Born in Alabama, Tallulah Bankhead spent childhood years in DC, where her father and uncle served as U.S. Congressmen, and her grandfather had been a U.S. senator. She is the author of Tallulah: My Autobiography (1952), a New York Times bestseller for 26 weeks.
Renowned for her low voice, her bisexual affairs, and her flamboyant personality, Bankhead came to fame in the 1920s as a stage actress on London’s West End and on Broadway. She starred in twenty films, most notably Alfred Hitchcock‘s Lifeboat (1944). Later in life she headlined the radio weekly, The Big Show, and made appearances on television.
The Homes
1868 Columbia Rd. NW, Washington, DC (The Norwood)
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.
1900 Q St. NW, Washington, DC (The Anchorage Building)
Four apartment buildings with nautical themes once dominated this Dupont Circle intersection. The Anchorage at 1900 Q and the Moorings at 1901 Q still survive; the Galleon and the Caravel have been razed. The Anchorage had 16 units, with working fireplaces in every apartment. The six-foot anchor on the façade can still be seen. The apartments were built by Marie Hewitt Williams, a wealthy widow. A 1925 advertisement claimed the buildings were “reminiscent of the sea, but…provide…pleasant havens for the transient or permanent dweller, the seafarer or the landsman.” The building was popular with Congressmen; Sam Rayburn was a long-time resident.
Also home to: Frances Parkinson Keyes
Tallulah Bankhead
1868 Columbia Rd. NW
Located in Sheridan/Kalorama neighborhood, Northeast
Tallulah Bankhead
1900 Q St. NW, Washington DC
Located in Dupont Circle neighborhood, Northwest - East of Rock Creek