Charmian London (
née
A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...
Kittredge; November 27, 1871 – January 14, 1955
) was an American writer and the second wife of
Jack London
John Griffith Chaney (January 12, 1876 – November 22, 1916), better known as Jack London, was an American novelist, journalist and activist. A pioneer of commercial fiction and American magazines, he was one of the first American authors to ...
.
Early life
"Clara" Charmian Kittredge was born to poet and writer Dayelle "Daisy" Wiley and California hotelier Willard "Kitt" Kittredge at a railroad outpost south of
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
. Her mother died in 1877 when Charmian was six years old. Charmian's father sent her to
Oakland, California
Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...
, where she was raised by her aunt,
Ninetta "Netta" Wiley Eames and husband Roscoe Eames, who had no children of their own. A nationally acclaimed writer and editor, Netta Wiley taught Charmian at home, emphasizing literature, the fine arts, and piano. A business manager, Eames taught her shorthand, typing and accounting.
When the Eames household moved to
Berkeley, California
Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland and Emer ...
, Charmian became exposed to leaders in the
Arts and Crafts movement, which shaped her aesthetics. Lectures given by
University of California
The University of California (UC) is a public land-grant research university system in the U.S. state of California. The system is composed of the campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, ...
professors introduced her to modern literature and philosophy. She also was a part of the intellectual circle that surrounded the ''
Overland Monthly
The ''Overland Monthly'' was a monthly literary and cultural magazine, based in California, United States. It was founded in 1868 and published between the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century.
History
The '' ...
''. In 1897, she participated in a three day horseback ride to Yosemite, where she joined a group of celebrated scientists, painters, photographers, political leaders, and founders of the Sierra Club. Believing in free love, the Eameses encouraged an attitude toward sexuality as pleasurable and guilt-free. By adolescence, Charmian was typical of the
New Woman
The New Woman was a feminist ideal that emerged in the late 19th century and had a profound influence well into the 20th century. In 1894, Irish writer Sarah Grand (1854–1943) used the term "new woman" in an influential article, to refer to ...
emerging to counter traditional feminine roles.
Charmian inherited funds from both sides of her family. These enabled further education at
Mills College
Mills College at Northeastern University is a private college in Oakland, California and part of Northeastern University's global university system. Mills College was founded as the Young Ladies Seminary in 1852 in Benicia, California; it was ...
, where she concentrated on a non-degree program of literature, the arts, and philosophy. She also worked as secretary to the school's co-founder and later president,
Susan Tolman Mills.
In the 1890s, she worked for Harding and Forbes, a shipping firm in
San Francisco, California
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
, during a time when middle-class women stayed at home and few women worked in offices. She learned photography and published some images. An avid horseback rider, she created a split skirt to ride astride, this during a time women rode sidesaddle. She also accompanied vocalists and string players at local concerts. She befriended
Grace Hudson
Grace Carpenter Hudson (1865–1937) was an American painter based in Northern California. She was nationally known during her lifetime for a numbered series of more than 684 portraits of the local Pomo natives. She painted the first, ''Nationa ...
, and posed for some of her artwork. A European tour in 1901 furthered her appreciation of the fine arts and music.
Before traveling to Europe, she visited
Mt. Desert Island, to meet the Kittredge side of her family.
Marriage and writing career
Charmian met
Jack London
John Griffith Chaney (January 12, 1876 – November 22, 1916), better known as Jack London, was an American novelist, journalist and activist. A pioneer of commercial fiction and American magazines, he was one of the first American authors to ...
in March 1900 during a luncheon at Young's restaurant with
Netta Wiley Eames, who was working on an article for the ''Overland Monthly'' on Jack London. By this time, Charmian was now working for E. Mickle and Company, one of the largest shipping firms in San Francisco. She had an assistant who reported to her.
Five years younger than Charmian, London found her literary knowledge impressive and admired her support for Socialism. They met on several occasions at Charmian's home in Berkeley to discuss literature including the works ''Tess of the d'Urbervilles'', ''The Forest Lovers'', and ''Flood-Tide''. A month later London married Elizabeth "Bess" Maddern, with whom he had two children.
During this time Charmian began her own writing career. She published non-fiction essays, including a plea for women to quit riding sidesaddle. She also became part of Jack's social circle of Bohemian artists and writers known as The Crowd and started attending their weekly gatherings at the London's home. According to Joseph Noel, it was at one of these gatherings in 1902 that Jack first kissed Charmian. During this time Jack also became enamored of
Anna Strunsky
Anna Strunsky Walling (March 21, 1877 – February 25, 1964) was known as an early 20th-century Jewish-American author and advocate of socialism based in San Francisco, California, and New York City. She was primarily a novelist, but also wrote a ...
, a Socialist who co-authored his epistolary novel ''
The Kempton-Wace Letters''.
In the summer of 1903, London took his family to a resort in
Glen Ellen, California
Glen Ellen is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sonoma Valley, Sonoma County, California, United States. The population was 784 at the 2010 census, down from 992 at the 2000 census. Glen Ellen is the location of Jack London State Historic Pa ...
, Wake Robin then owned by Netta Wiley Eames. Jack left his family to take a short sailing trip but was injured in a buggy ride. Bess Maddern asked Charmian, living nearby, to look in on him. The result was a long secret love affair that led to divorce. The new couple married in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, coordinates =
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on November 19, 1905. Charmian supported the honeymoon including Jack lecturing on Socialism. A trip to
Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
and a recently independent
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
followed, during which she photographed the island landscape.
![Londons surfing in hawaii](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Londons_surfing_in_hawaii.jpg)
The couple settled at Wake Robin and developed a plan to buy land on
Sonoma Mountain
Sonoma Mountain is a prominent landform within the Sonoma Mountains of southern Sonoma County, California. At an elevation of , Sonoma Mountain offers expansive views of the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Sonoma Valley to the east. In fact, ...
for ranching. Upon re-reading
Joshua Slocum's ''
Sailing Alone Around the World
''Sailing Alone Around the World'' is a sailing memoir by Joshua Slocum in 1900 about his single-handed global circumnavigation aboard the sloop ''Spray''. Slocum was the first person to sail around the world alone. The book was an immediate ...
'', they decided to repeat the journey. The trip on the ''Snark'', designed by Jack, went only to
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, yet provided the material for books by both writers. Charmian published articles for ''Mid-Pacific Magazine'', along with ''The Log of the Snark'' (1915), and ''Our Hawaii'' (1917), The ''Log'' was well received by reviewers, who described the book as "clever, lucid, conversational, emotionally revealing, and humorous." ''Our Hawaii'' reflected upon the changes in the island between 1907 and 1916 to deplore the rapid changes brought about by tourism.
Charmian played a direct role in her husband's writings as well. First, she was the model for many of his fictional characters, such as Saxon in ''
The Valley of the Moon'', Lute in ''Planchette'', and Paula in ''
The Little Lady of the Big House
''The Little Lady of the Big House'' (1915) is a novel by American writer Jack London. It was his last novel to be published during his lifetime.
Plot
The story concerns a love triangle. The protagonist, Dick Forrest, is a rancher with a poetic ...
''. Although London portrayed New Women prior to marrying Charmian, these and other characters incorporated full dimensions of his wife's character. Latest scholarship reveals Charmian was a collaborator as well on many of Jack's books, including ''The Valley of the Moon'' and ''The Mutiny of Elsinore''. Often described as London's typist, she was also his editor. In that regard, she shared his intentions, by deleting material inconsistent with his purpose and by suggesting changes in structure. Even more, she contributed passages, most notably descriptions, her forte. Both the original manuscripts and her diaries document her full involvement in many of his writings.
She was an active partner in the Beauty Ranch, their spread on Sonoma Mountain in Glen Ellen. The intention was a self-sufficient and sustainable source of food products. Jack's stepsister, Eliza London Shepard, managed activities under his direction. Charmian's main interest was
animal husbandry
Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, fibre, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, selective breeding, and the raising of livestock. Husbandry has a long history, starti ...
. She participated in the choice of stock for breeding and was known for her intuitive eye, notably with regard to horses. The couple won top awards at the
California State Fair
The California State Fair is the annual state fair for the state of California. The fair is held at Cal Expo in Sacramento, California. The Fair is a 17-day event showcasing California's industries, agriculture, and diversity of people. The CSF ...
for their breeds.
Widowhood
Jack died of
uremia
Uremia is the term for high levels of urea in the blood. Urea is one of the primary components of urine. It can be defined as an excess of amino acid and protein metabolism end products, such as urea and creatinine, in the blood that would be no ...
in 1916, bequeathing nearly his entire estate to Charmian, while leaving token amounts to his first wife and their children. Charmian and Jack had no children who survived them. A daughter, Joy, died soon after birth and several other pregnancies ended in miscarriage.
![Charmian Kittredge London, portrait, 1922](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/Charmian_Kittredge_London%2C_portrait%2C_1922.jpg)
Following Jack's death, Charmian joined Eliza Shepard in saving their home the Beauty Ranch. She completed sales of screenplay rights with filmmakers. She also wrote prefaces to his writings that were published posthumously, including ''Dutch Courage and Other Stories'' (1922). She completed his unfinished novel ''Cherry'' for ''
Cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan may refer to:
Food and drink
* Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo"
History
* Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953
Hotels and resorts
* Cosmopoli ...
'' magazine. Perhaps her most significant activity to publicize London's works was trips abroad to arrange good translations and protect copyrights.
As a result, she ensured his writings would become published worldwide and spread his reputation accordingly.
As part of her marketing London's name, Charmian published ''The Book of Jack London'' (two volumes) (1921). Scholars consider the book to be an important if sometimes flawed source of biographical information. One biographer calls it "an uneven account that omits Jack's illegitimacy, yet has surprisingly frank information nonetheless concerning his personality."
Charmian wrote nonfiction as well. Key themes were travel, animal protection and prisoner rights. ''Our Hawaii: Islands and Islanders'' updated her earlier version by including more of her husband's views, along with her praise for the original island culture.
Aware her ''Book of Jack London'' was neither comprehensive nor unbiased, Charmian searched for an experienced biographer to prepare a comprehensive study. This led in 1935 to her inviting
Irving Stone
Irving Stone (born Tennenbaum, July 14, 1903 – August 26, 1989) was an American writer, chiefly known for his biographical novels of noted artists, politicians, and intellectuals. Among the best known are '' Lust for Life'' (1934), about the l ...
to the ranch to study the extensive collection of letters and documents needed for the work. Discovering he went into some of her hidden diaries and love letters, Charmian evicted him from the ranch. His ''Sailor on Horseback'' earned reviewer criticism for lifting material from London's fiction as fact, emphasis upon excessive womanizing, and failures as a writer and rancher. Charmian and Eliza Shepard were shocked to read the claim Jack had committed suicide.
The publishers brought out the second edition with the subtitle ''A Biographical Novel''. In response to Stone's version, Charmian supported stepdaughter
Joan London. Her ''Jack London and His Times'' emphasized her father's Socialist writings and activities. As a further block on Stone's book, Charmian arranged screenplay rights of her biography. ''
Jack London
John Griffith Chaney (January 12, 1876 – November 22, 1916), better known as Jack London, was an American novelist, journalist and activist. A pioneer of commercial fiction and American magazines, he was one of the first American authors to ...
'' featured in 1943, starring
Michael O'Shea as Jack and
Susan Hayward
Susan Hayward (born Edythe Marrenner; June 30, 1917 – March 14, 1975) was an American film actress, best known for her film portrayals of women that were based on true stories.
After working as a fashion model for the Walter Thornton Model A ...
as Charmian.
Frank about sexuality, which she believed was a source of energy and transcendence, in widowhood Charmian sought brief encounters. Although most cited was her relationship with
Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini (, born Erik Weisz; March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926) was a Hungarian-American escape artist, magic man, and stunt performer, noted for his escape acts. His pseudonym is a reference to his spiritual master, French magician ...
, she was not exclusive during the few periods they met.
[Stasz, (2001), ''Jack London's Women'', 225–226] Her longest and most emotional relationship was with
Frederick O'Brien
Frederick O'Brien (16 June 1869 – 9 January 1932) was an American author, journalist, hobo, peripatetic world traveler, and public administrator. He wrote three best-selling travel books about French Polynesia between 1919 and 1922: ''White Sh ...
, then a popular writer of South Sea travel accounts. She was discreet with her many lovers to protect her public reputation, and by implication, that of Jack London.
Long afflicted by high blood pressure, by 1947 Charmian was often bedridden following repeated strokes. She died in 1955, at the age of 83. Her ashes rest beside her husband Jack's under the rock that marks their grave near Glen Ellen, California at
Jack London State Historic Park
Jack London State Historic Park, also known as Jack London Home and Ranch, is a California State Historic Park near Glen Ellen, California, United States, situated on the eastern slope of Sonoma Mountain. It includes the ruins of a house burned ...
.
References
External links
* Brief biography
London, Jack, Mrs., by the beach- loc.gov
{{DEFAULTSORT:London, Charmian Kittredge
20th-century American women writers
Jack London
1871 births
1955 deaths
Writers from Los Angeles
History of the San Francisco Bay Area
20th-century American biographers
American women biographers
20th-century sailors
Female sailors
Harry Houdini
Mills College alumni
People from Wilmington, Los Angeles
American socialists