
glazed najolica, interesting in its
contrasts of black and white, and
a lovely small porcelain portrait
Of Mrs. J. 4. L. Van den Bosch.
When Mrs Totten, whose home
was in Sweden, transferred her
allegiance to the United States
vita her marriage to Major Tot
ten, she struck a snaR in her
work, for she had difficulty in
finding a pottery capable of firing
her porcelains Now, however, q
place has been discovered in Tren-
ton, N. J., where the delicate
work is done Is we'll as it Is at
the famous potteries of Sweden.
y
The Secretary Of the Navy and
Mrs. Wilbur will sail Saturday
nRtarnnon on the SNInh Rn,. q crlaisa