Background
Rosen was born Lucie Bigelow Dodge in 1890, and married the lawyer and banker Walter Tower Rosen in 1914.
Rosen was born Lucie Bigelow Dodge in 1890, and married the lawyer and banker Walter Tower Rosen in 1914.
They shared a common passion in art and culture, especially Italian, making frequent European trips and collecting works of art for their Caramoor estate that they developed from 1929 to 1939. By 1930 Lucie was part of a ten-person theremin ensemble rehearsing for their debut at the Carnegie Hall with Leon Theremin. Sometime afterward, the Rosens offered Theremin the use of their 37 West Fifty-fourth Street townhouse at low rent.
By 1938 Leon Theremin needed money to return to Russia and, according to the Rosen"s daughter Anne Stern, Walter offered him ten thousand dollars to create a new machine for Lucie together with all technical papers and rights to produce more for personal use only.
After Walter died in 1951, Lucie expanded the musical performances they had both started in 1940 into the Caramoor festival. She remarried to Lionel Guest, a cousin of Winston Churchill and moved to Canada and later to London.
Her great grandfather was William East. Dodge who helped found Phelps Dodge & Company and secured the family wealth. Her maternal grandfather was John Bigelow husband of Jennie Tunis Poultney.
In 1913 Lucie disappeared from her mother"s home in London, resulting in a much publicized search involving Scotland Yard.
She was discovered six days later living in London"s West End theatre district. They had two children, Anne and Walter. He was killed in 1944 on a training mission in England whilst serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Lucy Bigelow Rosen interview 1938 (restored) 2 minutes 38 seconds radio interview linked from
Gigolette - Elliot Lawrence featuring Lucie Bigelow Rosen on Theremin - April 13, 1949 recording on YouTube.