Bridget Bate Tichenor - Family and Early Life in Europe

Family and Early Life in Europe

Bridget was the daughter of Frederick Blantford Bate and Vera Nina Arkwright (also known as Vera Bate Lombardi) and although born in France spent her youth in England and attended schools in England, France, and Italy. She moved to Paris at age 16 to live with her mother where she worked as a model for Coco Chanel. She lived between Rome and Paris from 1930 until 1938.

Fred Bate carefully guided Bridget with her art. He recommended she attend the Slade School in London, and visited her later at the Contembo Ranch in Mexico. Bate's close friend, surrealist photographer Man Ray, photographed Bridget at different stages of her modeling career from Paris to New York.

Vera Bate Lombardi, Bridget's mother, is said to have been the public relations liaison to the royal families of Europe for Coco Chanel between 1925 and 1938. Her grandmother, Rosa Frederica Baring was a member of the Baring banking family. Rosa Baring was a descendant of Sir Francis Baring, founder of Barings Bank. Because of the Baring family marriages, Bridget was distantly related to many European aristocratic families.