Wanda de Boncza (8 March 1872 – 15 August 1902) was a French actress, born Wanda-Marie-Émilie Rutkowska.

Early life

Wanda-Marie-Émilie Rutkowska was born in Paris, the daughter of Polish-Jewish immigrants. H. C
"Nécrologie"
''Revue universelle'' (Paris 1902): 429. She studied comedy at the Conservatoire de Paris with

Gustave Worms Gustave-Hippolyte Worms (26 November 1836 – 19 November 1910) was a French actor and teacher of acting. After a successful student career at the Conservatoire national supérieur d'art dramatique, Paris Conservatoire, he joined the Comédie-Fran ...

.Sterling Heilig
"The Jewel-Spangled Beauties of Paris"
''New York Press'' (January 11, 1903): 3.

Career

Wanda de Boncza was considered a stage beauty in Paris, acting first at the Odéon, and then at the Comédie-Française. One English-language critic in 1901 described her stage presence as "little and dark, Parisian and perverse, she whose eyes are enigmas ... beautiful in her own odd way." Her stage appearances included roles in ''Fiancée'' (1894), ''La Barynia'' (1894), ''On ne badine pas avec l'amour'' (1896), ''Struensée'' (1898), ''La Conscience de l'enfant'' (1899), ''

Alkestis ''Alkestis nevermanni'' is a species of beetle in the family Carabidae, the only species in the genus ''Alkestis''. References Lebiinae {{Lebiinae-stub ...

'' (1900), and ''Le Marquis de Priola'' (1902).Untitled essay
''Truth'' (21 August 1902): 448-449.

Personal life

Wanda de Boncza died in Paris in 1902, aged 30 years, from appendicitis and an attempted surgical intervention. Some reports also mentioned that morphine addiction may have contributed to her early death. A few months after her death, there was an auction of her jewelry (especially pearls), gowns, and other possessions, yielding over a million francs, more than enough to pay off her gambling and other debts."Owes Paris Costumers $100,000 for Gowns"
''Chicago Tribune'' (1 September 1902): 5. via Newspapers.com

References

External links

A cigarette card featuring Wanda de Boncza
from the New York Public Library Digital Collections.

in the collection of the

Musée d'Orsay The Musée d'Orsay ( , , ) ( en, Orsay Museum) is a museum in Paris, France, on the Left Bank of the Seine. It is housed in the former Gare d'Orsay, a Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900. The museum holds mainly French art ...

, Paris. {{DEFAULTSORT:de Boncza, Wanda 1872 births 1902 deaths French actresses Actresses from Paris French people of Polish-Jewish descent