Minnie Seligman (1868-1919)
Minnie Seligman, Actress, Mrs Kaufman, Cutting, Bramwell Downing
She was born in New York City into a German-Jewish family seemingly closely related to the brothers Joseph, Jesse and William Seligman, of New York. Her father was in business with his brother as Joseph S. Seligman & Co., Cloak Manufacturers, of 18 Church Street, with ties to St. Louis. However, he lost a fortune when it collapsed and resolved to run a tailoring business at 949 Sixth Avenue. In 1886, Minnie married Dr Eugene J. Kauffman, editor of the American edition of the London Lancet whose income (principally through real estate in Detroit) was reckoned to be $6,000 a year. He opposed her decision to become an actress, but nonetheless the following year she made her debut on stage in "Elaine" on Madison Square before joining "The Suspect" company. Kaufman divorced her in 1889 on the grounds of infidelity.
In 1892, at the Actor's Fund Fair, she met Robert Livingston Cutting Jr., whose parents were undisputed members of Mrs Astor's "Four Hundred". At the time, her affections were being ardently pursued by one Frank Rothschild, a cloak manufacturer who had written a play for her in which she appeared for one performance. When she left town for Long Branch in New Jersey, Cutting followed and installed himself at the West End Hotel. After just a few weeks of, "promenading on the long piazza and holding long, whispered conversations in dark corners" Minnie and Robert were married in secret at Monmouth Beach. Cutting's father was not impressed and slashed his allowance to $2,500. For a period, Minnie and Cutting tried to make it as a double-act on stage, but he became an attorney instead. When his father died in 1894, his mother didn't want him to receive a dime but after a battle he was awarded $300,000 and Minnie retired from the stage.
Wealth did not buy the Cuttings happiness and their marriage gradually deteriorated until they were divorced in 1895. Minnie moved to St. Louis where she resumed her acting career, often appearing on stage along with William Bramwell - "one of the leading stars of the country" - whose real name was William Bramwell Downing. They were married in 1907 and she became known in private as "Mrs William Bramwell". The two lived at Mineola on Long Island and made a name for themselves as a double-act in vaudeville before she died at Atlantic City. Towards the end of her life she had been an active worker in civic affairs and in the Red Cross at Mineola. She left a personal estate of of $200,000 and realty valued at $35,000 to her husband, four sisters and two brothers.
In 1892, at the Actor's Fund Fair, she met Robert Livingston Cutting Jr., whose parents were undisputed members of Mrs Astor's "Four Hundred". At the time, her affections were being ardently pursued by one Frank Rothschild, a cloak manufacturer who had written a play for her in which she appeared for one performance. When she left town for Long Branch in New Jersey, Cutting followed and installed himself at the West End Hotel. After just a few weeks of, "promenading on the long piazza and holding long, whispered conversations in dark corners" Minnie and Robert were married in secret at Monmouth Beach. Cutting's father was not impressed and slashed his allowance to $2,500. For a period, Minnie and Cutting tried to make it as a double-act on stage, but he became an attorney instead. When his father died in 1894, his mother didn't want him to receive a dime but after a battle he was awarded $300,000 and Minnie retired from the stage.
Wealth did not buy the Cuttings happiness and their marriage gradually deteriorated until they were divorced in 1895. Minnie moved to St. Louis where she resumed her acting career, often appearing on stage along with William Bramwell - "one of the leading stars of the country" - whose real name was William Bramwell Downing. They were married in 1907 and she became known in private as "Mrs William Bramwell". The two lived at Mineola on Long Island and made a name for themselves as a double-act in vaudeville before she died at Atlantic City. Towards the end of her life she had been an active worker in civic affairs and in the Red Cross at Mineola. She left a personal estate of of $200,000 and realty valued at $35,000 to her husband, four sisters and two brothers.
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Deaths of the Week, Minnie Seligman, New York Clipper, March 5, 1919;