I have spent the last eleven years traveling, researching, writing and editing my book, SILKY: Searching For Lady Sylvia Ashley. During that time, I’ve had some amazing adventures, met some lovely people and had wonderful experiences. And learned a lot about Silky–even more about myself. It has also sometimes been frustrating, exhausting, seemingly futile and often just plain hard.
Besides traveling to London (her birthplace), New York and the Bahamas for research, I’ve lost family members and several friends; I’ve been laid off three jobs; started my own business; been through two California brushfires, a house flood, been in two car accidents, contracted the shingles and gone bankrupt. But somehow, I keep writing her story.
Why? I ask myself this on a daily basis. The simple answer is that no one has written a book on her fabulous life and it needs to be done. On a more complex level, I’m quite simply obsessed.
For one, I’m a would-be time traveler. I can’t think of anything I’d rather do than go to Shanghai—in the 1930s. Or Paris in the twenties. Or New York during World War II. And Silky did all of these things. By following her path, I have been able to vicariously experience all these places in long gone, illusive decades like some kind of latent Jules Verne wannabe. I get to explore the dusty stalls of the Place D’jemaa el-Fna marketplace in 1920s Marrakesh; ride the Hindenberg after watching Jesse Owens prove Hitler wrong by taking 4 gold medals at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin; dance with Charlie Chaplin at El Mocambo as soldiers on leave clog the Manhattan streets outside; sip champagne with Truman Capote and Natalie Wood at a Black And White Ball in the Swinging Sixties.
Secondly, what would it feel like to be drop dead gorgeous? And rich? And celebrated? Silky was all these too. So, through her, I get to taste a sweeter, more glamorous life. I get to play Mah Jongg with Cole Porter in the Penthouse of the Waldorf-Astoria, sing duets with Harpo Marx in the South of France, attend the horse races with Marlene Dietrich; cruise to the Hawaiian Islands with Clark Gable at my side; thrill to photographs and write ups in glossy periodicals by Cecil Beaton.
I’ve been gathering photographs of Silky all these years–mostly on eBay–and have quite an extensive collection. I don’t know if they’ll end up in the book (what, with publication rights and all) but I thought it’d be fun to post them here and start to remind the world about a more elegant, more refined era when women wore hats and gloves in public, when celebrities had private lives and when a woman could be renown for her hostessing skills. Sure, there’s a flip side to all that affluence: sexism, racism, classism, cruelty to animals, etc. But if I’m going to romanticize the past, then I’d rather focus on the appealing aspects of the day: the style and the opulence, the charm, the etiquette and the innocence. When I Time Travel, I get to take the best parts of modernism, wisdom, evolution and humanity with me. That’s the beauty of the fantasy. Only it was Silky’s reality.
Growing up in Pacific Palisades, Silky was my illustrious neighbor. My uncle traveled with her in the nineteen-seventies and my grandmother was a true friend to her as she was dying of cancer. Silky shaped my sensibilities, my humor and taught me the allure of one of the most celebrated women of the twentieth century.
On her deathbed, just before I turned sixteen, she gave me my first strand of pearls and when she died the following summer, I attended her funeral in what is now known as the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. She has haunted me ever since.
Lindsley said:
Cheers!!
It looks great.
I want to read more
ladysilky said:
Thanks. This morning I’m wishing I hadn’t had quite so many Silkys!
Larry Riches said:
Great blog, as the owner/custodian of one of her Roll-Royce Motorcars, which I drove across the USA several years ago to meet Shirley, and her family, keep up the great work, one day this could be a film! Larry
ladysilky said:
Right you are…been casting it for years! I’ll be posting some photos of “the old girl” soon. So glad to hear from you!
Larry Riches said:
Hi Nice to read your blog once again, I still own the car, now in my ownership since 1991,26 years, took the car to France in 2015, she always brings people to look at her, still a lady after all these years, Larry
Tesi said:
congratulations!!! I’m enchanted already and so exited!! Great Work Shirley- but where is YOUR
name- is it on the blog site??
ladysilky said:
Good point on my name! Thanks for catching that. And you know, the chili infused vodka is your contribution to The Silky. I’ve been enjoying my own batch of the the stuff since your New Years Santa Anas!
douginsantabarbara said:
Yeah!!! Lady Silky’s online. Good Job!
ladysilky said:
Thanks, honey. I’m having a blast with it!
Panda said:
Fantastic Shirley! The Silky campaign has officially kicked off!
ladysilky said:
Good morning, Panda. Thanks for getting out of bed for me!
ladysilky said:
Aw shucks, thanks! There’re plenty more stories to tell. Here’s hoping to titillate you!
Marilyn said:
Shirley! Looks great, and is fascinating. Good job, Marty, also.
ladysilky said:
Thanks, Marilyn! Lovely to hear from you. I couldn’t have done it without my Marty!
Steven Keylon said:
This is swell! I can’t wait to toast to your glittering success next week over a big bucket of Silky© cocktails!
ladysilky said:
I will make certain to have a pitcher ready for your arrival! Can’t wait to celebrate with you in Santa Barbara!
Gia said:
Delightful blog! I cannot wait to read more!!
linda mathews said:
Having eaten lunch eyeball-to-eyeball with Clark Gable once (from an adjoining table) in his later years, and still feeling the tingle of excitement most gals get in his presence! I can’t even imagine the thrill to be sailing across the ocean at his side…
Looking forward to buying your book AND seeing this one day on the Silver Screen!
–Lindainsantabarbara
catzgarden - Cathy said:
Beautiful blog! So much more of her story, and yours, to come. Congratulations on your accomplishment.
ladysilky said:
Thank you for your encouragement…been needing it this week!
B. D. Smith said:
Enjoyed reading about Lady Ashley’s life. Was your book ever published and did she ever have children. Also what where her last years like?
ladysilky said:
Hello B.D. My apologies for the tardy reply. My book has yet to be published. Sylvia never had children, but her niece & nephew were like her own & she was very involved in their lives. I knew her in her last years & she was as elegant as ever. You’ll have to pick up my book (when it’s published) to enjoy all the details! Thank you so much for your inquiry! Namaste–Shirley
Julia Joes said:
I expect this is too late — I’m interested in Edward Stanley and wondered whether you own the copyright to the two photos on your site? I need an image of him for a forthcoming article. Have searched for your book but perhaps you had no luck with publishers (I know that feeling!) If you’re able to help with information how I can get permission to use on of the photos I’m sure you will (you seem like that type of person) — but obviously this is a pretty long shot. Best wishes , Julia Jones
ladysilky said:
Hello Julia, my apologies for taking 2 whole months to reply! I haven’t been to my blog in that time (or longer) as I’ve been busy with an editing job & have taken a step away from Silky. It’s probably too late to help you with a photo of Lord Stanley. But the 2 pics I own were purchased off of eBay, so I don’t know the legality of ownership. I’m always happy to help a fellow writer so in future if you need any photographs, drop me a note & I’ll be better about responding: organicshirl at yahoo dot com. Are you familiar with the book The Stanleys of Alderley? I’d love to read your article if you’ll send it to me. Namaste–Shirley