Photographs of the Stockton born actress Ivy Close (1890-1968). She married the photographer Elwin Neame and had two sons Ronald and Derek. She won The Most Beautiful Woman in the World contest organised by The Daily Mirror.
For more information about Stockton born Ivy Close visit http://heritage.stockton.gov.uk/
Up until recently there was a portrait of Ivy Close at Preston Hall Museum part of their Beyond the Seam exhibition. Her great grandson is Gareth Name the creator of Downton Abbey. There is a film of her in Sleeping Beauty in the museum. It was surprising the amount of local people that haven’t heard of her.
My grandmother’s maiden name was Dorothy Patricia Close (1905-1982). She was born and bred in Stockton-on-Tees. According to her, her mother (my great grandmother) was the first woman Justice of the Peace in the Stockton/Durham area. I know that Ronald Neame was a (second?) cousin, but I’m not sure of the exact link to Ivy Close other than the fact that my grandmother was a dead spit for Ivy in her youth!
Ivy Close was mentioned in the 28th October 2012 episode of Downton Abbey when some of the staff went to the village hall to see a picture she was in – “Way Down East” . Good that they chose a UK film star to mention rather than the usual (American) subjects.
Is her plaque still on the wall to the entrance of the Castlegate Centre?
We can confirm that the plaque is still there……
Yes, I saw this plaque earlier this year.
I am currently running a project with young people in Stockton (heritage & enterprise) and we would like to find out as much as possible about Ivy Close. We discovered info about her a couple of months ago and yes recently viewing ‘the artist’ found amazing similarity regarding Ivy’s career no doubt affected by not having the right accent for talkies!? Any recommendations for links to further research or even better anyone related or with information about Ivy who would be prepared to speak with our group would be fantastic and much appreciated.01/03/2012 00:20:53
If you are still interest in Ivy Close, I would like to refer you to my book, Straight from the Horse’s Mouth, the autobiography of her son, Ronald Neame, which I wrote with him. If you would like to contact me, please email pictures@stockton.gov.uk and the team will forward on my email address. B.R. Cooper
With all the latest interest in the silent movies (The Artist) I have been looking up Ivy Close. Ivy was a half sister to my mother’s first cousin. Ivy’s father Jack later went on to marry my Great Aunt and they had one daughter, Betty Close. (Ivy was an adult by this time. 27/02/2012 19:10:40
I forgot to mention in my last post that the great director Ronald Neame died in 2010 at the age of 99. He was the son of Ivy Close and Elwin Neame.
There is a photo on the Internet of Mary Studholme with Doris ‘Bobbins’ Cooper. This dates from the mid 1890s. Doris was the sister of Gladys Cooper. By 1910 Doris (Bobbins) would have been a perfect subject for Elwin Neame. Perhaps this is the connection.
I have not seen the portrait of ‘Bobbins’ mentioned on 24-11-08, so it would be difficult for me to judge, but I have a postcard of the actress Marie Studholme with a child named Bobbins Cooper, who I think was, in fact Gladys Cooper. Could this be the same Bobbins?
Has anybody got a photo of Ivy Close’s mother Emma Blackburn? I have one of her father Jack and would like one of Emma. If anyone has please get in touch with Picture Stockton for my email address.
Another distant relative. Ivy was my great grandmothers cousin. Seems like a lot of relatives on here!
All these comments are so interesting and enlightening. I just saw last night the movie, La Roue. It was an excellent silent film and Ivy Close was so beautiful! I would like to know what happened to her other son, Derek? and her sister and younger brother? If there is anyone out there who has this information, I will gladly like to know. It is so great that you can be related to such a great actress. I am definitely going to purchase the dvd.
Hi Lola, I’m a distant relative of Ivy’s and I believe that Derek was a screenwriter. He wrote films such as ‘The Lilac Domino’ (1937), ‘Special Edition’ (1938) and ‘The Small Voice’ (1948), however, he was only credited as a writer for two of them. You can check out his IMDb to find out more about these productions. As for Ivy’s siblings, I have no knowledge of what happened to Raymond nor Dorothy. I am currently researching my family, hence why I came across your comment, so if I reach out to anyone who knows about them, I’ll let you know.
Raymond I believe was killed in the war.
My father believes he is related to Ivy. His sister had a daughter called Ivy (Pearson not Close)
Carol (Pearson ) McCooke N.I.
Correction – it was on Google, not Wikipedia, that I saw that entry for Elwin Neame.
Hazel Dakers – a further follow up. I looked up Elwin Neame on Wikipedia. On page 2 there is reference to a current Ebay auction of an Elwin Neame portrait of a young woman. It is dated 1910 and the subject”s name is “Bobbins”. It doesn”t look like Ivy Close – if your grandmother”s nickname was “Bobbins” then you have it. Alternatively you may recognise her from the illustration.
I happened to be watching that great David Lean film “Brief Encounters” (1945) this evening and noted the name Ronald Neame, the son of Ivy Close and Elwin Neame. He was producer, screen writer and director of photography for the film. When I looked him up on IMDB and Wikipedia I found that he is still living at the age of 97. The IMDB entry shows an extremely distinguished career as a director (The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Tunes of Glory, The Odessa File, The Poseidon Adventure and many more) Hazel Dakers – Could it be that the Neame family still has the Elwin Neame archive? After all his son is still living. Otherwise there are archives like the Hulton Getty Archive that have bought up various collections. The National Museum of Cinema and Photography in Bradford, Yorks might have some information.
My Grandmother, roughly during the period 1907-14, also posed as a model for Elwin Neame, sometimes with Ivy Close. Do any readers (or the site owner) know where there is an archive of Neame”s work? I should love to find photos of my grandmother from those days.
Ivy Close lived in Durham Street in Stockton,near to the railway station. Not Portrack as somebody mentioned.
How do you know that? Do you know of any direct living relatives still in the Stockton area?
The plaque in Stockton says Portrack
There was also a Durham Street in Portrack, I have my suspicions that Will Hay was born in Durham Street in Portrack and not the one near to the railway station
Thanks Brian, another piece of the jigsaw in place. Ivy sailed for the New York on May 13 1916, only three months later, her eldest brother, Raymond, was killed whilst serving in France. She also had a younger brother who was 13 at the time and a 15 year old sister, the latter must have been Dorothy mentioned in the 1901 census and by David Marsh under this heading 24/12/07, did she follow her sister on to the stage and what was the name of her younger brother and what happened to him.
On the 1891 census at 67 Marton Road Middlebrough, Ivy Close is living with her parents and Grandparents. Grandfather Elias Blackburn was a Police Officer but his son Frederick worked as a Steam Engine Maker Fitter. John R Close is a jeweller.
Ivy L Close is listed in the 1901 census (the only Ivy Close listed). She is 10 years old, born in Stockton on Tees and living with her parents John R aged 33 a Jeweller (watch) born in Stockton on Tees, her Mother Emma aged 31 who was born in Consett. Two other children are listed, Raymond 4, who was born in Middlesbrough & Dorothy 1 who was born in Manchester. At the time of the 1901 census the family were living in Manchester and had one servant. Apparently Ivy Close was born on June 15 1890. As the 1890 census was taken on March 31 she would not have been listed on this census.
Could all those relatives out there answer me a question that has been niggling me for quite some time now? I have in my possession a photograph which appeared in the Daily Mirror in 1909 of Miss Ivy Close and mother appearing on the Music Hall stage together, nothing out of the ordinary you may think, but I can’t see a jeweller, a somewhat respected and sedate profession, having a family that sang and danced on the Music Hall circuit. In most quarters I have read that Jack Close (father) was a jeweller, but in one area, can’t remember where it states that he was a railway worker? To put the cat amongst the pigeons I have also read that they lived on Durham Road.
Ivy Close also had a fine singing voice and, after her success in the Photographic competition, sang at, among other venues, Stockton”s Castle Theatre. She was a great success in music hall and on the concert circuit. Her face appeared on vast numbers of postcards and greetings cards and continued to do so throughout the First World War, when Ivy became a pin-up of the men in the trenches.
Ivy Lilian Close being one of Stockton’s daughters and being famed for winning a photographic contest giving her the title of The Most Beautiful Woman in the World, have you ever wondered how she got the title, If so hear goes. In the year 1908 there was a contest in America held by the Chicago Tribune to choose the most beautiful woman in the world and this was won by a Miss Margaret Frey. After some months the Chicago Tribune challenged England to find America’s rival to “The Fairest of the Fair”. The American challenge was taken up by the Daily Mirror, and out of 15,000 Competitors Photographs one of which was sent in by Ivy’s dad Jack who was a jeweller in Stockton. Ivy was adjudged amongst the top 25 most beautiful girls who went to London for the final. A distinguished committee of six artist judges sat on the judging panel. Where Ivy was to be not only the fairest woman in England, but made her out to be fairer than the fair American Miss Frey. As a result Miss Ivy Lilian Close was judged “The Fairest of the Fair” and was given the prestigious title. Above information was extracted from the Bystander 22 April 1908, of which I have a copy, it also containes the photo that won and a picture of Miss Frey.
Looking at the 1899 map and living in Portrack in the 1940’s would not help to locate a street that was there in 1890 and may have been demolished. Durham County Record Office ‘maps’ section on line, takes the maps of Stockton back to 1856 by using a GIS (Geographic Information System) Roy
Where in Portrack was Durham Street? My 1899 map only shows one near Stockton Station. It runs parallel with Bishopton Lane cutting across Leeds Street. At Portrack the map finishes just before Walton Street, were there more streets after that?
I was interested in the address given for the births of Ivy Close and Will Hay both in Durham Street. The area mentioned was Portrack. On checking the Map of Stockton for 1899, Durham Street was off Leeds Street near to Stockton Station and not Portrack I lived in Portrack from about 1944 to 1963 and certainly didn”t see any street there called Durham Street.
Miss Ivy Lillian Close: Borne 15 June 1890 Durham Street, Portrack, Stockton on Tees. Died 05 Dec 1967 Goring, Oxford. The area of Durham Street although long since demolished along with the majority of Portrack has been built on and for many years now has not been derelict. Will Hay was born at 23 Durham Street in December 1888 two doors away from Ivy. (Must have been something in the water)
ivy was born in an area of stockton called portrack, which is now pretty much derelict
Seems Ivy had a lot of relatives, so if you know where she was born in Stockton on Tees, let me know, would be interesting to know, because I do. And I am a from the Close family.
Ivy Close was a regular star in films made by Cecil Hepworth who ran one of the premier studios in the early part of the C20 from Walton On Thames. The comments on this site are delightful and I look forward to seeing more information about The Most Beautiful Woman in the World.
I have just found this website and am so excited. I was lucky enough to meet great Aunty Ivy when I was 16 at the hotel she was staying in London with my Mother who is her niece (her mother is Ivy”s sister) sadly I never saw her again as she died not long afterwards. She was so sweet and kind and my Mother and I had a smashing afternoon chatting, drinking tea and eating Kunsal cakes.
Hi Sandra, I’m a distant relative of Ivy. I’m researching the family and I’d like to know about her siblings. Is your grandmother Dorothy? Do you also have info on Raymond? Thank you so much.
Here in North Carolina, Ivy is entertaining me at present, as I write this, in her wonderful, incredibly expressive and touching performance in the 1923 film by the great Abel Gance epic, “La Roue”. I believe filming of it actually had to have ended by summer of 1921, since Severin-Mars, the lead male, died of a heart attack in July 1921. Her husband must have been killed shortly after she finished this beautiful film. Ivy is a new discovery for this silent film lover. These photos are beautiful and thank you for them.
What a fantastic site to find! I am a film history researcher and am working on an article about the lovely Ivy. Her son Ronald was kind enough to talk to me a few years ago and I would love to talk to or hear from anyone else out there who has any memories or photographs of her. My name is Jane Bryan and I can be contacted at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, The University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ
I also talked to son Ronald a couple of years ago. Please contact me to swap notes.
how wonderful to see the comments on this page about my relative. The connection to Ivy is my Mothers mother Dorothy Close was Ivy s sister. My mother cousin is Ronald Neame.Ivy s son. Great to see such comments we also have lovely photographs of her.
Hi David, I’m also a relative of Ivy. I’m researching the family and I’m wondering if you have any information on your grandmother Dorothy and Raymond? Thank you so much.
James Evans. Stockton has been very reticent in making the most of its famous charaters. I had not seen Ivy Close before. Why not just as a start, have a Gallery of all their portraits in the Art Gallery showing these great people. Alternativly why not instigate a competition for the College of Art to produce a series of statues to portray living people, rather than hyperthetical Angels of the North.
From the photographs that I have viewed on this webpage, one can understand how Ivy Close was voted the “Daily Mirror”s-Worlds Most Beautiful Woman”. Sadly, as with other major features in Stockton-on-Tees” illustrious history the powers that be seem to be embarrassed by what has been achieved by its creative “Sons and Daughters” ! What a wonderful tourist attraction it might be if there would be some sort of dedication in the High Street to either George Stephenson or John Walker (first in their particular world fields)- why not both, in the form of a characteristic statue. I do hope that my comment is not out of place with you, and does not tread on anybodies toes, and might therefore be acted upon !!!
IVY CLOSE HAS A PLAQUE IN HER NAME OUTSIDE THE CASTLEGATE CENTRE. ITS ON THE WALL OUTSIDE “ASHES” BAR AND HAS BEEN THERE SINCE IT WAS “JOHN WALKER SQUARE”
Ivy Close was my great grandmothers cousin,her name was sarah close. It would be interesting to know if anybody out there is related.my e-mail address is loopylou-@hotmail.co.uk
Ivy Close was my fathers cousin, he was very proud of the fact there was a celebrity in the family.
Details of Ivy Close”s film career and some personal details can be found on the Internet Film Data Base – imdb.com. It seems she founded a dynasty of people involved in the film industry as producers etc even down to her great-grandsons. Her film career ended in 1928 at age 38. I don”t know whether this was due to her age {a common problem for film actresses) or the advent of the “talkies”
Ivy was my Grandfathers brothers daughter. Our family lived in Stockton until the late 60s. This is probably our only claim to fame although the good looks live on!!
My husband, David Close, and his family are from Stockton-on-Tees, and he is related to Ivy, so it was really interesting to hear that there was a celebrity in the family history!