The large-scale wooden, bone, and ivory bangles worn by Nancy Cunard from wrist to elbow became a visual shorthand for avant-garde style in the 1920s. An heiress to the Cunard Line shipping fortune, she rejected the expectations of her social class to pursue a life as a poet, publisher, and fervent activist against racial inequality and fascism.
Early Life and Social Upbringing
Born in 1896 at Nevill Holt, Leicestershire, Nancy was the daughter of Sir Bache Cunard and Maud Alice Burke. Her father was a baronet with interests in polo, while her mother became a prominent London hostess. Following her parents' 1911 separation, she lived in London under the influence of family friend George Moore. In 1916, she married Sydney Fairbairn, an army officer and cricketer, but the union ended in divorce by 1925.
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Relocating to Paris in 1920, she immersed herself in the Dada and Surrealist movements. Her social circle included figures such as Ezra Pound, Tristan Tzara, and Aldous Huxley, the latter of whom used her as a model for characters in his fiction. Following a 1920 hysterectomy, she maintained an active social life, despite recurring struggles with alcohol and physical health.
The Hours Press
In 1928, she established the Hours Press at her farmhouse in La Chapelle-Réanville. Utilizing her personal wealth, she published experimental work to provide a market for young writers. Her catalog included titles by Samuel Beckett, Norman Douglas, and Robert McAlmon. The press was noted for its design quality until it ceased operations in 1931 with the publication of Havelock Ellis.
Political Engagement and Later Life
Her relationship with African-American jazz musician Henry Crowder spurred her involvement in civil rights advocacy. In 1931, she authored the pamphlet Black Man and White Ladyship, which criticized the racism of her own mother. She later edited the massive Negro Anthology, featuring contributions from Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston. By the time she died in 1965 at Hôpital Cochin in Paris, her health had severely deteriorated.
Fast facts
- Born: 1896, Nevill Holt
- Died: 1965, Hôpital Cochin
- Primary Occupations: Writer, poet, publisher, activist
- Nationality: United Kingdom
- Publishing Venture: Hours Press
- Key Publication: Negro Anthology
- Burial Site: Crématorium-columbarium du Père-Lachaise
Questions readers ask
What was the significance of Nancy Cunard's jewelry?
Her African-inspired bangles and wooden neckpieces challenged contemporary fashion norms and were eventually recognized as an avant-garde style known as the barbaric look.
What was her role in the Harlem Renaissance?
She became an activist for civil rights, traveled to Harlem, and compiled the Negro Anthology to showcase the work of African-American writers.
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