Early Life and Family Background Anna Remsen Alexandre was born in 1895 into a socially prominent New York family. She was raised in Manhattan and spent her summers in Lenox, Massachusetts, at the family residence known as The Gables (see Houses and Estates).

Residences and Lifestyle Anna lived for most of her adult life at 164 East 72nd Street in Manhattan. Summers were spent at The Gables and Strawberry House in Lenox, Massachusetts, where she enjoyed the seasonal social and cultural life of the Berkshires. As a young woman, she participated in winter sports in Lenox and suffered a sledding accident reminiscent of the one that inspired Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome. According to The Berkshire Eagle, she was “hurt while coasting at the Lenox club,” sustaining facial injuries that fortunately did not result in lasting disfigurement.

Social Activities and Public Life On January 20, 1920, Anna took part in a fashion show in Manhattan to benefit the American Committee for Devastated France. Her appearance was met with acclaim, and she brought the audience at the Commodore Hotel to its feet. The New York Herald reported that her outfit, called “The Dress of the Nations,” combined “the chic of France,” “the swagger of England,” “the finesse of Belgium,” and “the bold art of the Slavs,” featuring striped cartridge silk with Czechoslovakian-inspired motifs.

Interests and Philanthropy Anna inherited approximately $600,000 (about $11 million in 2025 dollars) from her mother in 1930. In Lenox, her hobbies included painting, flower arranging, golf, and bookbinding. During World War II, she headed the British War Relief effort in Lenox.

Anna had a long-time companion, Elsie G. Wulff (1893–1983), who was considered more like a protective sister and was known to be somewhat domineering. Anna was generous to her extended family and often invited younger relatives to luncheons at her East 72nd Street apartment. When her cousin, Mary Elizabeth Alexandre Smith, was a graduate student at Columbia University, Anna regularly hosted her and her Huxley cousins, providing meals to what she affectionately viewed as “starving graduate students.”

Later Years and Death Anna spent the last three years of her life in Lenox. She died on September 22, 1984, and left her estate to her grandnephews and grandnieces, the Huxleys and the Darwins.