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Martha Elizabeth Beall Mitchell

National Portrait Gallery

Object Details

Artist
Jan De Ruth, 1922 - 1991
Sitter
Martha Elizabeth Beall Mitchell, 1918 - 1976
Exhibition Label
Martha Mitchell, the wife of the powerful Nixon advisor John N. Mitchell, knew much about the Watergate scandal before anyone else did, mostly from listening to her husband’s phone conversations and looking through his papers. John Mitchell was appointed attorney general by President Nixon in 1969 and held the position until 1972. At that time, he stepped in to serve as the director of the Committee to Re-Elect the President (CRP, or “CREEP”).
Martha Mitchell was traveling in California when she learned of the Watergate break-in. Stunned that CRP Security Director James McCord was among those arrested, she called Helen Thomas, a journalist at United Press International, to discuss what she knew. The conversation was cut short when Stephen King, an ex-FBI agent working as a security aide for CRP, accosted Mitchell, who later accused King of assaulting, kidnapping, and sedating her. In 1975, McCord admitted, “basically the woman was kidnapped.”
Martha Mitchell, esposa del influyente consejero de Nixon, John N. Mitchell, obtuvo mucha información sobre el escándalo de Watergate antes que ninguna otra persona, principalmente escuchando las conversaciones telefónicas de su esposo y revisando sus documentos. John Mitchell fue nombrado procurador general por el presidente Nixon en 1969 y se desempeñó en dicho cargo hasta 1972. En ese año, se ofreció para ejercer como director del Comité por la Reelección del Presidente (CRP, o “CREEP”).
Martha Mitchell se encontraba de viaje en California cuando se enteró del robo de Watergate. Anonadada por el hecho de que el director de seguridad del CPR, James McCord, se encontrara entre los arrestados, llamó a Helen Thomas, una periodista de United Press International, para contarle lo que sabía. La conversación se vio interrumpida cuando Stephen King, un exagente del FBI que trabajaba como ayudante de seguridad para el CRP, abordó a Mitchell, quien más tarde lo acusó de agredirla, secuestrarla y sedarla. En 1975, McCord admitió que “en pocas palabras, la mujer fue secuestrada”.
Collection Description
In 1978, Time magazine donated approximately eight hundred works of original cover art to the National Portrait Gallery. The museum is dedicated to telling the stories of individuals who have shaped the United States, and the Time Collection—featuring prominent international figures and events—enriches our understanding of the United States in a global context.
En 1978, la revista Time donó a la National Portrait Gallery cerca de 800 obras de arte originales creadas para sus portadas. Nuestro museo se dedica a narrar la historia de figuras que han contribuido a forjar el desarrollo de Estados Unidos, y es así que la Colección Time, que incluye retratos de importantes personalidades internacionales, nos ayuda a comprender mejor a nuestra nación en un contexto global.
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Time magazine
1970
Object number
NPG.78.TC593
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Type
Painting
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
50.8cm x 40.6cm (20" x 16"), Accurate
See more items in
National Portrait Gallery Collection
Location
Currently not on view
National Portrait Gallery
Topic
Costume\Jewelry\Earring
Martha Elizabeth Beall Mitchell: Female
Portrait
Record ID
npg_NPG.78.TC593
Metadata Usage (text)
Usage conditions apply
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4d82ed2f0-10d5-4c4e-b81d-610715fcd632

Related Content

  • 1970s: A Decade in the Collections

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