Polly Jessup (1899-1988)
Title
Polly Jessup (1899-1988)
Description
Polly Jessup was born in Hartford, Connecticut. Jessup moved to Hobe Sound from New York with her husband John Jessup in the 1920s. Although she never received a formal training in interior design, her eye for color, form, and style made her a nationally renowned interior designer whose designs were integral to the gracious lifestyle for which Palm Beach is known. In 1928 Jessup established a restoration workshop in West Palm Beach which focused on woodworking, upholstery, and painting. She was known for her collaborations with Marion Sims Wyeth, and designed interiors for Mrs. Edward Swenson, John B. Ford Jr., and Mr. and Mrs. Henry Clay Ford. Jessup remained active in interior design for over sixty years and was named the “Grand Dame of Palm Beach Decorators” in a profile by the New York Times published in 1987.
Creator
Polly Jessup, interior designer
Source
Polly Jessup collection, Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach.
Date
2019
Rights
The Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational, and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions. The materials within the collections held by the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach Archives are intended for research, educational, or informational purposes only. Materials in these collections may be under copyright protection, and copyright restrictions may apply. Written permission must be obtained from the copyright holder and the Preservation Foundation Archives to copy, publish, or otherwise reproduce.
Collection Items
Swenson House
This landmarked Neoclassical house on South Ocean Boulevard was designed in 1938 by Marion Sims Wyeth for Mrs. Edward Swenson. Swenson was a well-known Palm Beach resident recognized for her generous support of the Good Samaritan Medical Center in…
Polly Jessup Stereographs
The few color photographs of interior designer Polly Jessup’s work that exist come from the Daniel’s personal collection of stereographs. These stereographs depict interior and exterior views of Jessup's residence at 209 Phipps Plaza. Her use of…
Polly Jessup Ephemera
Collection of newspaper clippings and ephemera related to interior designer Polly Jessup's business Jessup, Inc. used in the 2017 exhibit Polly Jessup: The Grande Dame of Palm Beach Decorators.
Polly Jessup Daniel Family Collection
Collection of photographs of Palm Beach interior designer Polly Jessup, her husband John Jessup, and interior photographs of multiple living spaces within the New York City residence of Margaret Abegg, her sister. Donated by the Daniel Family for the…