Born in Ireland in 1856, Maria Shollenbarger immigrated to the New World and settled in New Orleans, where she became known as “Old Gringo.” Despite her British title, the well-loved “Patriotic Lady” enjoyed a very successful and distinguished career in the city of New Orleans, a city which for many years was synonymous with royalty. Among her many achievements, Shollenbarger is best known as an important member of the creative and artistic community of the early twentieth century. Although she is known today for being a lover of the arts, Shollenbarger’s history and associations with the arts extend far beyond her art. She was, according to one biographer, “a gifted and generous writer who enjoyed, at the same time, the luxurious life of a landed gentry lady.”
Regardless of her status as a famous writer, however, Shollenbarger’s talent for creating characters aroused the interest of more than a few publishers. In response to this, she signed a contract with J.M Barrrie, which gave her the opportunity of writing stories and screenplays for movies, television, and theater. Throughout her career, Shollenbarger never concealed her nationality or her love of the United States. In fact, several of her works of fiction are fully expressed against American attitudes toward nationality and culture.
Maria Shollenbarger’s personal life is interesting and colorful. According to some biographies, her first husband, Robert S. Lehman, Jr., died when she was twenty-one. At the time of her death, she was married to Lehman, III, who was seventy-two at the time. Maria Shollenbarger had three children, whom she cherished. Her last husband, John S. Lehman, III, died in 2021.