The First Lady of Modernism

There are moments at Modernism Week that feel like stepping into a time capsule – and then there are moments that feel like stepping into history itself. Like when you get to meet a Modernism icon.

My signed “Palm Springs Life” cover – a keeper!

I was wandering through the Modernism Show at the Palm Springs Convention Center when I met Nelda Linsk – a prominent Palm Springs fashion figure, art dealer, and former owner of the Kaufmann House – better known as the First Lady of Modernism and forever remembered as ‘the lady in yellow’ from Slim Aarons’ Poolside Gossip.

The image is celebrated for capturing the glamorous mid-century modern lifestyle of the era. Yellow is such a magnetic color – warm, bold, impossible to ignore. It’s the color of joy, of desert mornings, of the kind of optimism Modernism was built on. No wonder the world noticed her first in that shade. There was a lot of beauty in that iconic photograph, but all eyes centered on Nelda.

I can only imagine what it must feel like to be hanging in so many people’s homes.

Nelda is having another mod moment. Her relevance and glow seems to never fade, as she’s gracing the February cover of Palm Springs Life Magazine and has just received a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Fame.

In Poolside Gossip, the yellow dress became a symbol of Modernism’s optimism – bright, confident, sun‑soaked. But when I met her, dressed in understated cream, she carried the same light. It reminded me that Modernism wasn’t just about color or architecture. It was about people who embodied a certain kind of brightness. The kind once attributed to a dress was really the brightness of a woman who helped define an era.

Walking away from the show, I kept thinking about that shift from yellow to cream – from the bold brightness of youth to the softer, steadier glow of someone who has carried an era forward.

Modernism may be defined by its architecture, but its spirit lives on in people like Nelda Linsk, who remind us that true radiance doesn’t fade. It simply changes hue.

Here is another post I wrote last year – the first time I met Nelda and more about the photograph and the person who took it:

Slim Aarons: from bombs to bombshells

Modernism is on until Sunday, February 22, 2026.

Outside the Convention Center Below are some pics from what’s waiting inside. Photos: d. king

Auction coming up of *The Estate of Joanna Carson* (wife of Johnny Carson)- March 3, 2026. John Moran Auctioneers & Appraisers. Shown here is a sampling.

So many beautiful vintage buys besides furniture and art at this show – as with the “***Curated Vintage Event.***“

https://modernismweek.com/2026/

Art & Culture

Modern Legend – Lawrence Schiller

THIS IS ONE COOL DUDE. You may not know him, but his photos are legendary.

During the transformative 1960s, Lawrence Schiller captured the nation’s political and cultural front lines: whenever a headline-making event occurred, he was there.

At The Modernism Home Show at the Palm Springs Convention Center this past weekend we saw a lot of eye candy every which way we looked. Including an original art piece of …. candy. However wonderful all the latest furniture, knick knacks, art and jewelry were (photos to follow), my highlight was meeting a man whose work I’ve admired throughout the years. None other than renowned photographer, Lawrence Schiller. And what a pleasure it was.

Meeting him brought up a memory of when I was a teenager living at home and my brother at the time was very Marilyn Monroe obsessed. I forgot that I had gifted Brad Schiller’s book “Marilyn & Me” and there before my eyes was the very book, along with his new book entitled “Lawrence Schiller Photographs.” Such a déjà vu. Can you imagine the stories this man has?

“I knew Marilyn over a two-year period. I met her first on a movie called ‘Let’s Make Love.’ I photographed her at that time on and off through the time of her death. I was 22 years old and she was 34 or 35.” Schiller is 88 years old now.

“You’re already famous, now you’re going to make me famous,” photographer Lawrence Schiller said to Marilyn Monroe as they discussed the photos he was about to shoot of her. “Don’t be so cocky,” Marilyn replied, “photographers can be easily replaced.” She was wrong!

From Marilyn Monroe in the nude to Muhammad Ali in the boxing ring, Schiller’s work features legendary moments, including Paul Newman and Robert Redford playing ping-pong, and a haunting image of Lee Harvey Oswald after the assassination of John F. Kennedy. He documents the powerful advocacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy, alongside the private world of LSD experimentation.

Tippi Hendren + Alfred Hitchcodk by Lawrence Schiller.

“MARILYN & ME” is– an intimate story of a legend before her fall and a young photographer on his way up.

The year was 1962, and Schiller, 25, was on assignment for Paris Match magazine. He already knew Marilyn—they had met on the set of Let’s Make Love—but nothing could have prepared him for the day she appeared nude in the motion picture Something’s Got to Give. Schiller’s extraordinary photographs and vibrant storytelling take us back to that time with tact, humor, and compassion. With more than 100 images, including rare outtakes from the set of Marilyn’s last film, the result is a real and unexpected portrait that captures the star in the midst of her final months.

Photos: d. king (of Schiller’s photos; obviously).

https://lawrenceschiller.com/

Modernism Week is on until February 23rd. For tickets to events please visit:

https://modernismweek.com/

Art & Culture

Modernism Week – 70’s Featured Home

Welcome to the start of Modernism week here in Palm Springs…home to the largest concentration of Mid-Century Modern architecture in the United States. Modernism week is an annual celebration and appreciation of all things midcentury modern. Think design, architecture, art, fashion and culture.
This is one of the busiest times of year for tourism in Palm Springs when hundreds of events take place that include the modernism show & sale, fabulous signature home tours, films, lectures, premier double decker architectural bus tours, nightly parties, live music, walking and bike tours, fashion shows, classic cars, modern garden tours and even more. Of course numbers to events are a bit more limited now and keeping a safe distance is still in place, however it feels like things are getting back to normal.

Today I toured the stunning 1975 Palm Springs residence referred to as the “Seventies Sackley” home, as it was designed by noted architect Stan Sackley. The home was recently reimagined by interior designers Michael Ostrow and Roger Stoker of Grace Home Furnishings who purchased it in 2012.

Located in the prestigious Indian Canyons neighborhood, the house boasts deep mid-century roots and a distinctive architectural style. Situated on nearly a quarter acre lot, the 3,044 square foot home contains three bedrooms, three bathrooms and a beautiful saltwater pool and spa. It has brilliant mountain views, high ceilings, clerestory windows and walls of glass. The formal entryway is expansive and the dining area leads to a step-down living and media room, while walls of glass line the back of the house that open to the pool with a wondrous view of the San Jacinto mountains.

A favorite feature for the couple is the combo living room and media room which is separated by one of Sackley’s signature touches, a see-through fireplace with stacked stone detail.

The house’s custom glazed floor tiles were another coveted element, as they’ve believed to have been designed for the house by Sackley himself.

Stan Sackley is described by Ostrow and Stoker as an architect who left a great body of work but has remained somewhat under-appreciated until recent years. Ostrow shared that following Sackley’s death in 2001, his work archives were sold at a yard sale. “Soon after, someone would go up and down the street asking people if they wanted to buy the floorplans to their house,” he says. “We’re lucky to have it so we can see how the kitchen was configured.” When they gutted the kitchen, they located a piece of laminate that was from the old cabinet and found the old countertop, a walnut laminated material and a matte white glazed tile. “What we put back in makes it almost look like the original kitchen,” Ostrow says.

When it came time for an update to the home, Stoker and Ostrow decided to implement changes that remained sensitive to the architect’s original design. Eventually, the pair decided on a modest renovation of the kitchen and bathroom with no structural changes. Luckily, the couple got their hands on Sackley’s original furniture floorplan.

The interiors now feature a classic modern take on Palm Springs style, with a bold green and blue color palette. Vintage pieces are used throughout the home alongside contemporary pieces from Ostrow and Stoker’s own Grace Home Furnishings Collection and showroom lines.

All photos: d. king

For tickets: https://modernismweek.com/

Food + Drink, Girl Who Would be King

Monday Mood: Martinis on the Mountain

What could be better than sipping martinis in a fabulous home with a view? On a Monday no less!

As part of Modernism Week and a love ~~limit~~ for martinis, I’m finally going to Martinis on the Mountain. I’ve heard about it, but every time I’m here it’s always sold out.

Tonight I’m prepared to step back in time at the historic O’Donnell House nestled high above Palm Springs with magnificent views of the valley below. Looking forward to live entertainment featuring the sounds of Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack, fab hors d’oeuvres and who knows what else.

The evening is also a fundraiser to benefit the Meals On Wheels Program and other programs and services of the Mizell Senior Center.

A bit of architectural history:

The house was built in 1925 for oil tycool Thomas O’Donnell and his wife. The home originally known as Ojo del Desierto (Eye of the Desert) was designed by architect and artist William Charles Tanner. The 4,200 square foot Mediterranean Revival-Monterey style home features four bedrooms and six fireplaces. In 2000, The O’Donnell House was acquired by its present owners who began its restoration to its former glory. The City of Palm Springs recognized it as a Historic Site in 1986 and in 2000, and in 2011 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The Dontini

Everyone agrees that my husband Don made the best martinis. He specialized in the dirty kind. Into a chilled martini glass he strained high quality vodka, a splash of vermouth (optional), a bit of olive juice (brine) from the largest olives available which gave it a bit of a cloudy appearance and lastly, three olives on a toothpick. And my limit was always ~~one~~ two.

ETC:

It’s a Mod Mod World. I went to the Modernism Preview Party at the Convention Centre the other night. With a glass of wine in hand, amidst a collection of mid-century modern furnishings, art, jewelery and such, there was the crowd. I was too enthralled to even take photos. You’ll just have to use your imagination….but I’m not sure you can even imagine the getups many were wearing. And I’m referring to mostly the men.

I’m curious…what kind of martinis do you favor?