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People like the Vanderbilt family were dead serious about keeping "out siders" and other undesirables away from their homes. Frequently they bought up a lot or lots, home or homes to keep them out of the "wrong" hands.
Sometimes these properties became homes for their children (wedding gifts), or another family member.
love reading about that history, imagine being alive back them (so long as you weren't poor and living in some slum tenement)
Yes, it would have been nice to have been a Vanderbilt or a Carnegie back then. One factual discrepancy irked me. The narrator said that Alva Vanderbilt got both Marble House and the Fifth Avenuie residence in the divorce settlement but
Quote:
Before long the drawing rooms of Fifth Avenue were shaken by Alva’s suit for divorce, citing William’s extramarital dalliances. She walked away with $10 million and much real estate, including the imperial Marble House in Newport. But William retained the Fifth Avenue mansion.
wiki
Last edited by Kefir King; 02-10-2018 at 08:15 AM..
Actually, no, that isn't totally correct.
At least in the USA those with great wealth during the "Gilded Age" had access to every mod con available and insisted their homes were equipped with same. As such can assure you they all had indoor plumbing including flushing toilets. Well at least for the living quarters of the homeowners and their guests, perhaps some servants quarters still had slop jars.....
We know this not just from plans, designs and other records of these homes, but period accounts kept in diaries. You can search online for period trade publications showing all sorts of "modern" plumbing and bath fixtures.
The elementary school one attended was built in late 1800's and still had original lavatories with flush toilets.
During the Gilded Age there was a huge "gold rush" of titled (but poor) British aristocrats snapping up wealthy (but common) heiresses. Upon arriving at their new stately homes in England these young women were in for the shock of their lives. Not only did these centuries old piles often lack central heating, but indoor plumbing as well. These daughters of *Society* had never seen a slop bucket in their lives, but that is that they found. One new peeress wrote home to her mother in America that she didn't take off her furs except to get into bed. She also stopped going to dinner parties because houses were so darned cold and she couldn't keep on same.
Ironically it was the money these heiresses brought that paid for the modernization of many stately homes of England.
Okay, but I'm not sure it's ironic. I think it was fairly clear that the money was crucial to the marriage bargain.
The program specifically mentioned how Alva Vanderbilt manipulated the occasion of the marriage of her daughter Consuelo to the Duke of Marlborough as an avenue to her own (Alva's) ascent back into the upper tier of society.
Okay, but I'm not sure it's ironic. I think it was fairly clear that the money was crucial to the marriage bargain.
The program specifically mentioned how Alva Vanderbilt manipulated the occasion of the marriage of her daughter Consuelo to the Duke of Marlborough as an avenue to her own (Alva's) ascent back into the upper tier of society.
Alva Vanderbilt was a force of nature, or a piece of work; take your choice. She wasn't very attractive (one society hostess described her as looking like a toad), and was what some might call "pushy". There is even talk that the famous divorce was based upon false grounds; meaning William K. Vanderbilt anxious or whatever to get rid of Alva did what many men did at the time; "arranged" an encounter in order to give his wife evidence for divorce. https://bostoncommon-magazine.com/alva-Vanderbilt
Yes, the Churchill family was (like many other British aristocrats at the time) hard up for cash, hence the marriages to American heiresses. Some of those alliances ended up well, others not so much; Consuelo Vanderbilt was not the only unhappy American heiress.
If you like period dramas about the Gilded Age suggest you read the book written by Edith Wharton, and or watch PBS miniseries "The Buccaneers".
Ms. Wharton of course was a member of society during the Gilded Age and thus knew what she was writing about.
As for forcing her way back into society, Alva Vanderbilt did so at a very high price to her daughter. Consuelo was basically forced into the marriage and almost literally had to be dragged up the aisle (weeping all the way). Though mother and daughter grew closer later on (especially after Consuelo divorced her husband), it still was a nasty thing to do to one's own daughter.
(especially after Consuelo divorced her husband), it still was a nasty thing to do to one's own daughter.
Yeah, Being forced to live in Blenheim must have been tough on her.
As mentioned previously, don't let the good taste fool you.
Consuelo Vanderbilt like many of her peers already lived in vast houses (their parents usually owned several), *AND* they weren't historical shacks like Blenheim.
While the British aristocracy were living in great piles that were falling down around them, often without indoor plumbing, running hot and cold water, central heating, and in some cases totally wired for electricity, etc.... the mansions/homes built by Vanderbilts, Astors and others had every mod con available.
Again you can research this via recorded period accounts from American heiresses who became chatelaines of those great piles. Oh and by the way Consuelo Vanderbilt's money just as with nearly every other heiress went into propping up, repairing, rebuilding or just even keeping those huge piles of stone.
"The Duke’s motivation was primarily financial. Without Consuelo’s money his income would have been insufficient to maintain Blenheim Palace, let alone undertake the renovations he had in mind. The influx of Consuelo’s fortune allowed him to restore Blenheim to the glory that the great house still exhibits today."
While the British aristocracy were living in great piles that were falling down around them, often without indoor plumbing, running hot and cold water, central heating,
American heiresses who became chatelaines of those great piles. Oh and by the way Consuelo Vanderbilt's money just as with nearly every other heiress went into propping up, repairing, rebuilding or just even keeping those huge piles of stone.
"The Duke’s motivation was primarily financial.
Yeah. Read somewhere that the new money Americans were gaga over European nobility with titles. It was the thing to do because that was the one thing that they lacked. They wanted to buy prestige and lineage, blah, blah. Barbara Hutton went that route. Now that was a sad, sad case.
Yeah. Read somewhere that the new money Americans were gaga over European nobility with titles. It was the thing to do because that was the one thing they lacked. Barbara Hutton went that route. Now that was a sad, sad case.
To be fair it was the "new" wealth such as the Vanderbilt and others at the time weren't after so much the titles, but what came with them; social recognition.
Then as still mostly now Americans are in awe of European titles, royalty, etc... though then it was a much stronger feeling. These new families had plenty of money, but no social recognition. Women like the famous "Mrs. Astor" weren't about to admit daughters of "nobodies" into their social circle even if they had tons of money. However once these ladies were princesses, duchesses, countesses, etc... well that was a different matter.
Barbara Hutton is best left out of this discussion; that poor sad creature had many marriages and while yes some were to royalty or nobility, they were not likely made for status or whatever.
If you ever want to read about how money "cannot buy happiness", pick up any good book about Miss. Hutton.
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