Connected Lives
Part One: Ethel Webb and the Alexander Technique
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15763/issn.2998-3509.2024.29.59-69Keywords:
Alexander TechniqueAbstract
In 2017, when the American Center for the Alexander Technique (ACAT) closed after more than 50 years, I decided to write a book celebrating its history and accomplishments. As I started my research, it became clear to me that a chain of interconnected women––Ethel Webb, Margaret Naumburg, Irene Tasker, Alma Frank, Henriette Michelson, Debbie Caplan, and Judith Leibowitz––played significant roles in bringing the Alexander Technique to the United States and establishing it in New York City. This first article in the series, looks at the life and work of Ethel Webb.
References
Alexander, F. Mathias. 1942. The Universal Constant in Living. London: Chaterson.
Alexander, F. Mathias. 2020. F. Matthais Alexander Letters Vol 2. Edited by Missy Vineyard and Jean M. O. Fischer. London: Mouritz.
Archer, William. “The Open Mind.” The Morning Ledger, December 17, 1910.
Bloch, Michael. 2004. The Life of Frederick Matthias Alexander: Founder of the Alexander Technique. London: Little Brown.
Evans, Jackie . 2001. Frederick Mathias Alexander: A Family History. Chichester West Suffolk: Phillimore.
Fertman, Bruce. “Conversations with Erika Whittaker.” Studying with Bruce Fertman (blog). May 25, 2012. https://peacefulbodyschool.com/2012/05/25/conversations-with-erika-whittaker/.
Fischer, Jean M. O. “Ethel Webb,” December 30, 2017. https://mouritz.org/?article=ethel-webb.
Hodge, Richard Morse. 1918. “What is Man’s Supreme Inheritance?” The New York Times, May 5, 1918. NOTE: Subscribers to The New York Times Time Machine can view this article at https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/05/05/98263334.html.
Hutchinson, Elizabeth. (n.d.). “The Bush Collection.” Columbia University in the City of New York (website). Accessed April 2, 2020. https://edblogs.columbia.edu/AHISG4862_001_2015_1/ sample-page/the-bush-collection/.
Hunter, John. “Marj Barstow #2, Moving Up, London 1988.” Marjorie Barstow: Master Teacher of the Alexander Technique (blog by Robert Rickover). https://www.marjoriebarstow. com/articles/hunter2/.
Hunter, John. “The First Training Course in 1931: A Different Perspective.” Upward Thought (blog). https://upward-thought.com/tag/irene-tasker/.
James, Willliam, 1950. The Principles or Psychology. New York: Dover Publications. https:// psychclassics.yorku.ca/James/emotion.htm
Jones, Frank Pierce. 1997. Freedom to Change. London: Mouritz.
Montessori, Maria. 2013. The 1913 Rome Lectures: First International Training Course. Amsterdam: Montessori-Pierson Publishing Company.
New York Times. 1914. “Grace Dodge Dead.” New York Times. December 28, 1914. Note: Subscribers to The New York Times TimeMachine can view this article at https://timesmachine. nytimes.com/timesmachine/1914/12/28/100129483.html?pageNumber=9+. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u167176
Rootberg, Ruth. 2012. “The Alexander Foundation School.” AmSAT Journal, no. 1, Spring 2012.
Tasker Irene. 1978. Connecting Links. London: The Sheildrake Press.
Teachers College: Columbia University. 2018. “A History of Anticipating—and Shaping—the Future.” April 26, 2018. https://www.tc.columbia.edu/about/history/.68 THE ALEXANDER JOURNAL 29 SUMMER 2024
Twain, Mark. 1892. “The German Chicago.” Chicago Daily Tribune, April 3, 1892.
Westfeldt, Lulie. 1998. The Man and His Work. London: Mouritz.
Whittaker, Ethel. “Alexander Technique Talk by Erika Whittaker,” 9:02. September 14, 2011. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ8orz5h0lk.
Williamson, Malcolm. 2017. “Dewey’s Influence on Alexander.” The Alexander Journal, no. 26, Spring 2017.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Ruth Diamond
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
