She was born Josephine Murphy After her first husband committed suicide in 1919 only a few months after the wedding, she started working as a secretary to Wilber C. Whitehead and entered the bridge cards game world (then played as auction bridge). She profited of the good teachers, and soon gained a reputation. She was a regular participant in the high-stakes games played at the Knickerbocker Whist Club with top players in the New York area, and raised to fame winning national and international championships, the first woman to achieve that. In1923 she married Ely Culbertson. The pair became famous both at society events and as bridge partners, introducing the new method of contract playing which Harold Vanderbilt had invented. They started a magazine in 1929 (The Bridge World) and began producing books and other marketing items related to bridge. They won international matches in England and France. In 1930 they went on a tour of England, defeating all opposition, and their popular appeal grew immensely. They became specially famous after the much publicized Culbertson-Lenz Match (1931-2) which would determine contract bridge taking over the former auction method of playing. They also made radio series on bridge. They had two sons and would divorce in 1938, but remained business associates. She died in New York in 1956 of a cerebral stroke, shortly after her ex-husband.

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Josephine Culbertson

Actress

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