Helen Ede

Helen Ede was born Helene Schlapp on 9 January 1894 to Otto and Anna Schlapp. The family lived at 54a George Square in Edinburgh and Helen was the eldest of three children. They were an artistic and musical family. Encouraged by her mother, Helen played piano – she later bought her love of music to Kettle’s Yard.

Helen attended Edinburgh College of Art from 1911, studying drawing, painting, sculpture and the history of art. It was there in 1913 that Helen first met Jim Ede. They were married on 6 January 1921 at Chelsea Register Office and lived first at 15 Denman Drive in North London. Their first daughter, Elisabeth, was born on 18 November 1921 and their second daughter, Mary, was born on 18 August 1924. In April 1925 they moved to a larger house on Elm Row in Hampstead, aided financially by Jim’s parents. There they kept an open house on Sunday afternoons and hosting diverse guests, among them artists, politicians and aristocrats.

Helen was a resourceful cook, operating within their often slender means and Jim’s particularly ascetic tastes. At Kettle’s Yard, Helen contributed not just food but also, significantly, music. She loved Schubert, Beethoven and J S Bach above all. Her Bechstein piano, located in the sitting area outside her bedroom, was used for performances at Kettle’s Yard before the purchase of the Steinway piano for the extension, and in the evenings Helen would select records to listen to with Jim.