Polly Jessup: The Grande Dame of Palm Beach Decorators

INTRODUCTION

Polly created graceful and sophisticated interior décor for Palm Beach society’s biggest names – Dupont, Ford, Whitney, Mellon, Reed, and countless other socialites.

A native New Yorker, Polly Jessup (née Pauline Daniel) moved to Hobe Sound in the 1920s with her husband John Jessup. Despite a lack of formal training, Polly’s eye for color, style, and form made her a nationally renowned interior designer whose designs were integral to the gracious lifestyle for which Palm Beach is known.

Polly Jessup. Circa 1950s. Image credit of the Daniel Family Collection.

Painted entryway into Margaret Abegg’s, Polly’s sister, NYC apartment at One Sutton Place South. Margaret and her husband Werner were avid textile collectors who started the Abegg-Stiftung Foundation in Switzerland. Circa 1950s. Image credit of the Daniel Family Collection.

As her reputation for understanding great quality and design grew in popularity, Polly remained a private person, avoiding publicity when possible. Many of her clients were personal friends with whom she cultivated lasting relationships, so much so that some of her clients were “the third generation in their families to be ‘Jessuped’.”

Polly Jessup remained active in interior design for over sixty years, until her death in her Palm Beach home at the age of 89. Polly’s quiet, modest demeanor belied her extraordinary talent and success; her influence among the upper echelons of society was wide-reaching.

“Polly Jessup’s taste is simply beautiful…her extravagant insistence upon quality, and quality only, has not been equaled, and her success has been without limit, and every bit of it is deserved.”

Billy Baldwin

1985

Formal living room of the Abegg’s apartment. Circa 1950s. Image courtesy of the Daniel Family Collection.

The Beginnings of Jessup, Inc.

The Beginnings of Jessup, Inc.

Polly’s husband, John Jessup, enjoyed woodworking, and together Polly and John put their talents to work making custom furniture for Palm Beach residents. One of their first commissions was to make furniture for the First National Bank of Palm Beach in 1927. Jessup, Inc. opened a showroom in town on Worth Avenue that moved to different storefronts throughout the years, and a warehouse on Georgia Ave in West Palm Beach. Polly had an office in her home at 209 Phipps Plaza, a popular locale for design professionals throughout the years.

Formal living room of the Abegg’s apartment. Circa 1950s. Image courtesy of the Daniel Family Collection.

Jessup, Inc. gained commissions as the result of a disastrous hurricane, which devastated the area in the summer of 1928. After the storm passed, Polly sent workmen out to salvage priceless pieces of furniture found floating in Lake Worth. Her warehouse in West Palm Beach was one of few buildings standing, and she quickly went to work making furniture for those who were affected by the hurricane.

Jessup, Inc. Furniture Order Form. Courtesy of Henry Brooks.

The Palm Beach Post December 1, 1927

1928 Hurricane Destruction. Image courtesy of the State Archives of Florida/Herrington Family.

The company grew swiftly, and Polly Jessup’s unique armchairs, lampshades, and curtains became staples in many Palm Beach homes. By Polly’s death in 1988, Jessup Inc. employed over fifty craftsmen, carpenters, and decorators.

Polly Jessup. Circa 1950s. Image credit of the Daniel Family Collection.

The Influence of Polly Jessup

The Influence of Polly Jessup

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Formal living room of the Abegg’s apartment. Circa 1950s. Image courtesy of the Daniel Family Collection.

"Polly had a quiet influence over the design trends in Palm Beach; her work was groundbreaking for that time period."

Ron Daniel

Formal living room of the Abegg’s apartment. Circa 1950s. Image courtesy of the Daniel Family Collection.

“She is the most enchanting woman, and does, without question, the most beautiful curtains of anybody in America, or Europe, for that matter.”

Billy Baldwin

Formal living room of the Abegg’s apartment. Circa 1950s. Image courtesy of the Daniel Family Collection.

"Polly had a quiet influence over the design trends in Palm Beach; her work was groundbreaking for that time period."

Ron Daniel

Formal living room of the Abegg’s apartment. Circa 1950s. Image courtesy of the Daniel Family Collection.

“She is the most enchanting woman, and does, without question, the most beautiful curtains of anybody in America, or Europe, for that matter.”

Billy Baldwin

Swenson House

Swenson House

The landmarked Neoclassical house on South Ocean Boulevard was designed in 1938 by Marion Sims Wyeth for Mrs. Edward Swenson. Swenson was a well-known Palm Beach resident recognized for her generous support of the Good Samaritan Medical Center in West Palm Beach, an earlier commission by Wyeth.

Formal living room of the Abegg’s apartment. Circa 1950s. Image courtesy of the Daniel Family Collection.

Restored entryway featuring original Jessup, Inc. sofa. 1999. Photograph by Stephen Leek.

The South Ocean Boulevard house was awarded the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach’s 1999 Ballinger Award for outstanding restoration and rehabilitation of historic architecture in Palm Beach. Many of the original furnishings and finishes were restored, indicating the timelessness of Polly Jessup’s work.

Polly Jessup. Circa 1950s. Image credit of the Daniel Family Collection.

Polly Jessup. Circa 1950s. Image credit of the Daniel Family Collection.

Formal living room of the Abegg’s apartment. Circa 1950s. Image courtesy of the Daniel Family Collection.

Polly Jessup. Circa 1950s. Image credit of the Daniel Family Collection.

Formal living room of the Abegg’s apartment. Circa 1950s. Image courtesy of the Daniel Family Collection.

Polly Jessup. Circa 1950s. Image credit of the Daniel Family Collection.

Formal living room of the Abegg’s apartment. Circa 1950s. Image courtesy of the Daniel Family Collection.

John B. Ford House

John B. Ford House

The Georgian style house with Bermuda influence in Hobe Sound was designed in 1965 by John Volk for John B. Ford, Jr. Ford was chairman of the family-owned company Wyandotte Chemical Company, headquartered in his home state of Michigan. Ford was also known for his revitalization of the Detroit Symphony in the 1950s.1

Formal living room of the Abegg’s apartment. Circa 1950s. Image courtesy of the Daniel Family Collection.

Formal living room of the Abegg’s apartment. Circa 1950s. Image courtesy of the Daniel Family Collection.

Polly Jessup. Circa 1950s. Image credit of the Daniel Family Collection.

Formal living room of the Abegg’s apartment. Circa 1950s. Image courtesy of the Daniel Family Collection.

Polly Jessup. Circa 1950s. Image credit of the Daniel Family Collection.

Formal living room of the Abegg’s apartment. Circa 1950s. Image courtesy of the Daniel Family Collection.

Polly Jessup. Circa 1950s. Image credit of the Daniel Family Collection.

History of Stereographs

History of Stereographs

The few color photographs of Polly Jessup’s work that exist come from the Daniel’s personal collection of stereographs that depict Mrs. Jessup’s residence at 209 Phipps Plaza. Her use of pattern and color created lush, rich, and beautiful designs for her personal home. The images can be viewed through the light viewer giving them a 3D affect.

“The first effect of looking at a good photograph through the stereoscope is a surprise such as no painting ever produced. 
The mind feels its way into the very depths of the picture.”

Oliver Wendell Holmes

Inventor of the first affordable home stereograph viewer

Courtesy of the Daniel Family Collection

Formal living room of the Abegg’s apartment. Circa 1950s. Image courtesy of the Daniel Family Collection.

Courtesy of the Daniel Family Collection

Formal living room of the Abegg’s apartment. Circa 1950s. Image courtesy of the Daniel Family Collection.

Courtesy of the Daniel Family Collection

Courtesy of the Daniel Family Collection

Courtesy of the Daniel Family Collection

Courtesy of the Daniel Family Collection

WHAT IS A STEREOGRAPH?

The stereograph, an early three-dimensional photograph, was conceived in 1838. By the end of the 19th century, stereographic images of faraway lands and exotic scenes proliferated among journalists, students, and virtual tourists. The 20th century saw many iterations of the stereograph, the most common format being the popular children’s toy View-Master.

Courtesy of the Daniel Family Collection

Courtesy of the Daniel Family Collection

Courtesy of the Daniel Family Collection

Courtesy of the Daniel Family Collection

HOW DOES IT WORK?

The stereograph, an early three-dimensional photograph, was conceived in 1838. By the end of the 19th century, stereographic images of faraway lands and exotic scenes proliferated among journalists, students, and virtual tourists. The 20th century saw many iterations of the stereograph, the most common format being the popular children’s toy View-Master.

Courtesy of the Daniel Family Collection

Courtesy of the Daniel Family Collection

Courtesy of the Daniel Family Collection

Courtesy of the Daniel Family Collection