Woman of the Century/Philippine E. Von Overstolz

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Woman of the Century
Philippine E. Von Overstolz
2280834Woman of the Century — Philippine E. Von Overstolz

OVERSTOLZ, Mrs. Philippine E. Von, musician, linguist and artist, was born in St. Louis, Mo. She is of German-Spanish descent. Through the affluence of her highly-cultured parents she was enabled to enjoy rare advantages of education and full development of the talent she possessed. PHILIPPINE E. VON OVERSTOLZ. In early childhood she had a studio well equipped for the pursuit of art, and it is yet the only private studio in St. Louis. At the age of eight years she won medals and other premiums for pencil-drawings and several studies in oil, and she continued to win premiums offered to young artists until her thirteenth year, when a serious illness caused by the injurious effects of oils prevented further application in that branch of art. The study of vocal music was next taken up. In instrumental music she commanded a knowledge of harp, piano, organ, violin, mandolin and banjo, and her proficiency was marked. She had an aptitude for language, and in Germany she was pronounced an exceptional German scholar fur one born and bred an American. In late years her talent for modeling has been displayed, and without any instruction she has achieved success. Busts of herself in bronze and marble have been made by the distinguished sculptor, Ruchstuhl, and exhibited in the Paris Salon. Those will be displayed in the World's Fair in Chicago, in 1893. In tier husband Mrs. Overstolz ever found help and encouragement in both art and literature. One of his legacies to her was a large library and a very fine collection of paintings, valued at one-hundred-thousand dollars, which has been widely exhibited in large fairs and expositions and is now requested for the World's Fair in 1893. Mr. Overstolz was a member of the oldest living German family in the world, whose ancestry was direct from the Roman family named Superbus, and whose home, "The Tempel-Haus," on the banks of the Rhine, No. 43 Rhein-Strasse, Cologne, Germany, has ever been retained by the royal rulers of Germany to commemorate the victories won in battle by the heroes of the name, and to do honor to their memory for sen-ices to the country. Recently Mrs. Overstolz undertook the study of medicine as an additional provision for herself and live children against possible adversity.