Francis Taylor (December 28, 1897 – November 20, 1968) was an American art dealer and father of the actress Elizabeth Taylor.
He was born Francis Lenn Taylor in Springfield, Illinois, the son of Francis Marion Taylor (1860–1946) and Elizabeth Mary Rosemond (1869–1937). The family later moved to Arkansas City, Kansas.
Francis began dealing in art in New York City for a wealthy in-law, Howard Young.
Taylor married stage actress Sara Sothern (whose real name was Sara Viola Warmbrodt and was also from Arkansas City) in 1926 in New York. They were the parents of Howard Taylor (born 1929) and Elizabeth Taylor (1932–2011), who became a famous movie actress.
Within a few years of his marriage, Taylor was transferred to Young's art gallery in London, England, where he and Sara lived several years, and where their children were born. At the outbreak of Britain's involvement in World War II, they returned to the United States.
Taylor later ran an art gallery in Beverly Hills, California.
He died at age 70 in Los Angeles, California. He is interred beside his widow in Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery, Westwood, California.
Famous quotes containing the words francis and/or taylor:
“Make friends with the angels, who though invisible are always with you.... Often invoke them, constantly praise them, and make good use of their help and assistance in all your temporal and spiritual affairs.”
—St. Francis De Sales (1567–1622)
“Carved with figures strange and sweet,
All made out of the carver’s brain,”
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772–1834)