The Native New Yorker and society doyenne Elsie de Wolfe (1859-1950), is credited with creating the profession of interior design. Her first commission was The Colony Club, and her clients included Ann Morgan and Henry Clay Frick. Designing for the rarefied social strata in which she moved, Wolfe’s tastes helped usher modern design into New York’s most elite homes and social spaces. A pioneer in both work and life, Wolfe lived with her partner, the theatrical agent Elizabeth Marbury, first on Irving Place and then on Sutton Place. Join Friends for this virtual lecture by Professor and Design Historian Penny Sparke, author of Elsie de Wolfe: The Birth of Modern Interior Decoration. Professor Sparke will cover de Wolfe’s formative role in New York’s design history, and focus on her life and work in New York City.