Eager to establish ties with English nobility, Alva arranged a marriage for their daughter, Consuelo Vanderbilt , to the Ninth Duke of Marlborough. Shortly before the official start of the party, numerous police officers were called to the residence to control the crowds of people gathered to catch a glimpse of the costumed guests which would be arriving in their grand carriages. A result of these changes in society, Mrs. Astor and her social secretary Ward McAllister created a list of four hundred people that were considered acceptable members of New York’s high society. His elaborate props and beautiful backdrops by painter Lafayette Seavey provided the perfect setting for Mora’s wonderful photographs that captured the fancy dressed parties of the Gilded Age. UPGRADING CHICAGO’S THEATERS: ADLER AND SULLIVAN, 10.6. Thanks to the images taken by the Cuban-born photographer, Jose Mora, which are held by the Museum of the City of New York, his vast portrait collection shows us what the costumed guests of the Vanderbilt Ball wore on that special night back in 1883. 5.17). John Jacob Astor - Cornelius Vanderbilt - Andrew Carnegie - John D. Rockefeller - Henry Ford - Joseph P. Kennedy - Even today, long after their deaths, the names of these six men continue to be associated with wealth and power. John Jacob Astor: The God of Real Estate. The intricate and asymmetrical façade of the building was built with gray Indiana limestone topped by a roof made of blue-gray slate tiles trimmed with copper. share. Thus, by April 1880, New York had taken the needed steps to establish both the Metropolitan Opera and the New York Philharmonic that would become the premiere American musical organizations that they are today. Change ), Follow The Architecture Professor on WordPress.com, 10.11. Two Astors attended John Astor VI and Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Astor and then there was also two Vanderbilts, Gloria Vanderbilt and Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney. Rescuing his grandmother Brooke Astor cost him a cool, $9 million inheritance — but he’d do it all again in a heartbeat. Prior to the ball, the social life of New York City was dominated by one woman … Mrs. Caroline Schermerhorn Astor. THE SOCIAL GRACES is the story of Alva Vanderbilt and Caroline Astor vying for control of New York society during the Gilded Age. Thus it was that Carrie Astor, her daughter, had found herself uninvited to the lavish, eagerly awaited costume ball given by Alva Vanderbilt of … She is dressed in the costume of a Venetian Princess and the white and yellow brocade dress had a square neckline features embroidered flowers and leaves accented with gold, white and iridescent beads, the full long sleeves of the dress were made of transparent gold fabric, while the light blue satin train lined with red fabric was trimmed with golden embroidery was gathered to one side and at the waist there was a sash of blue satin also embellished with golden embroidery. Details about 1952 Ponds Cold Cream: Vanderbilt Astor, Robledo Vintage Print Ad. Although popularly imagined as wholly preoccupied with "Society", for the first several decades of her married life, Lina Astor was principally occupied with raising her five children and running her household, as was typical of women of her class in mid-19th-century New York City. Alva had children that she wished to see make successful marriages and she needed to do something drastic to break into the elite “List of 400”. She appealed to her mother, who felt required to formally leave her card with Mrs. Vanderbilt. decorations of the Vanderbilt Costume Ball, description of William K. Vanderbilt's New York home, photographs of the Vanderbilt Costume Ball. 100% Upvoted. For his first salvo, he purchased 10 tons of Turkish opium in 1816. At that time Mrs. Astor determined which members were allowed into the exclusive upper class society of New York. Eager to establish ties with English nobility, Alva arranged a marriage for their daughter, Consuelo Vanderbilt, to the Ninth Duke of Marlborough. On the second floor a spacious room had been transformed into an indoor tropical garden decorated with potted palms, ferns, bougainvillea vines that soared to the height of the dome ceiling and also an abundance of orchids that seemed to be fill the space which was illuminated by strings of Japanese-style lanterns. Endowed with the largest private fortunes of their day, cousins John Jacob Astor IV and William Waldorf Astor vied for primacy in New York society, producing the grandest hotels ever seen in a marriage of ostentation and efficiency that transformed American social behavior. George has always been the Vanderbilt who Southerners know best, a credit to his opulent Biltmore Estate in Asheville. Astor acquiesced and called on the Vanderbilts in return for an invitation to the Vanderbilt ball. Prior to the ball, the social life of New York City was dominated by one woman … Mrs. Caroline Schermerhorn Astor. Anderson Cooper is raking in $11 million a year from CNN … After the Civil War broke out, he … The Astor mansion at 65th Street and Fifth Avenue, circa 1900. New York City’s new fashion leader had only just begun her long career and influence. The dress cleverly featured hidden batteries so that Alice would be able to switch on to light up the dress like an electric light bulb. First announced in December 1879 and completed in late 1882 with a final price tag of $3 million (Potter Palmer had spent $3.2 million only eight years earlier building the entire Palmer House. Home: : Moloch: : Astor, Carnegie & Vanderbilt. Condition:--not specified. JOHN JACOB ASTOR was born a century before our other subjects in this series ((1763). Post was not sent - check your email addresses! May 3, 2012 - This Pin was discovered by Wendy Price. While she was somewhat successful in challenging the royal post she lived the rest of her life in the shadows of her sister in law, Mrs. (Alice) Vanderbilt. Item Information. A massive double fireplace intricately carved by Kart Bitter in oak with marble caryatids (sculpted female figures which serve as an architectural support) was located on one end of the room and on the opposite end there was an area known as the musician’s gallery, the room also featured large stained glass windows by Eugene Oudinot. (Interesting Fact:  Alva famously arranged the marriage of her only daughter, Consuelo, to Charles Spencer-Churchill the 9th Duke of Marlborough. The “Petit Chateau” was built between 1878 and 1882; it was located on Fifth Avenue and took up the entire city block between 51st and 52nd Streets. The Vanderbilts were trying to flex their muscles for New York’s high society, particularly Mrs. Alva Vanderbilt, the new ambitious wife of William Kissam Vanderbilt, grandson to Cornelius “Commodore” Vanderbilt, the shipping and railroad mogul who had struck it rich after the Industrial Revolution. Cornelius Vanderbilt, an ambitious entrepreneur, was one the nouveau rich but he was considered too crass to be allowed into the exclusive “List of 400”. The very next day Mrs. Astor and her daughter received their invitation! 10.5. This palatial mansion which was located on Fifth Avenue & 65th Street was the home of John Jacob Astor, who was the richest man to die on the Titanic. Alva Smith Vanderbilt (Mrs. William K. Vanderbilt) as she appeared at her 1883 costumed ball. Alva’s party was sanctified by the presence of Caroline Astor—the Mrs. Astor—whose stubborn refusal to acknowledge the Vanderbilts had held Alva back from the uppermost rung of society. (For more information on Charles Worth and the House of Worth, please click on the link)  Also shown in the photograph is Mr. Cornelius Vanderbilt, the brother of the host, dressed as King Louis XVI, his jacket is trimmed with real silver lace, he wears a shirt with a jabot and lace ruffles and his pants are made of ivory brocade embellished with silver trim. Alva Vanderbilt was very frustrated that, although she and her husband were among the richest members of the Gilded Age, they were not fully accepted into the exclusive New York high society ruled by the powerful Mrs. Astor, Alva had yet to be formerly recognized by Mrs. Astor. Alva Vanderbilt's New York Chateau became the center of High Society in 1893 when she out manuvered Mrs. Astor in a coup attempted at securing the title as the Queen of High Society. It was 1883 and the socially ambitious Mrs. William Kissam Vanderbilt (née Alva Erskine Smith) was determined to become part of New York’s high society and get on The List. Unfortunately, none of these essentials were at this command in the Cincinnati College of Music. Mrs. Vanderbilt, as I noted earlier, had been educated in France, and, therefore, it is quite apparent that she had no interest in building an “American”-styled house, but wanted to emulate the taste of the French Aristocracy (pre-1789 of course). The dress was also featured shoulder embellishments of gold metallic tinsel and beaded tassels with golden fringe at the neckline and golden tulle attached at the shoulders that flowed down the back of the dress. Nor did her daughter Carrie Astor, who had been excitedly preparing her costume and dancing skills for weeks. Eventually, Mrs. Astor had no choice but to relent and she dropped her formal calling card at the Vanderbilts, thereby officially recognizing them into New York society. The Fall of the House of Vanderbilt Home: : Moloch: : Astor, Carnegie & Vanderbilt. Mapleson’s second New York Opera Festival was scheduled for November/December 1879. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2002. Inspired by the completion of the Vanderbilt mansion and hoping to gain social acceptance, Alva decided to hold a fancy Costume Ball as an official housewarming party. “THE ART OF ‘PURE’ COLOR:” THE SHADOW OF OWEN JONES, 10.10. Alva effectively broke Mrs. Astor's power after she married the extremely rich William K. Vanderbilt in 1875. Once her husband’s share of the Commodore’s estate had been finalized, Mrs. Vanderbilt hired New York’s leading architect, Richard Morris Hunt, who also had very strong ties to France and was already engaged in the construction of her family’s new home on Long Island, Idle Hour, to design for her family the most luxurious of all New York mansions to sit directly across 52nd from the house that her father-in-law was building for his two daughters, in order to make sure the Vanderbilts could no longer be ignored by the city’s Knickerbocker social elite. Sep 17, 2017 - Explore Nannette Smith's board "Gilded age, Vanderbilts and Astors", followed by 108 people on Pinterest. This European type of entertainment of a fancy dressed ball were guests wore elaborate costumes based on a variety of historical characters had recently become very popular in the United States during the Gilded Age. On this day back on March 26, 1883 the grand and rather fancy Vanderbilt Costume Ball took place. When they were alive, they dominated their worlds as few men had done before, and few have done since. (If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to eMail me at: thearchitectureprofessor@gmail.com). Mrs. Astor really had no choice but to drop her visiting card at 660 5th Avenue, thus formally acknowledging the Vanderbilts. Due to the fact that Alva had gone to boarding school in France, she had developed a passion for French architecture, design and decorations. Alva collaborated with Hunt to design the three and a half story mansion in a blend of French Gothic style architecture with Beaux Art elements. Astor was born in 1763, to a farming family from a small German town called Waldorf. At that time, the Churchill ancestral home of Blenheim Palace was in dire need of repairs and it was the large inheritance of Consuelo that funded the restoration. Incidentally, her feud with Alva Vanderbilt only ended because Mrs. Astor’s daughter Carrie wanted to be invited to the Vanderbilt costume ball, but couldn’t go because Alva had never received a calling card from the Astors. The 1st Vanderbilt party cost $250,000 ($5.8 million in today’s dollars) and this investment finally worked! Incidentally, her feud with Alva Vanderbilt only ended because Mrs. Astor’s daughter Carrie wanted to be invited to the Vanderbilt costume ball, but couldn’t go because Alva had never received a calling card from the Astors. The next photograph shows Mrs. Alice Vanderbilt, the wife of Cornelius Vanderbilt, dressed as the “Electric Light”, at the time Edison’s invention of the light bulb had recently been developed. Find your new home at Del Webb, the leading builder of Active Adult communities for those 55 and older. Vanderbilt family, one of the wealthiest and most prominent families in the United States.The third generation of Vanderbilts—following Cornelius and William Henry Vanderbilt—was led by three of William Henry’s four sons: Cornelius (1843–99), William Kissam (1849–1920), and George Washington (1862–1914). Due to complex social customs, Alva claimed she could not invite Miss Astor since Mrs. Astor had never called on the Vanderbilt home. On her head, Alva wore a Venetian-style cap covered with beautiful jewels with a large center piece resembling a peacock decorated with more colorful jewels. a lesson in the intersection of history and buildings, The leader of this next generation of New York’s elites was Alva Vanderbilt, wife of William Kissam Vanderbilt, the second son of the Commodore’s eldest son, William H.  William K. had married Alva Erskine Smith in 1875, the ambitious daughter of a New York commissions merchant who had business contacts in Europe. It was a joyous occasion as guests from around the … 98. The story goes that to force Mrs. Astor to formally acknowledge the Vanderbilt family, Alva refused to send her an invitation. One wonders what influence Alva’s new house had had on Bertha Palmer’s decision to build a new house? Cornelia Vanderbilt’s formal wedding portrait, 1924. Astor knew that British ships usually smuggled in premium opium from India, but he wanted to get a foothold in the opium trade. Mrs. Astor really had no choice but to drop her visiting card at 660 5th Avenue, thus formally acknowledging the … best. A legend arose that Alva used the ball to checkmate Astor and compel her approval. Mrs. Astor really had no choice but to drop her visiting card at 660 5th Avenue, thus formally acknowledging the … There are 4 ways to get from Vanderbilt YMCA, New York to Astor Place by subway, taxi or foot. Thus ended Cincinnati’s chance to become the music capital of the United States, and just maybe, the world as well (to Chicago’s good fortune as we will soon see): “[The college] was nevertheless rapidly being developed on university lines, and it is reasonable to suppose that the man who could achieve such important results in the short period of eighteen months, would eventually have carried it to its logical conclusion, had time, money, and authority been given him. A towerlike corner treatment tied his often disparate elevations together, emphasized the three-dimensional quality of the house, and served to “detach” the building from all-too-close neighboring buildings. Mrs. Astor didn’t want to be left out, so she ended up calling on Alva Vanderbilt. (Interesting Fact:  In 1893, Mora without any explanation closed his studio. At that time Mrs. Astor determined which members were allowed into the exclusive upper class society of New York. Astor knew that British ships usually smuggled in premium opium from India, but he wanted to get a foothold in the opium trade. Mrs. Astor famously denied entrance to “New Money” families that earned their fortunes, like the Vanderbilts. 4 comments. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. As a final touch Vanderbilt had Hunt build a palace—ostentatiously referred to as a "cottage"—at Newport that, with its furnishings, cost $9 million on completion in 1892. Homes for Sale in Berkshire. In so doing, Mrs. Astor allowed the newly monied Vanderbilts into the upper echelon of society. All the rooms on the first floor were accessed from the Grand Hall, located on the right side of the Grand Hall was a massive Caen stone staircase leading to the second floor and to the left side was a large and elaborately carved fireplace. 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