Winter 2016 • No. 177
Transcription
Winter 2016 • No. 177
A Publication of The Preservation Society of Newport County Winter 2016 • No. 177 Winter 2016 1 2 Winter 2016 Winter 2016 • No. 177 Contents page 4 The Cutting Edge 6 Kingscote Restoration Progressing Collection Highlight This portrait of Anne of Ditchley (c.1680) by Sir Peter Lely, normally displayed in the Morning Room of The Breakers, recently underwent treatment at the Williamstown Art Conservation Center. The painting was re-lined, discolored varnish and overpaint were removed, and a new layer of varnish was applied. Over the winter, the portrait's original carved and gilded 17th century picture frame will be cleaned and conserved, and once that's done, it will be reinstalled in the Morning Room. Front cover: Royal portraits of Louis XIV and Louis XV are among the features of the rose-colored marble dining room at Marble House. Inside front cover: The portrait of Louis XIV, School of Henri Testelin, 17th century The Newport Gazette A Publication of The Preservation Society of Newport County 7 Champlin Comes Full Circle 8 Additions to the Collections 11 Arboretum Accreditation Achieved 12 Chepstow Goes Geothermal 13 Welcome Gift for Welcome Center 13 Admission, Membership News 14 Splendor at Sea Exhibition 15 Newport Symposium 16 Calendar 17 Employee News 19 Newport Flower Show page Editor: Andrea Carneiro Design: Roskelly.com Printing: Meridian Printing ©2015 The Preservation Society of Newport County 424 Bellevue Avenue, Newport RI 02840 (401) 847-1000 See the Newport Gazette in full color as a flip book on-line at www.NewportMansions.org Thank you to our Donors for their charitable contributions to the Preservation Society’s mission Our Mission Great Houses connect people to a nation’s heritage and open windows to another age. The Preservation Society of Newport County is a non-profit organization whose mission is to protect, preserve, and present an exceptional collection of house museums and landscapes in one of the most historically intact cities in America. We hold in public trust the Newport Mansions® which are an integral part of the living fabric of Newport, Rhode Island. These sites exemplify three centuries of the finest achievements in American architecture, decorative arts, and landscape design spanning the Colonial era to the Gilded Age. Through our historic properties, educational programs, and related activities we engage the public in the story of America’s vibrant cultural heritage. We seek to inspire and promote an appreciation of the value of preservation to enrich the lives of people everywhere. Become a Facebook friend of The Preservation Society of Newport County www.facebook.com/NewportMansions Winter 2016 3 We began the restoration and conversion of The Elms Carriage House to The Elms Scholars' Center. A key goal of our capital campaign, this project was fully funded in 2015 thanks to a number of generous donors, and our goal is to have it ready by next summer to provide living and working space for our Fellows. Our 88 acres of landscapes were accredited as the Newport Mansions Arboretum. We have long prided ourselves on our stewardship not only of our buildings and their collections, but of our historic gardens and grounds as well. This designation recognizes the professional management of our properties and our educational programming related to landscapes. The Cutting Edge by Trudy Coxe, CEO & Executive Director As the Preservation Society closes out its 70th year, we have a lot for which to be thankful. We accomplished some important goals, welcomed many visitors eager to see our houses, and made significant investments to ensure the sustainability of both the institution and our collections well into the future. Even a partial list of our accomplishments over the past year is remarkable. Consider: We created a new exhibition gallery encompassing several rooms on the second floor of Rosecliff. Climate and U/V light control were installed, electrical systems and fire suppression systems were upgraded, and we now have a space that will allow us to borrow and present objects from other accredited museums, but also assures the continued preservation of our own collections and the building. Our first exhibition, Newport & Her Southern Sisters, was a success, and a bigger exhibition, Splendor at Sea, will open this spring, as you'll read about elsewhere in this Gazette. We exceeded our capital campaign goal of $21 million by more than 43%. We have just over one million dollars to raise for two campaign priorities - the welcome center at The Breakers and the Endowed Fund for Fellows. We have completed fundraising for The Elms Scholars' Center and the Collections Fund. 4 Winter 2016 A geothermal climate control system was installed at Chepstow, and is now providing environmentally friendly and cost-efficient heating and dehumidification of the building. We hope eventually to install similar systems in all of our buildings; our goal is to be as "green" as possible. We published the first-ever biography of our founder, Katherine Warren. We were dismayed to discover how little was really known about this remarkable woman, and Alyssa Lozupone painted a detailed picture of a woman whose pursuit of community engagement, creative adaptive uses for historic structures, and economic development through preservation made her a thought leader in preservation nationwide. The Breakers Stable was restored, and we hosted a successful Coaching Weekend. Thanks to the generosity of the Coaching Club, we were able to complete a much-needed restoration of the stable that included refinishing floors, walls and ceiling, installing new lighting fixtures, upgrading plumbing, adding furniture in the Club's meeting room, installing new window treatments, reorganizing the displays, and adding air conditioning and ceiling fans. The Newport Flower Show celebrated its 20th anniversary, and the Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival its 10th year. These two very different multi-day events have brought in new audiences to the Preservation Society's properties, and generated significant national publicity and sponsorship support. We continued to build strong relationships with our sister institutions in Newport, and around the world through our International Council. Through object loans, joint exhibitions and lectures, and a constant dialogue, we work closely with Newport's other museums to attract and educate visitors, and to address issues of concern in the museum community nationally and locally. Our International Council, made up of leaders in the arts, culture and historic preservation around the world, help to guide us on many of the issues that affect cultural heritage institutions. The Breakers Our membership grew close to 35,000. We built new programs to show our appreciation for our most loyal supporters, including new membership categories and benefits, to ensure they continue to receive value for their membership. These are just a handful of the many successes we enjoyed through the past year. We could not have done it without the support and dedication of our hard-working trustees and staff. Our trustees are thoughtful, committed and unflagging in their support. As for our staff, every department, and every employee, went the extra mile at some point during the year to make sure that our goals were not only met, but exceeded. And of course, our visitors and our donors continue to make it possible year after year by providing the financial support - and the intellectual interest - to keep us moving forward. Thank you to all, and Happy New Year! Winter 2016 5 To Preserve and Protect Work on the roof of Kingscote continued into the winter thanks to the mild weather. Kingscote Restoration Progressing The multi-year restoration of Kingscote continues. The complex roof structure is being repaired and restored in sections. Work began at the back of the house, and this past fall progressed to the front of the house, with workers stripping the slate tiles, installing new waterproofing and copper flashings, and restoring the slate. Additional restoration work has involved repairs to the many windows and ornamental wood. The house has 86 windows of different shapes and types, whose sashes and frames are being restored by the Preservation Society's carpenters. Previous repairs have included the reconstruction of all seven chimneys. The entire exterior restoration project is scheduled for completion in 2018. Rob Beebe stripping the old roofing material 6 Winter 2016 The Champlin Foundations Comes Full Circle by Katherine Long, Grants Administrator The Champlin Foundations represents one of the Preservation Society’s oldest and most successful foundation partnerships. For over two decades, they have contributed nearly $2 million to a range of capital projects that include exterior restorations at the Isaac Bell House, The Breakers, Chateau sur Mer, and the Chinese Tea House; restoration of the terrace at Marble House; new boilers at The Breakers; climate control at Kingscote; and hardscape improvements at Green Animals. Champlin’s first award to the Preservation Society was $75,000 in 1993 for the exterior restoration of The Elms Carriage House. Recently they came full circle and more than tripled their generosity with a $250,000 grant toward the interior restoration of The Elms Carriage House. The award completes fundraising for this $1.7 million project that will adaptively restore the Carriage House as The Elms Scholars Center, a space for our visiting researchers to live and work. Restoration work is accelerating, with the intention of having it completed and ready for residency by our visiting scholars by next fall. We are very grateful to The Champlin Foundations and so many other donors who have contributed to this key priority of our comprehensive campaign, most notably the Berwind Fund, John and Heather Picerne, and Susan Stautberg. The Champlin Foundations makes direct grants, the overwhelming majority of which are for capital needs such as The Elms Carriage House. Since its establishment in 1932 by descendants of Stanton Browning Champlin, who started the S.B. Champlin Company jewelry manufacturers in 1872, The Champlin Foundations has distributed nearly $535 million to a variety of worthy projects, most in Rhode Island. Over 900 nonprofits have received Champlin grants, and virtually all communities in Rhode Island have benefited from at least one Champlin grant. We are all indeed fortunate to have such a generous foundation partner supporting capital projects in our state. Additional grants received since our last issue include: the National Endowment for the Humanities, $300,000 for a geothermal system at The Breakers; the van Beuren Charitable Foundation, $210,000 for planning and construction documents for The Breakers landscape rehabilitation; the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission, a $150,000 State Preservation Grant to restore the Chinese Tea House roof; the Alletta Morris McBean Charitable Trust, $55,000, and the Coby Foundation, $15,000 to restore the van Mander tapestry at The Breakers; Prince Charitable Trusts, $50,000 for tree care; 1772 Foundation, $15,000 to restore the Kingscote roof; and the Edwin S. Webster Foundation, $15,000, and the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, $10,000 in support of our mission. The future living room on the second floor of the Carriage House. Carpenter Phil Woolhouse installs new flooring on the second floor of the Carriage House. The roof of the Carriage House was restored, and new skylights installed to provide interior light. Winter 2016 7 Highlights of the Collection Recent Additions Donated to the Preservation Society by trustee Angela Brown Fischer, this pair of late 19th century silver gilt candelabra by Tiffany & Co. was featured in the Christmas dining room display at The Breakers. The candelabra were purchased at Tiffany's, New York, in 1892 by John Nicholas Brown as a birthday present for his brother Harold, when both were still living at the family home, Cannon Hill Cottage on Bellevue Avenue in Newport. Just eight years later, the brothers would die within days of one another. The candelabra descended in the Brown family until given to the Preservation Society in 2015. A leather-bound photograph album of the Hotel de Cavoie, the Paris residence of Elizabeth Drexel Lehr, was acquired at auction and donated to the Preservation Society by Curator Paul Miller. Mrs. Lehr is the subject of the 1905 Giovanni Boldini portrait which hangs in the ballroom of The Elms (top right). The album includes this photograph (bottom right) of the Boldini portrait hanging in Mrs. Lehr's apartment at the Hotel de Cavoie circa 1938, before it made its way back to Newport as part of her estate. 8 Winter 2016 Winter 2016 9 Original Furniture Returns to The Elms In early January, the Preservation Society acquired a spectacular suite of giltwood furniture that was custom-designed for The Elms (1901) by Jules Allard et Fils, its interior designer. The fabric is not original, as can be determined by historic photographs, but it is appropriate to the period, and the furniture will be displayed in its current condition until a more accurate historic fabric is identified. This furniture was documented as sold at the 1962 Parke Bernet Galleries auction of the contents of The Elms and has been in a private collection in Massachusetts ever since. The family contacted Curator Paul Miller in late 2015 to alert him that the pieces would be auctioned as part of an estate sale. This acquisition has been an exciting reminder that there are still original furnishings from the Preservation Society's properties “out there” and that it takes a team effort of staff, committee members and trustees to fulfill this foundational part of our mission of preservation. The suite of furniture as depicted in the Skinner Auction House catalog Seated in The Elms drawing room, summer of 1938 are, left to right, Jane Brand von Boecklin, Anita Berwind Strawbridge, and Julia Berwind. The furniture as it looked in the drawing room (far left of photo), in 1901 10 Winter 2016 Newport Mansions Landscapes Accredited as Arboretum by Andrea Carneiro, Communications Manager The 88 acres of landscapes cared for by the Preservation Society, including 1,800 trees, have been recognized and accredited as an official arboretum by the Arbnet Arboretum Accreditation program of The Morton Arboretum in Chicago, the only international body that accredits arboreta. Accreditation of the Newport Mansions Arboretum recognizes that the Preservation Society meets several important criteria: • an existing collections policy that outlines the care and maintenance of every tree; • a professional staff in place to oversee operations; • ongoing educational programming related to trees and landscape. "This milestone puts us in excellent company," said Preservation Society CEO & Executive Director Trudy Coxe. "Other recent accreditations have gone to The University of Oxford Botanic Garden, Arlington National Cemetery, and Longwood Gardens, as well as the Newport Tree Society for the Newport Arboretum. Joining that illustrious company is an honor and a testament to the hard work of our staff, and of our partners like Bartlett Tree Experts." "Bartlett Tree Experts created a digital inventory of each of the 1,800 trees of 120 different species on our properties. Each has been identified, GPS-mapped and evaluated, and has its own individual maintenance plan," said Preservation Society Curator of Historic Landscapes & Gardens Jim Donahue. The goal of accreditation is to promote interaction and improved professional practices among arboretum operators. The Arbnet Arboretum Accreditation Program is sponsored and coordinated by The Morton Arboretum in cooperation with American Public Gardens Association and Botanic Gardens Conservation International. This international initiative offers four levels of accreditation, recognizing arboreta of various degrees of development, capacity and professionalism. Standards include planning, governance, labeling of species, staff or volunteer support, public access and programming and tree science, planting and conservation. For more information, visit www.arbnet.org. A Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) at Green Animals Topiary Garden Winter 2016 11 Geothermal Climate Control Installed at Chepstow by Curt Genga, Director of Properties Ten 120-foot deep wells were drilled in the driveway at Chepstow for the new geothermal system. In the fall of 2015, a new geothermal system was installed at Chepstow to provide environmentally friendly and cost-efficient heating and dehumidification of the three-story building. It's the first practical implementation of this technology which the Preservation Society has been investigating for several years, and which it intends to implement in more of its historic buildings. Maintaining a constant temperature and humidity in the house will better protect the building and its collections, as well as providing more comfortable conditions for employees and visitors. The system will also significantly reduce heating and cooling costs, with no pollution. The environmental benefit of this one system at Chepstow is equivalent to removing 17 automobiles from the street. At the heart of the system at Chepstow are ten wells, each 120 feet deep. Copper pipes filled with refrigerant are inserted into each well and are connected to a heat pump in the house in a closed loop system. The temperature of the ground at that depth remains a constant 51 degrees. During winter, the system picks up heat from the ground and transfers it into the house; during summer, heat from the house is picked up and transferred to the ground, cooling the house. The National Endowment for the Humanities recently awarded a $300,000 grant toward implementation a similar, but significantly larger geothermal climate control technology at The Breakers. 12 Winter 2016 Free Admission for Newport Residents Extended Welcome Center Receives Welcome Gift More than 6,500 Newport residents enjoyed free admission to the Newport Mansions from June to December last year, as part of the Preservation Society's 70th anniversary celebration. And as the year came to an end, Executive Director Trudy Coxe announced that the offer of free admission for Newport residents has been extended through calendar year 2016. by Andrea Carneiro, Communications Manager "We're proud to have been an important part of the fabric of Newport for the past 70 years," said Coxe. "The Newport Mansions are an American treasure, and we want to be sure that all of our neighbors have the opportunity to see and appreciate them." Last September the Preservation Society received notice from the Trustees of The Helen D. Buchanan Trust of their intent to make a $1.5 million contribution for The Breakers Welcome Center from the Estate of Helen D. Buchanan. It was the largest one-time cash donation in the history of the Preservation Society. Any resident family member is welcome to take any regular tour, any day of the week, just by showing proof of City of Newport residency at the ticket station at any one of the Preservation Society's properties. "Mrs. Buchanan was an enthusiastic supporter of the Preservation Society for over 15 years, making significant financial donations to projects such as the restoration of the sunken garden at The Elms. This contribution, her largest, ensures that her community spirit and philanthropic vision will live on for generations," said Preservation Society Board Chairman Donald O. Ross. Fanchon "Monty" Burnham, Helen's daughter and a trustee of the Preservation Society for many years, recommended that the Trustees of the Helen D. Buchanan Trust make this contribution. "I am devoted to the Preservation Society and to the state of Rhode Island," said Mrs. Burnham. "As a native Rhode Islander, I recognize the value of tourism for our continued economic vitality, and I know that the Preservation Society is a great economic driver for our state. That's why we need the Welcome Center, to ensure that the Preservation Society's visitors receive the first-class treatment that they deserve." In 2013, the Preservation Society announced plans to build a welcome center at The Breakers (1895) commensurate with the property’s stature as an internationally recognized historic house museum and one of the five most visited historic houses in America. The welcome center will create an appropriate, positive first experience for the more than 400,000 people who visit The Breakers from around the world annually, giving them a place to learn about the Preservation Society's properties and other attractions in Newport, plan their day's activities, and purchase tickets or memberships. Visitors will also be able to enjoy light refreshments and use clean and accessible restrooms. With this latest contribution, the Preservation Society has raised $5.3 million toward its goal of $5.9 million for the Welcome Center. For more information visit www.NewportMansions.org/plan-a-visit/newport-resident Membership Now Includes New Benefits, Military Discount Military personnel can now enjoy membership in the Preservation Society, at a special reduced price. Active, reserve or retired military can now purchase Dual or Household Memberships for $15 off the regular price. The Dual Membership provides full benefits for two adults living in the same household; the Household Membership covers two adults and all children 17 and under in the same household. The Dual Military Membership price is $60; the Household Military Membership is available for $75. Membership benefits include free admission to regular tours of the Newport Mansions for a year, discounted admission to The Elms Servant Life Tour, a 10% discount on purchases in the Newport Mansions Stores, and savings on special events and academic programs. New additional benefits include discounts on Newport harbor tours with several local companies, and Members Only programs throughout the year. Also now available is a Membership Plus Upgrade, which provides free admission for one guest per visit when added to any membership category. For more details about various membership levels and benefits, visit www.NewportMansions.org, or call (401) 847-1000 ext. 111. Winter 2016 13 Rosecliff Exhibition Will Explore Golden Age of Yachting Exhibition Opens May 21 by Ashley Householder, Associate Curator for Exhibitions Think that Newport’s grand cottages were the most opulent expression of Gilded Age taste? Think again. The era of private steam yachting in America brought with it a new opportunity for showcasing status and wealth as industrial tycoons took to pleasure cruising as never before. Much like their summer homes and city dwellings, these floating palaces quickly became status symbols for the men who engaged in a race to out build one another. The Preservation Society’s upcoming exhibition, Splendor at Sea: The Golden Age of Steam Yachting in America, will introduce the technology and the glamour involved in the transition from sail to steam, the acceptance of which (in yachting circles) gave way to the rapid rise of steam yacht construction during the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Through memorabilia collected by "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt’s family during their European cruise aboard the North Star, to Tiffany silver belonging to one of J. Pierpont Morgan’s three Corsairs, the exhibition will illustrate how private steam yachts allowed their owners to enjoy elaborate interiors, couture fashions and elegant table settings, all while maintaining the highest standards of Gilded Age etiquette and decorum even at sea. Other featured elements will include yachting apparel, family albums, navigational instruments, cabin furniture and a special look at the New York Yacht Club, whose membership read as a Who’s Who of the Age. This two piece linen yachting ensemble was made for the honeymoon cruise of Mrs. John Nicholas Brown in 1897. It is embroidered with the insignia of the New York Yacht Club, and will be featured in the exhibition. Gift of Mrs. Angela Brown Fischer; Mr. J. Carter Brown; Mr. Nicholas Brown. 14 Winter 2016 The sea has always been the heart of Newport’s cultural identity. Through the 17th and 18th centuries, maritime enterprise forged cultural connections between cosmopolitan Newporters and makers, traders and collectors in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. But even as the city’s economy shifted away from trade towards scientific inquiry and recreation in the 19th and 20th centuries, the environment, heritage and mythology of the sea ensured that Newport remained a wellspring of artistic inspiration. Presenting Sponsors: U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management & Christie's For more information: 401-847-1756 E-mail: [email protected] www.NewportMansions.org Lecturers include: Dr. Karina H. Corrigan H.A. Crosby Forbes Curator of Asian Export Art Peabody Essex Museum Alice Dickinson Curator of Collections New York Yacht Club Dr. James Hanken Alexander Agassiz Professor of Zoology, Curator in Herpetology, and Director of Museum of Comparative Zoology Harvard University John A. Hays Deputy Chairman Christie's Dr. Patricia Kane Curator of American Decorative Arts Yale University Art Gallery Dr. Robert MacKay Historian, author, Chair, Fine Arts Committee New York Yacht Club Dr. Mark Mitchell The Holcombe T. Green Curator of American Painting & Sculpture Yale University Art Gallery Dr. Robert Peck Curator of Art & Senior Fellow of Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia Drexel University John Tschirch Architectural Historian & Author Dr. Thomas Michie Senior Curator of Decorative Arts & Sculpture MFA Boston Winter 2016 15 Hunter House 2016 Calendar of Events & Operating Schedule Visit www.NewportMansions.org for details, ticket information, and additional events, or call (401) 847-1000. MONDAY, JANUARY 4 FRIDAY, MARCH 18 The Breakers, The Elms & Marble House open daily THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11 Lecture: Period-Appropriate Exterior Paint Colors for Your Historic House THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18 Lecture: Protecting Your Historic Property with a Preservation Easement THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25 Lecture: The Lost Art of Etiquette THURSDAY, MARCH 10 Lecture: Maintaining Your Old House SATURDAY, MARCH 19 FRIDAY, MAY 20 The Breakers, Chateau-sur-Mer, The Elms, Kingscote & Marble House open daily SATURDAY, MARCH 26 Easter Egg Hunt & Brunch THURSDAY, MARCH 31 Lecture: Voices from the Back Stairs: Domestic Servants in New England 16 Winter 2016 SUNDAY, APRIL 24 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27 The Newport Symposium SATURDAY, MAY 21 - MONDAY, OCTOBER 10 The Breakers, Chateau-sur-Mer, The Elms, Marble House, Rosecliff, Green Animals Topiary Garden, Kingscote, Isaac Bell House, Hunter House & Chepstow open daily SATURDAY, MAY 21 Exhibition Opening at Rosecliff: Splendor at Sea: The Golden Age of Steam Yachting in America THURSDAY, JUNE 16 Annual Meeting FRIDAY, JUNE 24 SUNDAY, JUNE 26 The Newport Flower Show TUESDAY, AUGUST 2 John G. Winslow Lecture SATURDAY, AUGUST 13 Summer Dinner Dance FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18 The Breakers, Chateau-sur-Mer, The Elms, Marble House & Rosecliff open daily SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19 SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2017 Christmas at the Newport Mansions The Breakers, The Elms & Marble House open daily SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17 Holiday Dinner Dance THURSDAY, JULY 14 Green Animals Children's Party MONDAY, AUGUST 1 Annual Golf Outing Subject to change Chief Conservator Appointed In September, Patricia Miller joined the Preservation Society's Museum Affairs Department full-time as Chief Conservator, following the retirement of Jeff Moore. Miller had worked as a consultant for the previous two years, leading the conservation of the outdoor sculpture and decorative masonry at The Breakers. She received her B.F.A. from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Master of Science degree from Columbia University in Historic Preservation. In addition, she holds certificates in Arts and Business Management from the Sotheby’s Institute in London; Project Management from ESI International/ George Washington University; and Laser Technology for Conservation from the National Museum and Galleries, Liverpool, England. Prior to joining the Preservation Society, Miller was a conservator in private practice as well as Director of Conservation at Superstructures Engineers in New York. Her past experience includes work on the Medieval windows at The Cloisters Museum of the Metropolitan Museum of Art; Karl Bitter’s All Angels’ pulpit (in the courtyard of the American Wing at The Met) and major artifacts in the Met’s 2006 exhibition Louis Comfort Tiffany and Laurelton Hall: An Artist’s Country Estate; dozens of artifacts from the Titanic; 17th and 18th century statuary at Vizcaya in Miami and the Biltmore Estate and not one but two Saturn V rockets! She will continue to co-teach, with Columbia University Professor Theo Prudon, a graduate course in architectural paint finishes at The Pratt Institute’s Historic Preservation program. Breakers Team Leader Honored Exhibitions Curator Joins Staff In early December, the RI Hospitality Association named the Preservation Society's Brett DePaola one of its Tourism Employees of the Year. DePaola is a Senior Team Leader in the Museum Experience Department, serving as a liaison between front-line visitor services staff and senior management. Ashley Householder joined the Preservation Society's Museum Affairs staff last summer in a newly-created position, Associate Curator for Exhibitions. She is responsible for developing, organizing, administering, and producing in-house, borrowed and travelling exhibitions. She curated the first exhibition in the new Rosecliff exhibition gallery, Newport & Her Southern Sisters, last fall, and is currently preparing the spring exhibition, Splendor at Sea: The Golden Age of Steam Yachting in America. He received his B.A. in Art & Architectural History, American Studies and History, as well as a Master's in Art & Architectural History from Roger Williams University. He became interested in art and history at an early age, growing up outside Philadelphia and traveling frequently with his family to museums and historic sites around the country. He continued his travels as a college student, visiting Paris, Cambodia and Japan, and participated in several art and museum internships. Ashley had been with the Preservation Society as an Associate Team Leader in the Museum Experience Department. She holds a Master’s Degree in Decorative Arts from Parsons (The New School for Design) and has worked in exhibitions, collections and programs at The National Building Museum, The White House, Decatur House and The Smithsonian. Winter 2016 17 OFFICERS Chairman Donald O. Ross Vice Chair Angela Brown Fischer Vice Presidents David B. Ford David P. Leys Archbold D. van Beuren Mary Van Pelt William N. Wood Prince Treasurer William F. Lucey III Assistant Treasurer Monty Burnham Secretary Arthur W. Murphy, Esq Assistant Secretary William N. Wood Prince Trustee Emerita Carol C. Ballard Collection Highlight Model for the St. Nazaire Memorial Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney (1875-1942) Valsuani Foundry, Paris, 1926 The Breakers This bronze model for the St. Nazaire Memorial is the work of American sculptor Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, daughter of Cornelius and Alice Vanderbilt. Erected at the French port of St. Nazaire in Brittany, the monument, commemorating the Franco-American alliance in World War I, was completed in 1926 and destroyed in 1941 during the Nazi occupation of France. In 1989, French sculptor Pierre Fousenant recreated the memorial at the original site. TRUSTEES Mortimer Berkowitz III Duncan A. Chapman Kim Williamson Darden William P. Egan II Carol J. Epstein Sarah M. Gewirz William F. Hatfield Ala Isham Edward W. Kane Eaddo Hayes Kiernan Elizabeth W. Leatherman Ronald K. Machtley Elizabeth Wright McMillen Eugene B. Roberts, Jr. Janet L. Robinson Alice D. Ross Jocelyn C. Sherman Merrill W. Sherman Mark E. Watson III William F. Wilson OVERSEERS Marion O. Charles Jerome R. Kirby Richard N. Sayer, Esq. John J. Slocum, Jr. George H. Warren CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Trudy Coxe 18 Winter 2016 INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL Armin B. Allen, Co-Chair Earl A. Powell III, Co-Chair John Winthrop Aldrich Theresa Elmore Behrendt Candace K. Beinecke Frederick W. Beinecke James D. Berwind Bonnie Burnham Dr. Johan Cederlund Maureen K. Chilton Alec Cobbe Claudio Del Vecchio Debra Del Vecchio Nancy Dubuc Peter Eltz Baron Roland de l'Espée Henrietta Holsman Fore Morrison H. Heckscher Robin Herbert, CBE Count Denis de Kergorlay Stephen S. Lash Brooks Lobkowicz Robert B. MacKay Pauline C. Metcalf Mary S. Phipps Louis G. Piancone Anne L. Poulet Sir Hugh Roberts, GCVO Charles M. Royce Deborah G. Royce Tracie Rozhon El Marqués de Santa Cruz Henrietta Spencer-Churchill, BIID, FIIDA Vladimir I. Tolstoy Diane B. Wilsey Richard Guy Wilson PRESERVATION SOCIETY PROPERTIES Arnold Burying Ground (1675) Hunter House (circa 1748) Kingscote (1839-1841) Chateau-sur-Mer (1851-1852) Green Animals Topiary Garden (circa 1860) Chepstow (1860-1861) Isaac Bell House (1881-1883) Osgood-Pell House (1887-1888) Marble House (1888-1892) The Breakers (1893-1895) The Breakers Stable & Carriage House (1895) The Elms (1899-1901) Rosecliff (1899-1902) Rovensky Park (1959) New England’s Premier Flower Show Newport Flower Show The During the Gilded Age, nearly every aspect of life was elevated to an art form. Gardens became stages for nature’s most brilliant performances, women’s fashions were created for stylish parades, and houses became museums for a lifetime of treasures. Join us as we celebrate all that is Gilded! Presenting Sponsor Bartlett Tree Experts Rosecliff, Newport, RI • June 24-26, 2016 www.NewportFlowerShow.org Winter 2016 19 The Preservation Society of Newport County 424 Bellevue Avenue Newport, RI 02840 Non–Profit Org U.S. Postage P A I D The Preservation Society of Newport County Th e P re s e rvat ion S o c i e t y of N ewp ort C oun ty The Elms Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums 20 Winter 2016