How did Elisabeth Kieselstein Cord Hamm die? NY socialite and artist dies at 41
Famed socialite and artist from Southhampton, Elisabeth Kieselstein Cord Hamm has died at the age of 41. Her tragic death occurred on Sunday, August 29, as confirmed by her family. She was the daughter of luxury and jewelry goods designer Barry Kieselstein Cord and socialite-artist Cece Kieselstein Cord. At the time of her death, she was married to filmmaker Ted Hamm but the pair shared no children.
Her father Barry Kieselstein Cord mourned the death of his daughter, sharing, "Our entire extended family is crushed by the loss of our daughter who was one the most caring, brightest and talented personalities ever to be a proud New Yorker. The loss to us, and to her close friends, and those who knew Elisabeth on a world stage, is quite palpable." He further revealed that the family wishes to establish a memorial park in her honor, dedicated to bereaved parents who lost their children. Elisabeth Kieselstein Cord Hamm's shocking death came on the same day as actor Ed Asner and 'Iron Butterfly' drummer Ron Bushy.
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How did Elisabeth Kieselstein Cord Hamm die?
According to her father, Elisabeth had battled Lyme Disease for over a decade. suffering severe complications from the ailment. "Lyme never leaves, it appears in one form or another, it is an insidious and miserable disease. Despite various treatments over the years, it continued to manifest itself in countless ways. Regardless, Elisabeth fought it, and continued on in her many creative endeavors," her father said while mourning.
Professionally, Elisabeth had worked as an artist, musician, and even as a model from time to time. All of 17, she made an appearance in the Oscar-nominated 1997 film 'Deconstructing Harry' by Woody Allen. She was featured in American and Italian Vogue as well as Harper's Bazaar. Additionally, she also joined her father's design firm as an illustrator and later went on to become a co-creative director there.
Growing up in Louisiana, Texas, Elisabeth attended the Chapin School and Trinity School in New York, later pursuing higher studies at Georgetown University in Washington D.C and Oxford University, UK. She first emerged to prominence around 2001, when she started making appearances in the New York social scene. She was often spotted at movie premieres, art exhibitions, and fashion events in the city and the Hamptons, prompting the tabloids to dub her as an It Girl and the 'Manhattan Minx'. At the time, Vanity Fair society editor Kristina Stewart had said, "I see Elisabeth at every fashionable sandbox, from Southampton to St. Tropez. I think people are going to be interested in what she’s wearing, where she’s going and with whom for a long time to come.”
Elisabeth Kieselstein is survived by her parents and her husband, who prefers to maintain a private profile and has not issued any statement since her death.