1983 ANN GETTY IN BAVARIA
The late Ann Getty held many titles throughout her life: philanthropist, publisher, interior designer, art collector, and, as per T&C in 1983, “one of the world’s greatest opera patrons.” So, in spring of that year, the celebrated photographer Norman Parkinson found it fitting to capture the grande dame in the stunning settings of King Ludwig’s Bavarian castles to honor the centenary of composer Richard Wagner’s death. Here, she is draped in Bulgari jewels and surrounded by swans—Ludwig was known as the “Swan King,” though it may also have been an irreverent reference to Truman Capote’s epithet for certain beauties of high society. Thirty-nine years later, another Getty graces the pages and cover of this magazine: Ann’s granddaughter Ivy Getty, an artist, a model, and one of the most delightfully eccentric…