Born in Bournemouth, England, December 14, 1885, of parents who operated a successful private school, Marguerite Kirmse displayed an early talent for music. Under the tutelage of her mother she devoted herself to the study of the harp and progressed sufficiently to warrant advanced training in London at The Royal Academy of Music. In addition to her love of music, Marguerite evinced an equal fondness for animals and a superior talent for reproducing their images on paper. The young musician-turning-artist spent a great deal of her spare time at the London Zoo.

Seeking respite from the heavy schedule of study in London, Marguerite Kirmse succumbed to the urging of her friends and accompanied them to the United States for a summer's va...