1. Martha Bouton "Mamah" Borthwick was an American translator who had a romantic relationship with architect Frank Lloyd Wright, which ended when she was murdered.
12 Facts About Mamah Borthwick
1. 2.
Mamah Borthwick was born as Martha Bouton Borthwick to Marcus Smith Borthwick and his wife in Boone, Iowa.
3.
Mamah Borthwick had two sisters: Jessie Octavia Borthwick Pitkin and Elizabeth Vilitta Borthwick.
4.
Mamah Borthwick earned her BA and MA at the University of Michigan in 1892 and 1893.
5.
Mamah Borthwick later worked as a librarian in Port Huron, Michigan.
6.
In 1899, Mamah Borthwick married Edwin Cheney, an electrical engineer from Oak Park, Illinois.
7.
Mamah Borthwick met Frank Lloyd Wright's wife, Catherine, through a social club.
8.
Meanwhile, Mamah Borthwick remained in Europe so that she could obtain a divorce from her husband for the reason of abandonment.
9.
Mamah Borthwick returned to the United States in June of 1911.
10.
Mamah Borthwick joined Wright at Taliesin that month, which was then being constructed.
11.
Mamah Borthwick was buried in the cemetery at Unity Chapel near Taliesin.
12.
The death of Mamah Borthwick is described in the book The Rise of Endymion by Dan Simmons in a back-story of the persona of Frank Lloyd Wright.