Elsa Maxwell

Elsa Maxwell (1883–1963) was an American gossip columnist, author, and party hostess who organized lavish gatherings for prominent figures.

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Cole Porter: An American composer and songwriter known for sophisticated musical comedies and songs. Porter and Maxwell moved in overlapping elite social circles, and she helped bring prominent guests together.
Dinner party: A social gathering at which guests share an evening meal. Maxwell made dinners and other gatherings a platform for her public identity and influence.
San Francisco: A major city in California on the Pacific coast of the United States. Maxwell was born in San Francisco in 1883.
Café society: A fashionable social world centered on restaurants, nightclubs, and public gatherings. Maxwell’s parties and columns helped define the era’s transatlantic café society.
Elsie de Wolfe: An American interior designer credited with helping establish interior decoration as a profession. De Wolfe shared Maxwell’s world of fashionable society and elaborate entertaining.
Gossip column: A newspaper or magazine feature reporting on the private lives of public figures. Her columns translated the society she hosted into material for a broad readership.
Vaudeville: A form of popular theater built from short, varied acts presented in succession. Before becoming known as a hostess, Maxwell worked in theatrical entertainment.
Celebrity culture: The social system through which famous people attract public attention and influence. Her writing and parties made prominent guests part of a shared public spectacle.
Waldorf Astor: A British politician and newspaper proprietor who became the first Viscount Astor. Astor was among the prominent political and social figures whose circles intersected Maxwell’s gatherings.
Party game: A game designed for people to play together at a social gathering. Maxwell used games and playful social rituals to animate her elaborate parties.