Visitor Profile February 2019

This month’s Visitor Profile features researcher Marissa Kyser, who has come all the way from the United States of America to undertake research into the collection.

Marissa Kyser at the Grainger Museum

What brought you here to the Grainger Museum today?

I’m here doing research on Percy Grainger and Springfield Missouri, which is in the United States. I decided to make the trip over to Australia and Melbourne to check out the Grainger Museum and the Reading Room for my research.

Are you from Springfield Missouri, yourself?

I’m from St. Louis, but I currently got to school in Springfield.

What is your research exploring?

My research is specifically focused on Grainger in Springfield. I go to school at Missouri State University, so this is for my Masters research paper.  Grainger lived in Springfield from November 1940 to October 1943, during the course of World War II, to try to escape any threats of war on the coast in New York. The trajectory of my research is to try and find out as much as possible about Grainger during that time.

Is there any particular object in the Museum that you like?

Well, I really enjoyed the painting and associated toweling costume. Ella painted a portrait of Percy in their Springfield apartment, Wiltshire on Jefferson. That particular portrait as well toweling costume are on the display in the museum. He modeled multiple times for the portrait, as recorded in a day book. It was a long-term project, and he did a lot of sittings for it.

Thank you so much for your time, we are sure our readers and followers will be greatly interested in this insight into your research.