Rash's Surname Index
Notes for Mary Binney MONTGOMERY
Mary Binney Montgomery Wheeler, a renaissance woman accomplished in the fields of photography, dance, choreography and music, died Sunday at her home in Ardmore. She was 87.
Wheeler suffered a massive coronary after delivering a slide show and lecture on India at her home for the benefit of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Rosement. Her audience had left her home before she was stricken.
Wheeler lived life to the fullest, and despite her family's wealth and Philadelphia Social Register standing, she was uniquely individual.
She was the daughter of the late Col. Robert Leaming Montgomery, a financier who founded the investnent firm of Janney Montgomery Scott.
Her mother, Charlotte Hope Binney Taylor, was a highly regarded needlepoint artist.
Wheeler made her debut in 1928. She grew up in "Ardrossan," the 750-acre Montgomery family estate in Villanova. In a family environment in which members traditionally favored outdoor pursuits like horseback riding, fox hunting and farming, little Mary opted to pursue the arts.
While the rest of the family went riding, Mary would practice on the piano. She had only two weeks formal training before entering the Curtis Institute of Music in Center City, where she studied under Moritz Rosenthal.
By the time she celebrated her 17th birthday, Wheeler had appeared as a soloist at Carnegie Hall, and had performed with Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Her interest in choreography resulted in creation of The Montgomery Ballet, a company which performed from 1932 until the outbreak of World War II, when most of its male dancers entered the Armed Forces.
During her career in dance, Wheeler served as ballet mistress with the Lyric Opera of Philadelphia, the Civic Grand Opera and the Robin Hood Dell.
She maintained her own studio in the 2000 block of Walnut Street, a place where she once told reporters, "I get very little time to loaf. The task of mothering a flock of ballet boys and girls is far from easy."
During her dancing days, here's how she was described by one Philadelphia critic:
"Standing 5 feet, 6 1/2 inches, has lustrous blue eyes, black eyebrows, brown hair, fair complexion, can't decide whether she's blonde or brunette. Frankly dotes on steaks and fresh vegetables, but usually dines in a rush on sandwiches sent up to . . . her school."
In another profile a year later, she was designated "Philadelphia's Number One movie fan, and a remarkable woman with only two dislikes which, like her blue eyes, are set far apart: intolerant narrow-minded people, and chewing gum."
While still single, Wheeler adopted two daughters from an agency in Chicago. She later met and married steel industry executive John Pierce Wheeler in March 1946.
The family moved into his French chateau home in Ardmore, the house in which she died.
Her interest in Indian art was developed by the late Dr. Stella Kranrisch, the Philadelphia Art Museum's curator of Indian art
The 14 trips Wheeler made to the subcontinent resulted in the amassing of one of the largest collections in this country of photographs from India and and Sri Lanka.
Her work received international recognition, winning her kudos from the National Geographic Society, the Indian Government, Philadelphia Art Museum and the University of Pennsylvania Museum.
Wheeler is survived by two daughters, Mary Von Czoering and Joan Mackie, and seven grandchildren.
Services will be at 4 p.m. tomorrow at the Church of the Good Shepherd, Montrose and Lancaster avenues, Rosemont.
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