She seems more apparition than woman, as though conjured in a séance. But she was very real: Miriam McHugh Taney. And for years she seemed to be the museum’s all-purpose lecturer—onstage, in the galleries, on WCCO Radio. In weekly talks at the museum, she tackled everything from medieval France to the Italian Renaissance. A professional know-it-all.
The day this photo was taken, in 1930, she discussed “what constitutes good taste in furniture.” The museum thought you could use the help—and by “you” we mean “women.” The museum made that clear when it announced the talk to its members, noting that Taney would “make practical suggestions that should be of value to every woman who takes pride in her home.”
And in case that wasn’t clear enough, the museum went on to specify exactly for whom these informal lectures were intended: “…these radio talks are designed for a less artistically sophisticated audience than our members.” Okay. Perhaps that explains why, at a time when men were considered the experts in everything, a woman was put in charge of this series. We’re sure she was incredible.
Once at Mia is the museum’s year-long series of stories from its past, featuring one archival image each week. Watch for more stories starting January 1, 2015, and share yours at artsmia.org/100.