Hazel Watrous

Founder of the Carmel Bach Festival

Hazel Watrous
Watrous at San Jose Normal School
Born(1888-02-12)February 12, 1888
Visalia, California, US
DiedOctober 2, 1954(1954-10-02) (aged 66)
San Jose, California, US
Occupation(s)Painter, stage designer, architect and interior decorator

Hazel Watrous (February 12, 1888 – October 2, 1954) was an American writer who was co-founder of Denny-Watrous Management. The company presented performances in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. She and Dene Denny played roles in founding the Carmel Music Society, the Carmel Bach Festival, and Monterey's First Theater. They hosted musical concerts and lectures from their home. In addition, they established the Denny-Watrous Gallery.[1][2][3][4]

Early life

Watrous was born on February 12, 1888, in Visalia, California. Her father was Stephen Watrous, a professional landscape photographer who settled in San Francisco in 1852.[5][6][7] Watrous completed her art major at San Jose State College.[1][8]

Career

Watrous spent numerous years working for the Fisher Studio in Los Angeles, California, where she served as a theater critic for their productions and roadshow vaudeville acts. Additionally, she designed costumes and sets for the Moroni Olson Players in Los Angeles.[1][9] While living in San Francisco, she worked for the Alameda City elementary and high schools in the East Bay.[8][10]

In 1922, Watrous met Dene Denny in San Francisco and they quickly became a couple.[6] They came to Carmel-by-the-Sea in 1923 for a vacation and remained to make it her home.[11] To generate income, they designed residential houses, completing a total of 36 homes.[6][4]

In 1922 they purchased a lot and temporarily resided above a garage while Watrous designed and built a two-story American Craftsman-style home, now called "Denny-Watrous Studio" also known as "Harmony House." They expanded it into a studio in 1926.[12][2][13] The studio became a gathering place for musical performances and lectures.[14] The Denny-Watrous Studio was registered with the California Register of Historical Resources on April 8, 2002.[9]

In 1929, Denny and Watrous established the town's first fine arts gallery, Denny-Watrous Gallery. In 1931, they added a stage for theatrical performances and sponsored chamber-music recitals.[15] In 1927, they assembled a group of music enthusiasts from the local community, leading to the inception of the Carmel Music Society.[16][17]

In 1928, they launched Denny-Watrous Management and secured a lease for the Theatre of the Golden Bough, and in 1937 leased California's First Theater.[18][6][8] There they produced plays and held musical performances.[14][8] In 1932, Watrous and Denny brought the Neah-Kah-Nie String Quartet, with Michel Penha as its director and cellist to Carmel.[19] In 1935, Watrous and Denny established the Carmel Bach Festival as a four-day series of concerts.[16][3][20]

Watrous served on the Carmel City Council from 1938 to 1940.[21][8]

Death

Watrous died on October 2, 1954, in San Jose, California.[1][8]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Last Rites Held in San Jose For Hazel Watrous". Santa Cruz Sentinel. Santa Cruz, California. October 6, 1954. p. 12. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Homes of Famous Carmelites" (PDF). ci.carmel.ca.us. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. 1992. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Gordon, David J. (2014). Carmel Impresarios A Cultural Biography of Dene Denny and Hazel Watrous. Lucky Valley Press. ISBN 978-0-9856655-4-8. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Seavey, Kent (2007). Carmel, A History in Architecture. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California: Arcadia Publishing. p. 123. ISBN 9780738547053. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
  5. ^ "2009 Carmel Bach Festival Program". Carmel Bach Festival. 2009. pp. 18–19. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d Alinder, Mary Street (2014). Group F.64. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. pp. 34–35. ISBN 9781620405550.
  7. ^ "Artist Biography & Facts Hazel Watrous". askART. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  8. ^ a b c d e f "Hazel Watrous". Carmel Pine Cone. Carmel-by-the-Sea. October 8, 1954. p. 4. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  9. ^ a b Richard N. Janick (July 31, 2002). "Department Of Parks And Recreation". National Park Service. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  10. ^ "Directory of Secondary and Normal Schools". California. State Board of Education. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. 1922. p. 11. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  11. ^ "A century of Pine Cones" (PDF). The Carmel Pine Cone. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. July 12, 2013. p. 9. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  12. ^ Dramov, Alissandra; Momboisse, Lynn A. (2016). Historic Homes And Inns Of Carmel-by-the-Sea. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California: Arcadia Publishing. p. 26. ISBN 9781467103039. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  13. ^ "Carmel Inventory Of Historic Resources Database" (PDF). City Of Carmel-by-the-Sea. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  14. ^ a b Hale, Sharron Lee (1980). A Tribute to Yesterday: The History of Carmel, Carmel Valley, Big Sur, Point Lobos, Carmelite Monastery, and Los Burros. Santa Cruz, California: Valley Publishers. p. 83. ISBN 9780913548738. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
  15. ^ Richard N. Janick (July 8, 2002). "Department Of Parks And Recreation" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  16. ^ a b "Carmel Music Society". www.carmelmusic.org. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  17. ^ Hudson, Monica (2006). Carmel-by-the-sea. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California: Arcadia. p. 64. ISBN 9780738531229. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  18. ^ "California's First Theater" (PDF). Monterey History. Monterey, California. May 31, 1961. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  19. ^ "1957 Carmel Bach Festival Program". Harrison Memorial Library. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. 1957. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  20. ^ Watson, Lisa Crawford (July 6, 2015). Legendary Locals of Carmel-by-the-Sea. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California: Arcadia Publishing Incorporated. p. 81. ISBN 9781439651179. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  21. ^ "Miss Watrous on Carmel Council". The San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, California. July 14, 1938. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hazel Watrous.
  • v
  • t
  • e
Downtown buildingsOther buildingsDesigner/architect