Marianne Jorjorian Collection

Marianne Jorjorian was born Marianne Willdorff on March 13, 1922, the youngest of three daughters of Benno willdorff (1881-1943) and Emma (also Emmy) willdorff née Oppenheimer (born 1884). A middle class merchant family, Benno willdorff ran a haberdashery in Berlin while Emma willdorff ran a millinery business out of their Charlottenburg apartment. In 1939, at the age of 17, Marianne fled Germany for the United States along with her parents. For the first few years, she lived in New York City together with her parents, her sister Inge (later Irene), and Inge’s husband Hans Brenner (later Harold).

Around 1942, Marianne Willdorff married another young Jewish refugee from Germany, Henry Dreifus. At this time, Henry Dreifus was an army mechanic and moved frequently between bases. Marianne usually followed him. Their daughter Claudia Dreifus was born in 1944. Marianne’s mother Emma Oppenheimer Willdorff took charge of raising Claudia as Marianne traveled to be with Henry. In the 1950s, Marianne and Henry Dreifus divorced. Henry remarried and brought Claudia to live with him and his wife Beatrice. An ardent communist, Henry was involved in local New York City politics.

Marianne meanwhile lived in Greenwich Village, as a writer, model, painter, and waitress. In the early 1960s, she suffered a nervous breakdown. She met Aram Jorjorian at the hospital during her recovery and married him in 1963. They moved to Reno, Nevada. There, she painted still lifes and landscapes of the area and her work was exhibited in small venues such as the Reno Little Theater and the Little Gallery in Carson City. In 1964, they were involved in a car accident that left Marianne severely injured. Marianne died in 1977 at age 55, supposedly of a brain hemorrhage. Aram killed himself shortly after Marianne’s death.