Hazel Watrous
{{short description|Founder of the Carmel Bach Festival }}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox artist
| name = Hazel Watrous
| image = Hazel Watrous.jpg
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| caption = Watrous at San Jose Normal School
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| birth_date = {{Birth date|1888|02|12}}
| birth_place = Visalia, California, US
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1954|10|02|1888|02|12}}
| death_place = San Jose, California, US
| education =
| alma_mater =
| occupation = Painter, stage designer, architect and interior decorator
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Hazel Watrous (February 12, 1888 – October 2, 1954) was an American writer who was co-founder of Denny-Watrous Management. The company presented performances in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. She and Dene Denny played roles in founding the Carmel Music Society, the Carmel Bach Festival, and Monterey's First Theater. They hosted musical concerts and lectures from their home. In addition, they established the Denny-Watrous Gallery.{{cite web|url=https://ci.carmel.ca.us/sites/main/files/file-attachments/homes_of_famous_carmelites_0.pdf?1564762654 |title=Homes of Famous Carmelites|website=ci.carmel.ca.us |place=Carmel-by-the-Sea, California|date=1992|page=|access-date=2023-04-11}}{{cite book|last=Gordon|first=David J.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dAiFoAEACAAJ|title=Carmel Impresarios A Cultural Biography of Dene Denny and Hazel Watrous|date=2014|publisher=Lucky Valley Press |isbn=978-0-9856655-4-8|access-date=2023-04-12}}
Early life
Watrous was born on February 12, 1888, in Visalia, California. Her father was Stephen Watrous, a professional landscape photographer who settled in San Francisco in 1852.{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/ccarm_008693/page/18/mode/2up?q=%22Watrous%22|title=2009 Carmel Bach Festival Program|work=Carmel Bach Festival|date=2009|pages=18–19|access-date=2024-01-01}}{{cite book|last=Alinder|first=Mary Street|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SKBOBAAAQBAJ|title=Group F.64 |place=|date=2014|pages=34–35|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA |isbn=9781620405550 |oclc=}}{{cite web|url=https://www.askart.com/artist/Hazel_Watrous/11194074/Hazel_Watrous.aspx|title=Artist Biography & Facts Hazel Watrous |place=|date=|pages=|work=askART |isbn= |access-date=2023-12-31}} Watrous completed her art major at San Jose State College.
Career
Watrous spent numerous years working for the Fisher Studio in Los Angeles, California, where she served as a theater critic for their productions and roadshow vaudeville acts. Additionally, she designed costumes and sets for the Moroni Olson Players in Los Angeles.{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/carmel_historic_survey_volume_ii_blocks_70-end_plus_historic_objects__districts/page/n145/mode/2up?q=Watrous|title=Department Of Parks And Recreation |publisher=National Park Service|author=Richard N. Janick|date= July 31, 2002 |access-date=July 17, 2023}}
In 1922, Watrous met Dene Denny in San Francisco and they quickly became a couple. To generate income, they designed residential houses, completing a total of 36 homes.{{cite book |last=Seavey|first=Kent|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vsfoKsxi4q4C |title=Carmel, A History in Architecture|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|place=Carmel-by-the-Sea, California |date=2007|page=123|isbn=9780738547053|access-date=2023-04-05}}
In 1928, they launched Denny-Watrous Management and secured a lease for the Theatre of the Golden Bough, and in 1937 leased California's First Theater.{{cite web|url=https://indexes.montereyhistory.org/sites/default/files/peninsula-diary/1961/5-31-1961.pdf|title=California's First Theater|work=Monterey History|place=Monterey, California|date=May 31, 1961|access-date=2023-07-18}}
Watrous served on the Carmel City Council from 1938 to 1940.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-san-francisco-examiner-city-council/128403820/|title=Miss Watrous on Carmel Council|work=The San Francisco Examiner
|place=San Francisco, California|date=July 14, 1938|access-date=2022-07-15}}
Death
Watrous died on October 2, 1954, in San Jose, California.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/santa-cruz-sentinel-obituary-for-hazel-w/128384777/|title=Last Rites Held in San Jose For Hazel Watrous|work=Santa Cruz Sentinel|place=Santa Cruz, California |date=October 6, 1954|page=12|access-date=July 17, 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/ccarm_003076/page/n4/mode/1up?q=%22Hazel+Watrous%22+&view=theater |title=Hazel Watrous|work=Carmel Pine Cone|place=Carmel-by-the-Sea|page=4|date=1954-10-08|access-date=2023-07-17}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
{{Commons category}}
{{List of Historic Buildings in Carmel-by-the-Sea}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Watrous, Hazel}}
Category:People from Visalia, California