Adrian Adolph Greenberg (1903 - 1959)

Born 3 Mar 1903 in Naugatuck, New Haven, Connecticut, United States

Husband of Laura Augusta (Gainor) Gregory — married 14 Aug 1939 (to 13 Sep 1959) in Yuma, Arizona, United States

Died 13 Sep 1959 at age 56 in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States

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Adrian Greenberg is Notable.

Biography

Adrian was one of the most famous designers in the fashion industry, designing gowns for some of Hollywood's elite, including Katharine Hepburn, Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford and Greta Garbo. His most famous costumes were designed for The Wizard of Oz and hundreds of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films between 1928 and 1941. He was usually credited onscreen with "Gowns by Adrian."^[1]

Adrian was openly gay; however, he was married to the screen actress and Academy Award winner Janet Gaynor, presumably to avoid the anti-gay sentiment common during this time.

He was born as Adrian Adolph Greeburg 3 March 1903 in Naugatuck, Connecticut, the son of Gilbert and Helena (Pollak) Greenburg.^[2][3] Both sides of the family were Jewish.

"In 1920 Adrian entered the New York School for Fine and Applied Arts (now Parsons School of Design). In 1922 he transferred to the NYSFAA Paris campus, and while there, he was contracted by Irving Berlin to design settings and costumes for Berlin's Music Box Revue of 1922–23 in New York."^[4]

"Adrian was brought to Hollywood in November 1924 by Rudolph Valentino's wife Natacha Rambova to design costumes for The Hooded Falcon. The Valentino company dissolved, and Adrian's first screen credit was for the Constance Talmadge comedy Her Sister from Paris. In 1925 Adrian was hired as a costume designer by Cecil B. DeMille's independent film studio. In 1928 DeMille moved to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and Adrian was provisionally hired as a costume designer for M-G-M. After a few months, he signed a contract as head designer, ultimately remaining for thirteen years and 200 films."^[5]

Adrian married Janet Gaynor 14 August 1939 in Yuma, Arizona.^[6] The relationship had been called a lavender marriage, as Adrian was openly gay. They both said they were happily married and they remained so until his death in 1959. They were the parents of one child, a son named Robin, born 1940.

Adrian died 13 September 1959 in Hollywood at the age of 56.^[7] His remains were buried at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.^[8]

Obituary:^[9]

Adrian Dies; Film Fashion Designer

Hollywood, Sept. 14(AP)--Fashion designer Gilbert Adrian, who set styles for Hollywood for more than two decades, died yesterday.

He died shortly before the arrival from New York of his wife, Oscar-winning actress Janet Gaynor, and their son, Robin, 19. They were summoned when he suffered a stroke Saturday.

Adrian, 56, and Miss Gaynor were married at Yuma, Ariz. in 1939. The actress, who won her Oscar for her role in "Seventh Heaven," went into semi-retirement.

Adrian retired a few years ago. They divided their time between homes in California, Brazil and New York.

Adrian had designed gowns for Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, Greta Garbo and Jean Harlow. His salon was internationally known. His career got an early boost from Irving Berlin. Berlin saw Adrian's work while Adrian was still a student in Paris and engaged him to create designs for the first Music Box Revue.

He was a critic of recent fashion trends. "We've never hit such a low with such seriousness--with the woman feeling she was right," he said. "If the dress is becoming, wear it. It's not the silhouette that's important. It's how you look," he told a woman's audience.

Sources

1. ↑ Adrian, Costume Designer on Wikipedia.
2. ↑ "United States Passport Applications, 1795-1925," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKDF-VN1D : 16 March 2018), Adrian Or Gilbert Greenburg Or Adrian, 1922; citing Passport Application, New York, United States, source certificate #112451, Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 - March 31, 1925, 1816, NARA microfilm publications M1490 and M1372 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MK26-SH7 : accessed 30 August 2015), Adrian Greenberg in household of Gibbert Greenberg, Naugatuck Ward 1, New Haven, Connecticut, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 365, sheet 17B, family 265, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,374,150.
4. ↑ Adrian, Costume Designer on Wikipedia.
5. ↑ Adrian, Costume Designer on Wikipedia.
6. ↑ Calexico Chronicle, Volume XXXVI, Number 8, 23 August 1939.
7. ↑ "California Deaths and Burials, 1776-2000", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:HGWK-XH6Z : 4 February 2020), Gilbert Adrian, 1959.
8. ↑ Find a Grave Memorial for Adrian.
9. ↑ San Diego Union, Tuesday, Sep 15, 1959, San Diego, CA, Page: 8.

• "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MCND-Y9V : accessed 30 August 2015), Adrian G Greenberg in household of Gilbert Greenberg, Naugatuck, New Haven, Connecticut, United States; citing sheet 8B, family 180, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,820,190.

• "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XCJ1-N9M : accessed 30 August 2015), Gilbert Adrian, Los Angeles (Districts 0001-0250), Los Angeles, California, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 0066, sheet 2A, family 49, line 19, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 134; FHL microfilm 2,339,869.

• "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K9H2-XL8 : accessed 30 August 2015), Gilbert Adrian, Councilmanic District 1, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Township, Los Angeles, California, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 60-52, sheet 11B, family 359, NARA digital publication T627 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012), roll 376.

• "United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/QV57-B1SN : accessed 30 August 2015), Gilbert Adrian in entry for Mrs Laura Janet Gainer Gaynor, California, United States, 15 Sep 1984; from "Recent Newspaper Obituaries (1977 - Today)," database, GenealogyBank.com (http://www.genealogybank.com : 2014); citing , born-digital text.

• "United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/QV57-13RL : accessed 30 August 2015), Gilbert Adrian in entry for Mrs Janet Or Laura Gaynor Or Gainer, California, United States, 15 Sep 1984; from "Recent Newspaper Obituaries (1977 - Today)," database, GenealogyBank.com (http://www.genealogybank.com : 2014); citing , born-digital text.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian_(costume_designer)