Cathy's favorite things

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Winter is a perfect time to visit Biltmore and admire the combination of architecture, art, and sculpture that makes Biltmore House so amazing. In case you haven’t noticed every little detail, we’ve asked employees to share their favorite things so you too can appreciate what makes Biltmore special. Check back next week for another insider’s favorite!

Cathy Barnhardt, Floral Displays Manager, has spent 35 years at Biltmore and is nationally known for her work heading up our amazing Christmas decorations in Biltmore House. She began her career in the estate’s greenhouse, was promoted to manager, and then was asked to “do Christmas.”

Little did she know that 26 years later she would still be “doing” Christmas at Biltmore—a celebration that began with five trees and has grown into an estate-wide extravaganza with more than 60 decorated trees in the house alone!

For Cathy, two paintings in the Breakfast Room on the First Floor hold lasting appeal no matter how many times she sees them.

“I love the Renoir portraits,” she said. “I like Impressionist paintings and Renoir, and the Mediterranean colors remind me that one day I hope to go there.”Young Algerian Girl

The two portraits are Young Algerian Girl and Child with an Orange, both painted in the 1880s by Pierre-Auguste Renoir as he traveled through the Mediterranean and Northern Africa.

According to our curators, George Vanderbilt acquired both paintings in 1892 from famed Parisian art dealer Joseph Durand-Ruel. Durand-Ruel is credited with doing more than just about anyone to promote the success of French Impressionists at a time when most other art critics and dealers looked upon them with disdain.

While George Vanderbilt was greatly influenced by his father’s art collection and was inspired by the earlier artists his father admired, George also supported more modern, progressive artists who embraced contemporary themes and new technologies. He funded the development of The American Fine Arts Society in New York, which represented young, avant-garde artists, and collected works by Renoir, John Singer Sargent, James McNeill Whistler, Maxime Maufra, and—although no longer in the Biltmore collection—Claude Monet and Édouard Manet.

About the photos:  Child with an Orange, top, and  Young Algerian Girl, bottom right.

Winter birding at Biltmore

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It may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about Biltmore, but opportunities to go bird watching are a wonderful way to enjoy all its natural beauty—even in the winter.

During his 34 years with Biltmore, Bill Alexander, Landscape and Forest Historian, has identified more than 200 species of birds on the estate.

“The largest river in Western North Carolina runs through the estate, and we have the Lagoon, Bass Pond and streams with aquatic plants, meadows, pastures, and parklands, thickets, pine forests, and hardwoods. All these habitats are ideal for different types of birds,” Bill said.

Combine these water features with the estate’s meadows, pastures, fields, and woods, and it’s easy to see why the estate is such a prime birding venue as well as an official site on the North Carolina Birding Trail.

According to Bill, winter is a good time to see waterfowl, especially ducks such as buffleheads, hooded mergansers, teal, ring-necked ducks and occasionally pintails and shovelers. Some winters, we may have flocks of blue and snow geese interspersed with the ubiquitous Canada geese. You may even see great blue herons or common snipe in and around wet spots, creeks and drainage ditches.

“We also see strays each fall and winter,” he said. “I’ve seen tundra swans and Sandhill cranes.”

 

Permanent residents

Bluebird on bird house

Some of our year-round birds include blue jays, cardinals, sparrows, crows, blackbirds, mourning doves, bobwhites, Carolina chickadees, tufted titmice, red-tailed hawks, ruffed grouse, and turkeys. Pileated woodpeckers and flickers are plentiful, and you can spot red-bellied and downy woodpeckers. Eastern meadowlarks can often be seen and heard in the fields near Antler Hill Farm even during the winter months. Watch for killdeer and bobolinks as well.

Throughout Western North Carolina, bluebirds and robins are common and many make their presence known at Biltmore in winter, too. Bluebirds—famed for their appetites for insects—are encouraged to stay and raise families with the estate’s Bluebird Nest Box Program. Employees volunteer to monitor more than 100 bluebird boxes, checking to see if boxes are occupied, recording the number of eggs and chicks, and cleaning out nests between broods. 

 

The eerie screeching and hooting of owlsBill Owl

Our most common owls, the great horned and screech owls are woodland birds that prefer mature forests and parklands like those that blanket Biltmore. Great places to find them include the woodlands near the Bass Pond, the trail around the Spring Garden, and forests around the Inn. Great horned owls begin breeding and nesting in January and February and their calls are most often heard this time of year. Sometimes you can locate a screech owl on a low branch in the forest just before dark by listening to its mysterious quavering call. Or, if you spend as much time as Bill does on the estate, you may get a closer look.

“I was walking in the woods just before dawn one winter, and something hit me on the top of my head,” Bill said. “All of a sudden my toboggan was flying through the air in the clutches of a great horned owl!”

 

Protecting birds for a century

Birds and Biltmore have been a thriving pairing for more than a century. George and Edith Vanderbilt were sustaining members of the N.C. Audubon Society, and estate employees were advocates for protecting birds. Landscape Architect Frederick Law Olmsted designed islands for the Lagoon and Bass Pond as safe places for nesting birds. Today, we intentionally leave some fallen trees, snags, and uncut meadows as habitat for birds and other wildlife.

According to Bill, anyone can become a birder with a decent pair of binoculars and a bird book. “Start by looking for birds by body size, flight pattern, and song,” he advised. “The best viewing times are typically early morning or late afternoon. It’s a great way to enjoy the outdoors in winter.”

About the photos

Photos of the tundra swan at the Lagoon and the immature great horned owl were taken by Bill Alexander on his many forays around Biltmore.

Leslie's favorite thing

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Winter is a perfect time to visit Biltmore and admire the combination of architecture, art and sculpture that makes Biltmore House so amazing. In case you don’t have time to notice every little detail, we’ve asked employees to share their favorite things in the house so you too can appreciate what makes Biltmore special. Check back next week for another insider’s favorite!

Leslie Klingner has been Biltmore’s Curator of Interpretation for nearly seven years, and has an unusual view of her favorite to recount.

“I love the Guastavino tile vaulting throughout Biltmore House, especially in the swimming pool,” she said. “I got to observe it from a unique perspective one day—from the bottom of the pool when I retrieved a lost pearl earring that a guest had dropped.”

The ceiling in the swimming pool was designed by Spanish architect Rafael Guastavino, who came to America in the 1880s and quickly became known for perfecting a unique system of building tiled ceiling vaults including the first New York City subways.

“His work is a technical feat built on ancient Catalan traditions,” Leslie said. You can see more of his skills by looking up at the ceiling as you walk from the Winter Garden into the Billiard Room.

Guastavino retired and built a home in Black Mountain, where he lived until his death in 1908. The Basilica of St. Lawrence in downtown Asheville—where his crypt is located— also displays his tilework and vaulting expertise.

Happy Birthday, Dear Edith

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Today, January 17, is the 140th anniversary of Edith Vanderbilt’s birthday. In celebration of her life and legacy, we thought it would be fun to share some little-known stories about her.

 Edith VanderbiltOne of my favorites is a very glamorous Edith dressed as a peacock for a party in the early 1920s, as seen in the main photo above. A lover of costume or ‘fancy dress’ parties her whole life, Edith entertained often at Biltmore and clearly had a flair for the dramatic. In preparation for a party planned for August 1922, she contacted the legendary Ziegfeld Follies in New York to inquire about renting a ‘White Peacock’ costume made famous by a showgirl known as Dolores. It appears that Edith had little luck in obtaining the outfit and resorted to having her own peacock costume made a year later. It’s not completely clear at what event Edith chose to strut her stuff, but we suspect the celebration was held in honor of her daughter Cornelia’s 23rd birthday.

Biltmore’s costume collection includes seed pearl jewelry and glass bead hair ornaments which were worn at other fancy dress parties during the 1920s, and a dazzling metallic mermaid costume that will go on display in the exhibition, “The Vanderbilts at Home and Abroad” this spring in Antler Hill Village.

Edith’s love of drama began at an early age. As a child, she and her sisters frequently played charades and imaginative games of “house.” Edith and her youngest sister, Pauline, also loved witnessing the theatrical transformation of Newport’s grand interiors that were typical for Gilded Age entertaining. In a memoir, Pauline recalled helping with preparations for lavish dinner parties and then taking delight in spying on the guests!

”…In August … we children would be kept busy wiring flowers for enormous centerpieces, for those were the days when tables were overloaded and great satin ribbons lay on the table cloths; extending from one solid bed of flowers to another. The blossoms of pink hollyhocks were fastened on toothpicks and pierced into moss-filled flat baskets joined by huge bow knots of pink satin ribbons which wound their way amid silver tankards and baskets of hothouse fruits. Edith and I used to climb out on the tin roof over the dining room and peer down through the sky-light at the guests, scuttling back to bed when the roof creaked and we feared detection. Of course the voices below drowned any noise we might have made, but we didn’t realize that…”

In her teens and early 20s, Edith lived in Paris and was a member of an amateur group that frequently hosted “theater parties.” If the peacock photograph is any indication, Edith’s penchant for drama was most pronounced during the Roaring Twenties, a time when many women felt a heightened sense of independence and freedom to express themselves creatively.

Edith hosted a number of masquerade balls at Biltmore House, as well as tableaux vivants, a popular form of entertainment in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. French for “living pictures,” tableaux vivants were elaborate productions in which costumed participants would pose in the guise of mythological or literary figures, famous paintings or individuals from history. These amusing spectacles were enhanced by live music, props and dramatic lighting.

No matter the occasion, it seems that Edith always took pleasure in finding ways to enhance the everyday. Her spirit lingers on, inspiring so much of what we do at Biltmore.

Thank you, Edith – and Happy Birthday!

Parker's favorites in Biltmore House

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Winter is a perfect time to visit Biltmore and admire the combination of architecture, art, and sculpture that makes Biltmore House so amazing. In case you don’t have time to notice every little detail, we’ve asked some of our employees to share their favorite things in the house so you too can appreciate what makes Biltmore special. Check back next week for another insider’s favorite thing!

Parker Andes, Director of Horticulture, has been with Biltmore for 13 years; prior to coming to the estate, he worked in other public gardens including Callaway Gardens.

Parker has two favorites in Biltmore House. The first is the sculpture “Boy Stealing Geese”—the centerpiece of the Winter Garden. Karl Bitter, a Viennese artist who immigrated to America in 1889, created the beautiful marble and bronze fountain sculpture located in the glass-roofed garden room.

Parker’s other favorites are in Mrs. Vanderbilt’s Bedroom—in fact, they are the colors of the walls and trim in Edith Vanderbilt’s room. “The colors remind me of a birthday cake because the walls and moldings are all pastels,” he said. Part of the family’s private quarters on the Second Floor, Mrs. Vanderbilt’s Bedroom is oval in shape, decorated in the Louis XV style featuring delicately carved furniture and ornate cut velvet bed hangings and draperies.

You can see both the Winter Garden and Mrs. Vanderbilt’s Bedroom during your visit to Biltmore House. We invite you to take time this season and enjoy these favorite things!

Mrs. Vanderbilt’s Bedroom

Nonsense and a Very Good Time

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To mark the turning of 1901 into 1902, George and Edith Vanderbilt hosted a house party for 20 of the movers and shakers of Boston and New York society. Among the revelers that year were Larz Anderson, an American diplomat who had served in Rome and London, and his wife Isabel, an author of children’s books and travelogues.

Nonsense Book - Biltmore HouseTo commemorate the week-long festivities, Larz left an illustration in the Vanderbilts’ “Nonsense Book,” a bound leather volume full of notes and scribbles, rhymes and limericks inspired by one of George Vanderbilt’s favorite authors, Edward Lear. With entries from many of the Vanderbilts’ guests, the Nonsense Book gives us a glimpse into the various entertainment activities held at Biltmore.

Larz’ doodle is one of my very favorites in the “Nonsense Book.” Drawn as if it were a scrap from George’s print collection, the top reads: “For the Dürer Room – In Memory of New Years Week MCMII.” The “Dürer Room” refers to a den off of the Library where George Vanderbilt displayed many of his prints by the famed artist Albrecht Dürer, a brilliant German virtuoso of the late 1400 and early 1500s.  Dürer’s prints, including The Triumphal Arch of Maximilian which now hangs in the Music Room, are museum-quality masterpieces that one wouldn’t expect to find in a private home.

Larz was impressed with Vanderbilt’s collection of engravings and was struck by the design and layout of Biltmore House, reporting to his mother by letter that “well, we all agree it is the finest thing in America – and one of the finest in the world….” Their week started off with several days of bad weather, but a few days into their stay, Larz wrote “today is beautiful… the air is magnificent and yesterday I had a ten mile climb over the mountains.”

Apparently, Larz also got in a good bit of bicycling during his stay. Echoing Dürer’s artistic style, Anderson draws himself astride a bike peddling across the estate and past the Esplanade.  A small figure labeled “AD” for Albrecht Dürer follows a path toward the eastern façade of Biltmore House.  Anderson labeled the cartoon of himself with his initials, “LA,” in the same distinctive script that Dürer used to sign his works. Larz’s doodle documents the mountainous scenery he enjoyed firsthand and the fine weather that finished out the first week of their new year. And, quite amusingly, he references several of the Vanderbilt family’s St. Bernards, including Cedric and his mate Snow, who presumably could often be found flopped down on Biltmore’s gleaming herringbone floors in a manner resembling a polar bear rug.

An iteration of the original “Nonsense Book” is still in use today. It resides in the lobby of the Inn on Biltmore Estate, and our guests are welcome to sign it and describe their adventures during their stay.

About the Photos

Top: Larz Anderson left his amusing mark in the Vanderbilt “Nonsense Book,” detailing his frequent bicycle rides around the estate.

Inset: The original “Nonsense Book,” from the Vanderbilt archives.

Biltmore vs. "Downton Abbey" – Notice any similarities?

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We are so excited about this Sunday’s season premier of “Downton Abbey” on PBS. And it’s no wonder!

The fictional drama unfolding between Lord and Lady Grantham, their daughters and their staff overlaps the time when George and Edith Vanderbilt lived in Biltmore House, which bears a striking resemblance to the Crawley’s beloved home. Those similarities are particularly evident during two of our specialty tours: The Biltmore House Butler’s Tour and the Vanderbilt Family & Friends Tour.

These tours allow our guests glimpses into some of the little-seen areas of Biltmore House while guides discuss the people who worked for and visited the Vanderbilts when it was their primary home. Following are some of those the parallels between life depicted on the fictional program, and life in Biltmore House.

On the Biltmore House Butler’s Tour

Housekeeper’s Room:  Biltmore had Mrs. King; for “Downton Abbey,” it’s Mrs. Hughes. While there were differences in the ways American and English households were managed, the housekeeper played a major role. Mrs. Hughes is known for her collection of house keys and her calm demeanor. Mrs. King served as Biltmore House’s housekeeper and was remembered for her own massive ring of keys.

Butler’s Pantry:  Carson, the butler in “Downton Abbey,” was instrumental in managing how meals were served to the Crawley family and their visitors. The Butler’s Pantry shows where the Vanderbilts’ butler would have organized the staff and meal service.

Technology:  Telephones, call boxes, speaking tubes, electric lights, etc., were extremely rare items in the early 1900s. In “Downton Abbey,” there are scenes where the family and staff are uncomfortable around and hesitant to use these new technologies. George Vanderbilt outfitted his home with all of the modern technologies of the day.

On the Vanderbilt Family & Friends Tour

Louis XVI Room:  A writing desk takes up a central area of this bedroom, at a large window overlooking the front lawn of Biltmore House. Letter writing in the era was a crucial means of communicating the news of the day. As such, a writing desk is included in each guest room. On “Downton Abbey,” the characters shared letters filled with news of the day at the breakfast table.

Van Dyck Room:  The story of Edith Wharton, a frequent visitor at Biltmore House, is told in the Van Dyck Room. Wharton chronicled changing times, including the emergence of the women’s rights movement and political issues. In “Downton Abbey,” the youngest sister Sybil is portrayed as getting involved in politics and the changing role of women.

Morland Room: In this room, tour hostsdiscuss George and Edith Vanderbilt’s marriage and honeymoon. It’s touching to note that Edith and her three sisters married for love, and were not expected to marry for money or titles (although they all ended up marrying well). In “Downton Abbey,” the eldest daughter Lady Mary is constantly expected and reminded to marry “successfully” in order to keep the family home afloat.

General Themes

Preserving the home:  One of the primary themes in “Downton Abbey” is the importance Lord Grantham and his family place on preserving and maintaining their home for succeeding generations. This has been a prime concern at Biltmore for George Vanderbilt’s descendants.

American heiresses marrying British nobility:  Another central premise in “Downton Abbey” is based on Cora, an American heiress who married Lord Grantham; he needed her money to keep his ancestral home operating. One of the sources for this storyline is “To Marry An English Lord,” a book detailing how Consuelo Vanderbilt (one of George Vanderbilt’s nieces), was one of the first American heiresses to go to Europe in search of a titled husband. She married the Duke of Marlborough, which started a rush of newly wealthy American girls going overseas in hopes of finding husbands (who needed their money).

About the Photo

This is the Servants’ Dining Hall in Biltmore House. Imagine the conversations that took place around that table when George and Edith Vanderbilt lived in the house!

Christmas Wishes from Edith

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On Christmas Eve of 1895, George Vanderbilt opened the doors of Biltmore House to welcome family and friends into his home for the first official time. The following day he invited the estate’s many employees and their children into the Banquet Hall where they found a space filled with music, sweet treats and an enormous tree sparkling with lights and laden with gifts for all. In 1898, Mr. Vanderbilt was joined in passing out the presents by his new bride Edith, who was elated with the festive tradition and continued on each year thereafter finding new ways to share the joy of this season. 

Edith’s good friend Anna Wheeler, the wife of the estate’s veterinarian, often helped the Vanderbilts organize exceptional holiday events such as theatrical readings of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol for estate employees.  In an unpublished memoir, Anna reflected back on these special times and the many ways in which Edith carried the true spirit of Christmas year-round.

[Her] work among the mountaineers [and] the charm of her personality soon made her a friend of all who were fortunate enough to know her…. celebrations … were held in the banqueting hall of Biltmore House…. The brilliant tree, in its magnificent setting, the faces of those surrounding it, and the beautiful and gracious hostess are never to be forgotten.

A decade after George Vanderbilt’s death, Edith remarried, settling in Rhode Island and Washington, DC with her husband Senator Peter Gerry.  She dedicated much of her time to political endeavors, particularly to supporting those serving in the military and to promoting literacy and educational efforts.  And though she did not reside at Biltmore full-time, it’s touching to know that she, too, never forgot.  Nestled snugly among papers in our archives are many decades of holiday greetings sent between the former Mrs. Vanderbilt and estate superintendent Chauncey Beadle.  Edith wrote year after year sending her love and best Christmas wishes to those living and working on the estate.

To me, the century-old holiday traditions here illustrate how deeply the Vanderbilts treasured family and community.  Telegram after telegram in our archives serve as tokens of recognition that Biltmore was home for Edith Vanderbilt.. .and that this timeless, magical place was never far from her heart at Christmas-time.  Just as Edith wrote to those she held dear, we send you Best Wishes for Christmas and the New Year!

Easy Ribbon Wreath for the Holidays

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This is a favorite decorating project around here!  A ribbon wreath is an easy and inexpensive project for the holidays.  It is a great way to repurpose ribbons from past celebrations, making an elegant decoration for that special spot in your home.  Coordinate colors with your Christmas theme or with your home’s interior to create a festive and stylish seasonal design.  Have fun and be creative.  This is also a great project for kids.  They just need supervision with the push pins!

 You will need:

  • A straw or Styrofoam wreath form found at floral and craft stores.  We used 14” for these instructions, but you can increase or decrease to your preference.
  • Around 12 yards each of 4 different but coordinating ribbons of varying widths and textures.
  • A chenille stem to make the hanger, found at craft stores, looks like a pipe cleaner.
  • About 50 to 75 fern pins, found at floral and craft stores, looks like a long staple.

 Instructions:

  • First wrap the entire wreath form with a wider and simpler length of ribbon.  Attach one end of the ribbon to the back of the form with two of the fern pins pushed at a slight angle through the ribbon and intoWrap ribbon around the wreath form. the form to secure.  Then tightly spiral the ribbon, overlapping slightly, and continue to wrap the form to cover, attaching the end with two more of the fern pins, securing tightly.
  •  Next, twist the chenille stem (or pipe cleaner) around the wreath to form a hanger.

 

  • Now, create several bows of various ribbons, with the loops being about the same size.  Leave the tie ends as single “tails” and cut the loose ends at an angle or with a “v” notch.  You may also create single loops and tails to fill in between bows.Attach bows to pins.

 

  • Pin the bows and loops and tails onto the covered wreath form with the fern pins, pushing the pins through the center point of the bow. Cover wreath form by inserting pins with bows.

 

  • Continue adding bows and loops and tails until all but the back surface of the wreath form is covered.  The closer the bows, the fuller and fluffier the wreath will appear, but don’t crowd them so much that the wreath looks stiff and tight. Close up of finished wreath.

 

Helpful Tip: Be sure to hang your wreath indoors unless you have used weatherproof ribbons.

68 Trees in One House? Of Course!

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Wondering what it takes to decorate Biltmore for the holidays?

It’s a study in arithmetic and herculean effort. Biltmore House and all of the buildings around the estate command a team experienced in wrangling trees, lights, candles, ornaments, poinsettias, wreaths, kissing balls, garlands, ribbons and bows – though not necessarily in that order. Read on, and just for fun, keep your calculator handy.

Trees

We use a combination of fresh cut Fraser firs and artificial trees for fire safety and protection of the collection in Biltmore House. We also use live nursery plants in the various areas of the house.

• The 2012 celebration boasts 68 Christmas trees inside Biltmore House – the most ever on record!

• The largest tree inside Biltmore House is the 35-foot-tall Fraser fir in the Banquet Hall.

• A lighted 65-foot-tall Norway spruce anchors the front lawn of Biltmore House.

• A total of 55 additional decorated Christmas trees are located across the estate, including the Winery, Inn on Biltmore Estate, Antler Hill Village and our restaurants.

Lights and candles

There are around 30,000 lights in Biltmore House, with around 125 candles. About 125,000 mini lights twinkle around the estate. Around 45,000 lights illuminate the Front Lawn tree in front of the house, and “up” lighting accents the poplar trees lining the front lawn. Three hundred luminaries line the driveway and Esplanade in front of Biltmore House.

Ornaments

We use 500 wrapped gift boxes, 500 ornaments and 500 electric lights to decorate the Banquet Hall Tree. We use around 12,000 ornaments on the other trees inside Biltmore House, and that many again around the estate, for a total of 25,000 or more.

Poinsettias and other blooming plants

We use mostly red poinsettias with some white and a few marbled and pink. In total, we place around 1,000 blooming plants throughout Biltmore House along with several hundred more in the other estate facilities.

Wreaths

Our wreaths are made of fresh white pine, Fraser fir, boxwood, holly or artificial bases decorated with dried flowers, silk flowers and other ornamentation. We place 360 fresh wreaths and sprays around the estate during the season, along with 130 artificial or silk.

Kissing Balls

Around 130 are made of white pine and Fraser fir, placed all across the estate through the season.

Garlands

Fresh garlands are made of white pine and Fraser fir. We change them weekly to keep them fresh for our guests. We use 5,000 feet during the season. Silk, dried and artificial garlands add another 1,200 feet in Biltmore House and around 1,500 feet in other areas.

Ribbons and bows

We use 500 inside Biltmore House with that many again in the ancillary areas. From narrow cording to 8-inch-wide ribbons, we decorate with velvets, metallics, satins, burlap and printed cottons.

About the photo

The Tapestry Gallery in Biltmore House boasts six Christmas trees this year!