Art Book Club: Love, Queenie: Merle Oberon, Hollywood’s First South Asian Star

Wednesday, December 10 | 5:30–7:00 p.m. | TMA Library

Join the Toledo Museum of Art Library & Archives to discuss Mayukh Sen’s meticulously researched biography of actress Merle Oberon, the first in over forty years. Sen uncovers aspects of Oberon’s life before and after her Hollywood fame, drawing on interviews with her family and previously unknown archival material.

Estelle “Queenie” Thompson, born to a South Asian mother and a White father in India, became known as Merle Oberon after moving to London. She won acclaim for her role in Wuthering Heights (1939) and was the first performer of color nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in 1936 for The Dark Angel. Sen explores Oberon’s journey from her roots to her glamorous life, shedding light on the dynamics of race, gender, and power in Hollywood.

This discussion coincides with the exhibition Radiance and Reverie: Jewels from the Collection of Neil Lane, which features jewelry worn by Hollywood legends and showcases a rich history of jewelry design over the past hundred years.

Attendees are invited to a docent-led tour of Radiance and Reverie on Friday, December 12, at 5:30 p.m. The tour will meet in the Glass Pavilion.

Art Book Club events are free and open to the public, but registration is required. Register online at toledomuseum.org/events or by calling (419) 255-8000.