SPARRE, Countess EVA (nee Eva Hedvig Wilhelmina Johanna Mannerheim)
Sweden
Born 30 June 1879 in Askainen, Finland (then the Russian Empire)
Died 27 December 1958 in Stockholm, Sweden
Married Count Pehr "Louis" Sparre (1863-1964) in the summer of 1893
[Active ????-tennis activityis unconfirmed]
An artist, she married fellow artist and sportman Count Louis Sparre in 1893. Her brother was Carl von Mannerheim, who led the Finnish war effort as it fought Russia for independence in 1939 and 1940. Her two sons were Pehr (born 1893) and Carl (born 1898).
In a 1925 article her husband Louis is described as Sweden premiere portrait painter. The New York Times refers to Eva as "tennis champion of Sweden." As she was aged 53 this seems dubious at best, but ship records make her age and identity clear. The couple sailed on the Drottningholm, gaining far more ink from the press than 19 year old Greta Garbo, who would soon become the world's most famous actress.
Countess Sparre was prominent enough to be considered as a foil for Lenglen's 1926 pro tour: "Sweden's leading woman tennis player may turn professional - Rumor has it that Countess Sparre, Sweden's leading woman amateur tennis player, has accepted a substantial offer to come to America and join C.C. Pyle's troupe of professional tennis players." (15 Sept 1926).
Much of this is newspaper hyperbole-as Sweden's #1 player throughout the 1920s was clearly Sigrid Fick. Perhaps this was one of Pyle's attempts to drum up publicity for his tour. Countess Eva's tennis accomplishments and their date remain a complete mystery.
She came to the United States in 1940 to plead for American help in fighting Russia and to visit her son Pehr. The couple returned to Sweden after the war.
Author of several books covering diverse topics such as cooking, art, and her life.
Author of:
Kokbok för finsmakare och vanliga hungriga (1935)
Bröllopsresan (1945)
Konstnärsliv (1951)
Barndomsminnen (1952)
Öken, sol och sand (1957)
Sources:
Currie, Teresa Sparre.
A Scandinavian Story: Two Families Allied in Art and Marriage. 2007. [A book in English devoted to this remarkable artistic couple]
GOT [Count] AXEL SPARRE TO SAIL FOR SWEDEN."
New York Times (1923-Current file), Aug 20, 1925, pp. 32
, ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The New York Times with Index,
https://search.proquest.com/docview/...ccountid=10274
Times, Wide W. "MANNERHEIM'S SISTER HERE ON A VISIT."
New York Times (1923-Current file), Feb 04, 1940, pp. 34
, ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The New York Times with Index,
https://search.proquest.com/docview/105165582?accountid=10274.
https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eva_Mannerheim-Sparre
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Sparre
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Gustaf_Emil_Mannerheim
BLF
[Thanks to Rollo for this information]