"The old family toothbrush": Stotesbury's whimsy.

Edward Townsend Stotesbury (1849-1938), a prominent Philadelphia tycoon, made his millions as an investment banker and financier. In 1927, his fortune was estimated to be $100 million. In 1912, at age 63, Stotesbury, then a widower for over thirty years, married a captivating Chicago widow, Eva Roberts Cromwell. As a "glittering socialite," Cromwell had an extraordinary sense of personal theatre, a keen eye for beauty and a calculating mind. Throughout the 1920s and 30s, the couple built three lavish palatial estates. At these mansions, they entertained on an imposing scale. Stotesbury especially enjoyed entertaining his guests with recollections of the events he experienced as a Civil War drummer boy. To conclude his program, he shared this lively tune: "The Old Family Toothbrush That Hung by the Sink."