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06
Jan
One-act play to shine light on dynamic wife of one of the world's greatest philanthropists
The woman who helped to inspire and support one of the 19th century’s best-known philanthropists is the subject of a one-act play to be performed at Harrogate’s main library this month.
Meet Louise Whitfield features Irene Lofthouse as the title character, who shares the story of how she met and married Scottish-American industrialist Andrew Carnegie, and influenced his philanthropy.
Carnegie led the growth of the steel industry in the United States and became one of the richest Americans in history. In the last 13 years of his life he gave away nearly 90% of his wealth – about $6.9 billion in today’s terms – and funded more than 600 public libraries.
One of them was Harrogate Library – more formally called Harrogate Carnegie Library – whose construction he funded to the tune of £7,500 in 1904.
Irene said:
Andrew called [Louise] his ‘most trusted confidante’, and deferred to her advice on many occasions.
She was involved in much of the decision-making relating to Andrew’s funding of libraries, sometimes quietly convincing him to donate money when he may have had reservations.
Louise Whitfield Carnegie.
While Andrew Carnegie’s name is widely known for his contributions to libraries and education, Louise’s story remains largely untold.
Irene’s performance – which was premiered in Carnegie’s hometown of Dunfermline before an audience that included some of the couple’s descendants – shines a light on Louise’s pivotal role as a driving force behind Carnegie’s philanthropic vision, offering audiences a fresh perspective on the woman behind the legacy.
She said:
In their lifetime, Louise and Andrew were very much seen as a couple, and Louise was known not only for the Carnegie philanthropy, but also her own contributions to charities, women’s groups and war efforts. However, like many women’s stories and achievements, hers have been lost in the mists of time.
When I took the show to Dunfermline, the descendants of Louise and Andrew were delighted, as they had never seen a performance about their great-grandmother before. And I’m equally delighted to bring Louise’s story to Harrogate as part of the Library’s 120th anniversary celebrations.
The audience will hear of the fractured nature of the couple’s courtship, and discover more about how Louise helped to steer the Carnegie organisation for more than two decades after her husband’s death.
She added:
Jane Trisogo (Harrogate Library supervisor) has been incredibly supportive in ferreting out archive documents relating to the funding and development.
I’ll be weaving information from these into the narrative to illustrate the process, and how some designs for the building took so many years to realise.
Meet Louise Whitfield will be performed from 2.30 to 3.30 in Harrogate Carnegie Library on Wednesday, January 21, from 2.30 to 3.30, and there will be a Q&A and refreshments afterwards. Tickets cost £10 and can be booked here.
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