Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale
Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale (née Bouvier; October 5, 1895 – February 5, 1977) was an American socialite and singer known for her reclusive[1][2] and eccentric lifestyle.[3][4] Known as Big Edie,[5] she was a sister of John Vernou Bouvier III and an aunt of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and socialite Princess Lee Radziwill. Her life and relationship with her daughter Edith Bouvier Beale was highlighted in the 1975 documentary Grey Gardens.[1]
Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale
February 5, 1977 (aged 81)
Big Edie
John Vernou Bouvier Jr.
Maude Frances Sergeant Bouvier
John Vernou Bouvier III (brother)
Jacqueline Onassis (niece)
Lee Radziwill (niece)
Legacy[edit]
The notoriety of the 1975 Grey Gardens documentary prompted various other works. The documentary was adapted as a 2006 musical of the same name, including the characters Lee and Jackie Bouvier appearing as visiting children in retrospect. The documentary film and the story surrounding the Beales' lives was the basis of the 2009 HBO television movie Grey Gardens.[13] The original 1972 footage featuring Radziwill visiting the Beales was released in 2017 as That Summer.[14]