LIFE AND WORKS OF BERTITA CARLA CAMILLE LEONARZ HARDING

The purpose of this study was to assemble the facts,
synthesize the elements -- personal, literary, and cultural
-- and evaluate the significance of these related factors as
they pertain to the life and works of Bertita Carla Camille
Leonarz Harding. The study followed the career of Bert ita
Harding from birth to death, demonstrating how the American
author distinguished herself in the literary field with her
romantic historical biographies, autobiography, and travelogues,
thus indicating how her works contribute to the world's literary
history.
The facts on which this writer has relied were obtained
from a number of interviews in Mexico City, Mexico, Indianapolis
and Bloomington, Indiana; from newspaper articles throughout the United States, Mexico, Cuba, England, and
Germany; from the author's books as follows: Phantom
Crown: The Story of Maximilian and Carlota of Mexico,
Amazon Throne: The Story of the Braganzas of Brazil, Age
Cannot Wither: The Story of Duse and D'Annunzio, Concerto:
The Glowing Story of Clara Schumann, Farewell 'Toinette: The Story of Marie Antoinette, Golden Fleece: The Story of
Franz Joseph and Elizabeth of Austria, Hungarian Rhapsody:
The Portrait of an Actress, Imperial Twilight: The Story of
Karl and Zita of Hungary, The Land Columbus Loved: The
Dominican Republic, Lost Waltz: A Story of Exile, Magic
Fire: Scenes Around Richard Wagner, Mosaic in the Fountain,
Royal Purple: The Story of Alexander and Drag a of
Serbia, and Southern Empire: Brazil; from memoirs and manuscripts
generously supplied by Pedro Leonarz, nephew of
Bertita Harding; from papers and letters in the Bobbs-Merrill
Company files, Indiana University Lilly Library files, and
Indiana State Library files; and through telephone conversations
and letters from individuals who knew Bertita Harding
personally and had recollections and reactions relating to
pertinent factors. The writer categorizes Bertita Harding's fourteen books
and harmonizes the relative subject matter. Further, she relates the author to the time in which she lived and her works
to her culture.
Since Bertita Harding's life was so related to the subject
matter of her works, the writer reveals those elements in her
writing that were pertinent in her life, which encompassed the
years 1902 through 1971.
The works of Bertita Harding are listed in the following
categories: (1) biographies -- eleven chronicles of persons -- Phantom Crown, Amazon Throne, Age Cannot Wither, Concerto,
Farewell 'Toinette, Golden Fleece, Hungarian Rhapsody,
Imperial Twilight, Lost Waltz, Magic Fire, and Royal Purple;
(2) autobiography -- Mosaic in the Fountain -- an analysis of
nine years of the author's childhood; and (3) non-fiction -- two
travelogues -- The Land Columbus Loved and Southern Empire:
Brazil -- written in a style combining history, economics, politics,
geography, guidebook, and interpretation.
The study specifically supports the hypothesis that the
life and works of Bertita Harding are highly integrated. The
subject matter, style, and final product of these biographies,
autobiography, and travelogues were a composite from the pen
of a talented woman -- a unique socialite, world traveler, lecturer, historian, and linguist. She applied these elements
as a catalyst to authorship and through a body of literary works reflected her predilection for nineteenth century subject matter
and projected them into the twentieth century culture. In that
context the writer concludes that there is more than ample
evidence that Bertita Harding's books offer the potential of
some very "rich" historical material to help history "live"
for students.