This artifact is made of silk and measures approximately 26 inches square. The design is whimsical, almost bordering on silly. The scene shows the ice skating rink at Rockefeller Center in New York City. Flags and skyscrapers surround the rink as the statue of Prometheus looks on while skaters dash, twirl, and tumble on the ice.
The artist shows his sense of humor with the skaters themselves. The skaters are all horses — horses dressed in sweaters, skirts, and ice skates.
This month’s artifact is a scarf … but it’s not just any scarf. It is a scarf designed by Gant Gaither, one of Hopkinsville’s most creative sons.
I am admittedly obsessed with Gant Gaither. When I started at the museum, we had just received a couple of his scarves on a temporary loan, and — at the time — I didn’t get it. It took me a few years to develop a true appreciation for the boldness, wit and joy of his work. But I’m all in now.
I ordered my first scarf from Etsy in 2019. It is still one of my favorites. Since then, I have acquired an almost embarrassingly large collection of scarves and home goods all designed by Gant Gaither, and I have given away at least a dozen to friends and loved ones. If I could drape the entire world in his horses, zebras, and leopards, I would do it in a heartbeat.
Hopkinsville roots
Joseph Gant Gaither Jr. was born in Hopkinsville in 1917 to Dr. Gant and Jane Gaither. His father was a well-respected local surgeon. He and his younger sister Jane grew up at 1704 S. Main St., where they lived with their parents and at least two in-house domestic workers.
A 1935 graduate of Hopkinsville High School, Gant was an extremely well-traveled young man. Ship manifests available on Ancestry.com show him traveling to Europe, Canada, Cuba, Jamaica and Mexico — all in his late teens and early 20s. He attended the University of Mexico before transferring to Sewanee, where he graduated in 1938. He then studied theater abroad before attending the School of Drama at Yale University.
By 1940, he was living in Miami Beach, where he owned and operated the Theatre of the Tropics, built for him by his father. At only 23 years old, he was touted as “the youngest theatre owner and manager in show business.”
The venture produced original plays, but Gaither’s tenure in Miami Beach was cut short when he was drafted to serve in the Army Air Forces during World War II.
During his time in the military, he spent much of his time in the actual theater. As a private first class, he worked as the assistant stage manager for “Winged Victory,” an all-military musical that ran on Broadway for 212 performances from 1943 to 1944.
New York City
Following WWII, Gaither settled in New York City, where he worked in theater production. By 1950, he was living in an Upper East Side apartment at 16 E. 73rd St. — less than a block from Fifth Avenue and Central Park. He lived here until at least 1957.
According to his obituary in the New York Times, Gaither produced five plays — “none too successful” — in New York City. But it was here that he became initially acquainted with a young actress named Grace Kelly. Their connection through the theater blossomed into a deep, lifelong friendship. Gaither accompanied her to Monaco for her wedding to Prince Rainier III in 1956, riding in the limousine with Kelly on the way to the wedding.
His relationship with the princess inspired him to write “Princess of Monaco: The Story of Grace Kelly,” a biography published in 1957. After her death in 1982, Gaither was a major impetus and founding member of the Grace Kelly Foundation.
The name Gant Gaither frequently appeared in the “Little Old New York” society section of the New York Daily News. He was featured among famous actors and actresses at the most posh of the city’s restaurants and clubs.
Hollywood, movies and Sally Seal
Gaither left New York and the stage for Hollywood and the movies in the late 1950s. He worked as an executive producer for Paramount Pictures from 1960-1964 and produced the 1963 film “My Six Loves” starring Debbie Reynolds, Cliff Robertson and David Janssen.
In 1964, Gaither published a children’s book for adults only. Titled “Sally Seal: The unexpurgated love life of Her Imperial Highness the Grand Duchess of Cod-Sardinska,” the book is silly and funny and a little racy. Not only did he write the book, but Gaither also illustrated it. He was an incredibly talented artist, too! These illustrations depicted Sally, a seal, involved in very human activities.
Which brings me back to our scarf. This scarf is part of Gant Gaither’s Zoophisticates collection that was inspired by the illustrations of Sally Seal and his adult children’s book. My understanding is that these all began as artworks that were then produced and sold as scarves.
These drawings, paintings and sculptures were sparked in his imagination by his frequent visits to the Central Park Zoo — just a few blocks from his apartment in New York City — and by his childhood love of animals. His artwork was exhibited internationally, and the sculptures were featured at the last state dinner hosted by President Ford at the White House.
This scarf — in all of its glorious detail and whimsy — evokes so much that is magical about New York City especially during the holiday season. Horses race in the foreground while more talented skaters spin and whirl on the ice. My favorites are the ones who have fumbled and tumbled to the ground. The movement of the skaters and of the flags — this scarf is truly a work of art.
Mary Helen Adams graciously donated it to the museum in 2014. When she did, she shared with us that she purchased it here, in Hopkinsville, at Arnold’s House of Fashion. From the 1930s until 1990, Sarah and Frances Myers and their brothers brought high society fashion to Hopkinsville. Arnold’s, located originally at 909 S. Main St., is often described as having embodied Saks Fifth Avenue on Main Street in Hoptown. The sisters traveled to New York City multiple times a year to purchase and bring the best of the best to Hopkinsville.
How appropriate that this scarf depicting New York City and designed by an artist from Hopkinsville made its way back home to Arnold’s! And thanks to the generosity of Mary Helen, it has made its way to the museum where we can share it with you and the larger community.
To me, that is magical. All of Gant Gaither’s work is.
Alissa Keller is the executive director of the Museums of Historic Hopkinsville-Christian County. She’s a graduate of Centre College with degrees in history and English and of Clemson University/College of Charleston with a master’s degree in historic preservation. She serves on the Kentucky Historical Society and the Kentucky Museum and Heritage Alliance boards.
