Riviera Dreaming: An American Architect on the Cote D’Azur

265 Pages·2018·2.95 MB·English

by  Maureen Emerson

Maureen Emerson lived in Provence for 20 years, where she
worked as a local co-ordinator for CBS and NBC at media
festivals in Cannes. During her years in Provence, Maureen
became enthralled with the stories of those expatriates who
lived on the Riviera in the 1920s and 1930s and how World
War II affected their lives. Her first book on the Riviera, Escape
to Provence, was published in 2008.
‘A compelling account of life on the French Riviera from
1920 onwards, Riviera Dreaming charts the work of renowned
architect of the Art Deco era, Barry Dierks. This well-written
book is packed with history and glamorous insider stories of
the rich and famous, contrasted with the hardships of local
residents living under German occupation during World War
II. Meticulously researched by long-term resident Maureen
Emerson it makes a riveting read; perfect summer holiday
reading. Bet you won’t be able to put it down.’
Mary S. Lovell, author of The Mitford Girls
‘Through the work of Barry Dierks and Eric Sawyer, as architect
and gardener, Maureen Emerson has created a fascinating
account of the South of France in times of glorious peace and
hideous war, telling the stories of those who made their homes
there. She evokes a particular generation in this wonderful
book.’
Hugo Vickers
Love and War on the Côte d’Azur
M A U R E E N E M E R S O N
Published in 2018 by
I.B.Tauris & Co. Ltd
London • New York
www.ibtauris.com
Copyright © 2018 Maureen Emerson
The right of Maureen Emerson to be identified as the author of this work has
been asserted by the author in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this book, or any
part thereof, may not be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval
system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of
the publisher.
Every attempt has been made to gain permission for the use of the images in
this book. Any omissions will be rectified in future editions.
References to websites were correct at the time of writing.
ISBN: 978 1 78831 162 5
eISBN: 978 1 78672 338 3
ePDF: 978 1 78673 338 2
A full CIP record for this book is available from the British Library
A full CIP record is available from the Library of Congress
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: available
Typeset by Free Range Book Design & Production Limited
To Andrew Merton,
without whom this book would not have seen the light of day

Contents
List of Plates ix
Acknowledgements xi
PART ONE – LIGHTS AND MUSIC
1 Le Trident – 1925: Barry and Eric 3
2 La Mauresque – 1926: Somerset Maugham 19
3 The Glamorous Years 33
4 The Casa Estella – 1931: Beatrice Mai Cartwright 48
5 Le Château de l’Horizon – 1932: Maxine Elliott 61
6 Villa La Reine Jeanne – 1933: Paul-Louis Weiller 79
7 Villa Le Roc – 1934: George Cholmondeley 88
8 Le Moulin – 1935: Eric Cipriani Dunstan 99
9 The Villa Aujourd’hui – 1938: Jack Warner 120
PART TWO – ALL CHANGE
10 Méfiance 135
11 The American Train – Barry 151
viii Contents
12 Waiting for Melpomene – Eric 164
13 La Domaine du Sault – Isabel Pell 176
14 The Champagne Campaign 190
15 The Hotel Martinez 199
16 All Change 203
Notes 217
Bibliography 226
Index 235
List of Plates
1 Le Trident, with the trident shaped rocks below. © Martin
Scott.
2 Elegant Barry. Courtesy of the archives of Andrew
Merton.
3 Barry and Eric in their study. Courtesy of the archives of
Andrew Merton.
4 Barry and friends relaxing. Courtesy of the archives of
Andrew Merton.
5 The upstairs corridor at Le Trident, with its succession of
arches. Courtesy of the archives of Andrew Merton.
6 Somerset Maugham in a rooftop folly, built by the previous
owner of La Mauresque. Courtesy of the Edward Quinn
Archive AG.
7 Maugham and Alan Searle dining in the Moorish patio at
La Mauresque. Courtesy of the Lebrecht Music and Arts
Photo Library.
8 Maugham on the staircase at La Mauresque. Courtesy of
the Edward Quinn Archive AG.
9 Freddy McEvoy, Beatrice’s fourth and racy husband. Public
domain.
ix