Reviving a Forgotten Legacy: Eve M. Kahn's Tribute to Photographer Anna Francis Levins at Harmony Hall

By Peter Bush

Indomitable art historian, New York Times contributor, and author Eve M. Kahn returned to Harmony Hall on Sunday, March 30, 2025, to celebrate Women’s History Month. Eve is masterful at discovering forgotten women artists and bringing their legacy to vibrant life! Her latest subject is Anna Francis Levins. Born in 1876, Levins was an Irish-American photographer, publisher, author, painter, and activist whose works appeared in publications such as The New York Times, Vogue, and The Boston Globe.

Eve humorously noted that her research seems to draw her interest and attention to artists with three names. Levins became the preeminent pioneering woman photographer of her time. Her portrait sitters included socialites, theater people, and religious leaders such as Pope Pius X. The Levins Press, which she founded and ran in New York and Dublin, published illustrated books about Irish history, literature, culture, and independence. Eve brought to life an independent woman who guarded ownership of her photos and art with determination and business savvy. Levins had a “gallery of Irish heroes,” exhibiting her photos of Irish leaders,

including Kevin Barry, an 18-year-old medical student and soldier who was executed after the Easter Rising. Eve presented a haunting image of Barry, which Levins herself had restored and prominently used to publicize Irish independence.

Later in life, Levins married and became a baroness. Sir Thomas and Anna made regular trips to Rome at Christmas and were received by the sitting Pope. Eve presented images of finely bound books that Levins created for the Pope, which recounted her husband’s hunting expeditions; a topic that Eve drolly recounts was not likely of interest to the Pope, despite the beautifully created book covers and photos.

Thank you, Eve, for making time in your schedule to enthrall The Friends of Harmony Hall and our members and guests with your in-depth research, including photos, and your consistently excellent way of bringing your subjects to life!

Guests enjoyed a festive repast, including sparkling cider produced by Peter Bush.

Stay tuned for exciting updates on restoration at Harmony Hall.

Special thanks to FOHH board members and long-time HH supporters Kathy Goldman for technical assistance, Nancy Surridge for social media advertising, Claire Sheridan for producing the Crossroad of Rockland History: Anna Frances Levins featuring Eve M. Kahn, and Marianne Carroll, Kathy Rouse, Allison Harvey, and Steve Harvey for their assistance at the event.

Reviving a Forgotten Legacy: Eve M. Kahn's Tribute to Photographer Anna Francis Levins at Harmony Hall