Diamond Jim Brady biography
James Buchanan Brady, better known as Diamond Jim Brady ,
was born Aug. 12, 1856, New York City, died April 13, 1917, Atlantic City,
N.J., U.S.
Diamond Jim Brady was an American financier and philanthropist, named after his
fondness for jewelry. This was supplemented by a lavish lifestyle, and
massive appetite. Diamond Jim never married, but had a romantic involvement
with singer Lillian Russell. They were mainstays of Broadway nightlife. He was
the first person in New York City to own an automobile (in 1895). Brady
was made famous again by the 1935 film Diamond Jim, written by Preston Sturges.
Diamond Jim Brady began life in a very modest household. His first jobs were as a bellhop and a messenger boy. Various jobs with the New York Central Railroad followed, and he became the chief assistant to the general manager at age 21. Then he took a sales position with railroad supply house Manning, Maxwell and Moore. Becoming extremely successful, he drew huge commissions and quickly became a multimillionaire. His generosity and penchant for the good life increased along with his wealth. He handed out cash left, right and centre, and freely forgave his debtors.
He invested most of his fortune in diamond jewellery--$50 million in today's money. He was never without diamonds prominently displayed, hence his nickname Diamond Jim Brady. He became a legendary, popular figure in New York City, especially for the gargantum feasts he was forever throwing. His appetite was such that he had the reputation of a real life Mr Creosote (the Monty Python character from the film The Meaning of Life.) But he never managed to eat enough to actually explode, and shower people with diamonds.
Diamond Jim Brady could eat enough food for ten at a sitting. George Rector, a restaurant owner, described Brady as "the best 25 customers I ever had." A typical Brady breakfast involved: eggs, pancakes, pork chops, cornbread, fried potatoes, hominy, muffins, a beefsteakt, and a gallon of orange juice. Lunch might be two lobsters, devilled crabs, clams, oysters, beef, and pies for dessert. Dinner began with an appetizer of three dozen oysters, six crabs, and a green turtle soup, followed by a main course of two whole ducks, seven lobsters, a sirloin steak, two terrapin and more than his "five a day" of vegetables. You can imagine the waiter saying "just a little more sir?", and preparing to duck, dive, and catch as Brady downed several pastries and two pounds of candy for desert.
But his philanthropy (almost) matched his gluttony, and in 1912 he donated funds to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore to establish a medical institute. He also donated large sums to other medical causes, like New York Hospital.
Diamond Jim Brady began life in a very modest household. His first jobs were as a bellhop and a messenger boy. Various jobs with the New York Central Railroad followed, and he became the chief assistant to the general manager at age 21. Then he took a sales position with railroad supply house Manning, Maxwell and Moore. Becoming extremely successful, he drew huge commissions and quickly became a multimillionaire. His generosity and penchant for the good life increased along with his wealth. He handed out cash left, right and centre, and freely forgave his debtors.
He invested most of his fortune in diamond jewellery--$50 million in today's money. He was never without diamonds prominently displayed, hence his nickname Diamond Jim Brady. He became a legendary, popular figure in New York City, especially for the gargantum feasts he was forever throwing. His appetite was such that he had the reputation of a real life Mr Creosote (the Monty Python character from the film The Meaning of Life.) But he never managed to eat enough to actually explode, and shower people with diamonds.
Diamond Jim Brady could eat enough food for ten at a sitting. George Rector, a restaurant owner, described Brady as "the best 25 customers I ever had." A typical Brady breakfast involved: eggs, pancakes, pork chops, cornbread, fried potatoes, hominy, muffins, a beefsteakt, and a gallon of orange juice. Lunch might be two lobsters, devilled crabs, clams, oysters, beef, and pies for dessert. Dinner began with an appetizer of three dozen oysters, six crabs, and a green turtle soup, followed by a main course of two whole ducks, seven lobsters, a sirloin steak, two terrapin and more than his "five a day" of vegetables. You can imagine the waiter saying "just a little more sir?", and preparing to duck, dive, and catch as Brady downed several pastries and two pounds of candy for desert.
But his philanthropy (almost) matched his gluttony, and in 1912 he donated funds to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore to establish a medical institute. He also donated large sums to other medical causes, like New York Hospital.