Fashionable Romance: Wedding Gowns in Film

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This wedding dress worn by Emma Thompson in “Sense and Sensibility” will appear in “Fashionable Romance: Wedding Gowns in Film,” an exhibition of film costumes at Biltmore House in 2016. SENSE AND SENSIBILITY ©1995 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Courtesy of Columbia Pictures.

Save the date! Exhibition of wedding gowns in film coming in February 2016.

Just a couple of days before Valentine’s Day next year, brides from an array of eras will fill the rooms of Biltmore House. Not quite time travel, and no, not 250 brides (that would be one per room, you see), but our guests may feel as if they’ve stepped onto a movie set.

“Fashionable Romance: Wedding Gowns in Film,” an exhibition of wedding attire worn in some of the film industry’s most iconic movies, will grace the rooms of George and Edith Vanderbilt’s house beginning Feb. 12, 2016, for a stay through July 4, 2016.

Biltmore has been a location for weddings and romantic getaways since the Vanderbilts married in 1898. Bringing these gowns to such a romantic place seems like a natural match.

Displayed throughout Biltmore House, the award-winning costumes from span 300 years of wedding fashion from films set in the years 1645 to 1935. The exhibition features 19 classic films, including the iconic Jane Austen romances of “Sense and Sensibility,” “Emma,” and “Pride and Prejudice.”

Elaborate floral arrangements will complement each film’s era and costume. Biltmore’s renowned floral design team is already making plans!

The exhibition will continue in the Legacy building in Antler Hill Village with stories of Vanderbilt and Cecil Family weddings, along with the first-ever display of the wedding veil worn by Mary Lee Ryan Cecil and her cousin Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy. Mrs.  Cecil is married to William A.V. Cecil, grandson of George Vanderbilt.

To recognize the artistry of costume design, renowned costumiers Cosprop, Ltd., London will recreate the wedding gown worn by Cornelia Vanderbilt in her marriage to John Cecil in 1924. The gown will be on display.

Admission to “Fashionable Romance: Wedding Gowns in Film” will be included in the general admission ticket price. 

More Than a Housekeeper: Mrs. King

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You may not realize it from her position, but one of the significant figures in Biltmore’s past is Emily Rand King, who served as housekeeper and head of staff for the Vanderbilts from 1897–1914.

Learn about the life of Biltmore’s longtime housekeeper, Mrs. King, in this blog.

Housekeeper's room in Biltmore House.
Housekeeper’s room in Biltmore House.

Three things to know:

  • Although we don’t have photographs of her, there is a great deal of correspondence in the Biltmore archives concerning Mrs. King.
  • She was always referred to as “Mrs.” King, although we believe she was unmarried while working at Biltmore. The title was likely a courtesy used to reflect a level of authority, age, and respect—similar to “Mrs. Hughes,” the head housekeeper in Downton Abbey.
  • Housekeepers of the time were responsible for managing a large staff and keeping track of household expenses in addition to maintaining most aspects of daily life in the home.
Vignette of Mrs. King and Edith Vanderbilt in the Oak Sitting Room as displayed in the 2019 exhibtion,
Vignette of Mrs. King and Edith Vanderbilt in the Oak Sitting Room as displayed in the 2019 exhibition, “A Vanderbilt House Party.”

Early Life & Arrival to Biltmore

Emily King was born December 7, 1853, in the village of Horndon on the Hill, Essex County, England. By her early 20s, she worked as a domestic servant for a London physician.

Sometime prior to August 1897, she traveled to New York on her way to Biltmore, where she joined several English servants on the estate, including the valet, four butlers, a cook, a housemaid, and a coachman. Adding further international flair to the household was an Irish butler, French chef, Swedish laundress, and Italian stable boss.

Biltmore’s archives make it clear Mrs. King was responsible for cleaning the house, caring for the staff, hiring and firing staff members, and also coordinating many aspects of the family’s lives such as meeting with the Vanderbilts each morning to review the chef’s suggested menus and plan for guest activities, then meeting with the Chef and Head Butler to review the plans. She and the Head Butler supervised all staff except for the kitchen staff who worked for the Chef.

During the family’s frequent travels, Mrs. King stayed behind with the Head Butler to ensure the smooth operation of the house, including making arrangements for special guests staying at Biltmore in the family’s absence and preparing the house for their return. She also extended social invitations for Mrs. Vanderbilt, serving as a personal secretary of sorts.

As a high-ranking member of Biltmore’s domestic staff, Mrs. King was provided with horses for her use and was allowed to keep her own dogs in Biltmore House—the dog gate still exists in the Kitchen Hallway that Mrs. Vanderbilt installed to keep the housekeeper’s dogs out.

Detailed view of Mrs. King’s clothing recreation as displayed in “A Vanderbilt House Party” in 2019.

Life After Biltmore

Soon after George Vanderbilt’s death in 1914, Emily King resigned and embarked upon a new life. She met and married W.C. Jones, a widowed farmer from near Raleigh, NC, and moved to Pennsylvania to be near family. Sometime later that year, the couple purchased an orange grove near Apopka, FL. In December 1914, estate superintendent Chauncey Beadle wrote a note of thanks for the box of oranges Mrs. Jones sent to Biltmore for the holidays.

Biltmore curators learned that Emily King Jones purchased and managed a boarding house in Apopka, which she named the Biltmore Inn, and operated it until the early 1920s.

After retiring from a lifetime of serving others, Mrs. Jones returned to Pennsylvania, where she resided until her death in 1926.

A Musical Portrait

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Among the most eye-catching elements of the Oak Sitting Room are two John Singer Sargent portraits, each with a distinctly different feel. The demure woman in a silk gown is Mrs. Benjamin Kissam, George Vanderbilt’s aunt. The lively woman dressed in a Spanish mantilla and flouncey dress is one of George Vanderbilt’s favorite cousins, Virginia Purdy Barker, otherwise known as Mrs. Walter Rathbone Bacon.

Virginia, whose nickname was Jenny, was born in 1853 and spent much of her youth in Bordeaux, France. She and her brother Clarence were George’s frequent travel companions and the three shared a love of music. While Clarence died not long after Biltmore House opened, Virginia, George, and their friends enjoyed happy times in the home as evidenced by photos taken during this time.

John Singer Sargent had painted family portraits for the Vanderbilts since around 1888 when he completed a portrait of Maria Louisa Kissam Vanderbilt, George’s mother, which is displayed in the Tapestry Gallery along with Sargent’s 1890 portrait of George Vanderbilt. In 1895, Sargent painted Richard Morris Hunt, Biltmore’s architect, and Frederick Law Olmsted, the estate’s landscape architect; both of these works can be seen in the Second Floor Living Hall.

It was also in 1895 that Sargent first discussed painting a portrait of Mrs. Bacon; however, he was delayed in starting it, as he wrote George Vanderbilt for “want of success in finding a fine old frame for it.” He was concerned that frame needed to be comparable to those used in the portraits of Olmsted and Hunt. In the end, he opted to have a frame made.

The portrait was finally painted in 1896 and although Sargent wrote that Mrs. Bacon would have liked for it to have been displayed in New York before shipping to Asheville, there wasn’t enough time. The portrait arrived at Biltmore in December 1896.

Curator of Interpretation Leslie Klinger says that the portrait of Mrs. Bacon is reminiscent of Sargent’s early work and reflects his love of Spanish music and dance. In addition to being one of the foremost portrait painters of his time, Sargent was also an accomplished pianist.

Leslie speculates that perhaps the musical connection between artist and subject inspired this portrait. Sargent’s choices “make you realize what a fun person she must have been,” says Leslie. “You can understand why she was one of George’s favorite cousins.”

Mrs. Bacon’s portrait is a reminder of the role music has played in the life of Biltmore—a tradition that continues with the Biltmore Concert Series which brings outstanding performers to our unforgettable surroundings. See this year’s line-up and purchase tickets here.

Photos

Top: This circa 1892 photo shows family and friends visiting George Vanderbilt at Biltmore. From left (seated): Vanderbilt's cousin-in-law Walter Rathbone Bacon, forester Gifford Pinchot, and cousin Virginia Barker Bacon; (standing): Vanderbilt's nieces Emily and Adele Sloan, and George Vanderbilt.

Right: Portrait of Mrs. Walter Rathbone Bacon by John Singer Sargent, 1896.

From Valet to World Traveler: Wilfred Shackley

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The typical duties of a Vanderbilt-era valet included attending to their employer, especially assisting with dressing and preparing for the day, much like a lady’s maid. They would often travel with their employer, arranging for accommodations and transportation and managing luggage.

While we do not have a lot of information about Mr. Vanderbilt’s valets over the years, we do know a bit about one in particular named Wilfred Shackley including:

  • He was employed by George Vanderbilt from around 1900-1906.
  • It is believed that his wife, Madeleine Henry Shackley, was the Mademoiselle Henry that was once Edith Vanderbilt’s lady’s maid.
  • Wilfred Shackley was English and was engaged by Mr. Vanderbilt while abroad in 1899.
  • He spoke German and French fluently, which was highly beneficial given how widely he would travel alongside Mr. Vanderbilt.
Recreation of clothing worn by George Vanderbilt’s valet as it was displayed in
Recreation of clothing worn by George Vanderbilt’s valet as it was displayed in “A Vanderbilt House Party” exhibition in 2019. Over his arm is a driving duster, as if he is assisting George prepare for a drive across his estate.

Fascinating glimpses into the life and times of Mr. Shackley

In researching the domestic staff who worked for the Vanderbilts, our Museum Services team uncovered a 1973 newspaper article in the Hendersonville Times-News about Wilfred George Shackley.

“Few people have been able to cram into their lifetime book of memories as many world trips, as many confrontations with kings and potentates and as much hobnobbing with world celebrities as Wilfred G. Shackley of Flat Rock who celebrated his 98th birthday last week.

“Sleeping in the White House at the invitation of President Theodore Roosevelt, meeting Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany and King Edward of England and traveling around the world with millionaire George Vanderbilt, original owner of Biltmore House are only a few of the highlights of Shackley’s career.

“Born in June 17, 1875 Shackley attended school in England and came to the United States when he was 15 years old. When he came to this country he worked and attended night school and learned accounting, bookkeeping and typing. When he was 19 years old a cotton broker engaged him to go to Shanghai with him.

“He was there eight months and returned to London wearing the white type of clothing usually worn in China.

“When he checked in at the hotel where he usually stayed the clerk greeted him and said ‘You’re just the man we are looking for.’ He added ‘There’s a millionaire here from America looking for someone to travel around the world and keep his records.’

“Shackley says he was introduced to Vanderbilt and when the millionaire learned he spoke several languages he immediately hired him. He said ‘we leave for Paris day after tomorrow.’ Shackley said he told Vanderbilt it would be impossible because all the clothing he had was light clothing he brought from the Orient. Vanderbilt postponed the start of the journey ten days for Shackley’s convenience.

“The Flat Rock retiree spent a number of years traveling with Mr. and Mrs. Vanderbilt, keeping records of their travels, purchases and other details. Among the countries visited were Russia, Germany, France, Holland, Italy, China, Japan, the Philippines and Canada.

“In his travels Vanderbilt was seeking art treasures, tapestries, statuary, works in silver and gold and historic treasures.

“Shackley has also played chess with a set of chessmen which Napoleon used while he was imprisoned at St. Helena. Vanderbilt acquired the set and it is a part of the possessions at Biltmore House.”

George Vanderbilt’s friend James McHenry gifted him a chess set made of natural and red-stained ivory that once belonged to Napoleon Bonaparte, former emperor of France. Photo credit: @Kristen.Maag
George Vanderbilt’s friend James McHenry gifted him a chess set made of natural and red-stained ivory that once belonged to Napoleon Bonaparte, former emperor of France. Photo credit: @Kristen.Maag

Life after Biltmore

After leaving service at Biltmore, Shackley went to work for a Wall Street bond company, later selling bonds in Paris. He served in World War II with the War Department then became vice president of Henry Rump and Sons, a wholesale fruit and vegetable business founded by his father-in-law. The Shackleys ran this business until his retirement in 1966 when he turned 90.

He passed away at the age of 101 in Hendersonville, NC.

Credit: Excerpts from “William [sic] Shackley At Age 98 Has Led A Full Life,” July 23, 1973, Hendersonville News-Times.

How Vanderbilt’s taste influences modern design

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Our stunning new Legacy Rug Collection, hand-knotted in 100% New Zealand wool, is directly inspired by similar floor coverings in Biltmore House. These heirloom-quality rugs are sure to become treasured keepsakes that last for generations.

“We really love this new collection,” said Donnette Miller, Licensing Director for Biltmore, “because they make beautiful accents for almost any room, whether modern or traditional. Two of the rugs are also perfectly on-trend with Pantone’s choice of “Marsala” as their prestigious 2015 Color of the Year.”

Biltmore's rug collection

Our archives indicate that as construction began on Biltmore House in 1889, George Vanderbilt and architect Richard Morris Hunt traveled to Europe with a goal of purchasing furnishings for the interiors. Vanderbilt bought case after case of furniture, decorative accessories, tapestries, art objects, and as many as 300 rugs at one time. (An original rug shown, right) 

There is no sign that Vanderbilt ever worked with an advisor other than Hunt to assist him with purchases. What is clear from looking at receipts and other documents is that Vanderbilt for the most part purchased what he personally appreciated and what he wanted to be surrounded by, not what was most popular, most valuable, or most likely to impress others.

A quarter-century of inspiration

Twenty-five years ago, Biltmore began working with our first licensed partners to develop furnishings and accessories inspired by the collections in America’s largest home.

We partnered with Capel Rugs in 2005. Their Legacy Collection takes inspiration from Biltmore’s collection of floor-coverings, borrowing design motifs and updating the color themes to coordinate with today’s home décor. (Detail of original rug show; left)

According to Donnette, “Great style never goes out of style, and we think it’s wonderful that a color and a design that appealed to the Vanderbilts 100 years ago is relevant today.”

See the collection here.

Introducing Collector’s Room: a look into the inspiration for our Chateau Dining Table

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George Vanderbilt traveled throughout his life, learning more about the world through its history, culture, and art. In a single ten-year period, his fascination with foreign lands took him throughout Europe and Scandinavia, the Mediterranean and northern Africa, and to the Middle East and Japan. (Tyrolean Upholstered Bed, inspired by an original bed in the Tyrolean Chimney Room, shown right)

Many of the treasures Mr. Vanderbilt collected from around the world remain on display in Biltmore House, so it’s no wonder our design partners spend days examining the exquisite details of furnishings, textiles, and architectural designs. Intricate carvings, antique patterns, exotic curios from around the globe—all provide inspiration to create relevant products for today’s homes.

Collector’s Room, our newest offering of elegant furniture and accessories, highlights this process. Each piece, distinctive on its own, is comfortable, elegant, and charming. Each piece celebrates a timeless way of life inspired by George and Edith Vanderbilt’s vision of gracious living and hospitality. Grounded in beauty and refinement, the spirit of Biltmore is captured in every stylish detail and exquisite element of these furnishings. (Acquisitions Entertainment Base & Deck, shown left)

Our new Chateau Dining Table is a remarkable example of how Biltmore’s beauty can be translated into an heirloom-quality piece that suits your lifestyle.

Finding inspiration

One of the most inspiring rooms in Biltmore House is the Library—a soaring space that holds 10,000 volumes of George Vanderbilt’s enormous book collection. Architect Richard Morris Hunt intended the Library to showcase the vivid “Chariot of Aurora” ceiling painting, and he designed magnificent furnishings to complement the size and style of the grand room, including the slant-front book table (pictured, right) and the rolling staircase.


For the second level of the Library, Hunt designed a series of Baroque-style reading stools featuring heavily scrolled and foliate-carved legs. They were produced to Hunt’s specifications by The Hayden Furniture Company of Rochester, New York—a favorite manufacturer of the era for many wealthy Americans. These elegant pieces are crafted of walnut, which has an excellent grain for carving, good dimensional stability, inherent strength because of the grain pattern, and a lovely warm tone.

Chateau Dining Table

Although today’s guests rarely glimpse the stools in their balcony setting, our product designers were entranced by the craftsmanship and the bold acanthus leaf detailing. Acanthus is a classical motif thought to represent the cyclical nature of life, and this carving was the inspiration for an elegant new dining table by our Fine Furniture Design partners.

 

The Chateau Dining Table (acanthus leg detail, left) reflects an emphasis on classic styling and provides a formal tone for modern homes. It features burl veneers with mahogany inlays, and is available in an Heirloom Chestnut finish, which is hand-rubbed for a subtle sheen. Both our Steamship Splat Back Chairs and our Caravan Upholstered Chairs (with or without arms; both are shown in featured image) make elegant partners for this handsome table.

Find the Chateau Dining Table here.

Wedding gifts befitting a Vanderbilt

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The April 29, 1924 wedding of Cornelia Vanderbilt and the Honorable John Francis Amherst Cecil drew guests from around the world, who brought with them lavish gifts from their home countries.

Gifts given with meaning

Many of the gifts had personal significance to the couple. Her mother, Edith Vanderbilt, gifted a cocktail shaker and brooch to John Cecil, while John Cecil’s father gave a diamond and sapphire horseshoe-shaped brooch to Cornelia to celebrate her skill with horses. Cornelia’s maid-of-honor gifted her with a distinctive marabou feathered throw along with other bedding, still part of Biltmore’s collection. Sir Esme Howard, British Ambassador, gifted the couple with Essays of Bacon, honoring John Cecil’s homeland and the couples’ intellectual interests.

Not all of John and Cornelia’s wedding gifts were given by those with fabulous wealth. The servants of Biltmore House, coordinated by butlers Arthur Hopkins, William Donahue, and Herbert Noble, pooled funds to give the couple a china breakfast set. Gifts from other residents of the estate included baskets, brooms, door stops, kumquat marmalade, and a puppy! Even more meaningful than gifts, estate employees gathered outside the house the night before the wedding with noisemakers and a band to celebrate Cornelia on the eve of her special day.

Below are photos of several notable wedding gifts, which can be seen at The Vanderbilts at Home and Abroad exhibition in Antler Hill Village.

Cupid and Psyche figurine, late 19th century, French bisque porcelain and ormolu.
Hatpin, ca. 1924 from Cartier, New York. Made of carved jadeite, sapphire, diamond, and platinum with original case.
Vanity case with attached lipstick and cigarette holder, ca. 1924 from Cartier. Made of gold, enamel, carved jadeite, platinum, diamond, and onyx, in the original box. The case opens to reveal a mirror, powder compartment, and powder puff.
Shoulder brooch for Scottish plaids, Henry Tatton, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1919. Featuring cairngorm (smoky quartz) and sterling silver. And Amethyst pendant, ca. 1924.

Uncovering a life—based on a coat

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Recently, Biltmore’s Lenore Hardin, Associate Collections Manager, was cataloguing a servant’s livery coat from the Biltmore House collection when she discovered a label inside. It read, “S. Patrick… Mrs. Geo. Vanderbilt… Nov. 12 1921.”

Since the Museum Services staff was unaware of a servant by that name who had worked at Biltmore House, they dug a little deeper. Through research both in the Biltmore archives as well as in birth, death, census and transatlantic passenger records, they were able to piece together the sad tale of an interesting man.Servant livery coat worn by footman Sefton Patrick, 1921

Like many other footmen who worked at Biltmore, Sefton Patrick was an Englishman trained in domestic service recruited to work at Biltmore. He first appears on a passenger list from Southampton, England to New York in 1913. He was 29 years old, single, and his profession was listed as “steward.”

Soon thereafter he was hired by George Vanderbilt’s sister, as he shows up on the 1920 U.S. Census as a servant working in the New York home of William Seward and Lila Webb.

In 1921 Sefton Patrick began work at Biltmore House as a footman, or underbutler. It appears by all accounts that he was a hardworking, devoted member of the domestic ranks. In February 1922, however, he became ill with tuberculosis. At first he was cared for by a local doctor, and correspondence in the archives indicates that Edith Vanderbilt helped support Patrick by sending him monthly checks.

He recovered enough to come back to work in the fall of 1923, but he had a second “breakdown” in February 1924 and was admitted to the Stonehedge Sanitarium in Asheville. His condition was serious enough that estate superintendent Chauncey Beadle helped Patrick get a disability insurance policy. Biltmore continued to pay for his doctor’s bills and as well room and board at three different sanitariums.

monogrammed buttonMrs. Vanderbilt planned to employ Patrick “to take charge of her garden and grounds around her new home” once his condition improved. Patrick wrote to Mrs. Vanderbilt:
“I must thank you for your kind offers, received through Mr. Hopkins. It is really thoughtful that you should so consider my future… Am glad to say that I continue to feel well and hold my weight, so there is every reason to believe that I am making good progress and will eventually overcome it permanently. I am more than sorry that there seems little chance of me starting work in December but if I continue to improve I hope that I will be well enough in the spring… I sincerely feel that is my duty both to you, for giving me such an opportunity, and to Dr. Dunn who takes a personal interest in my care… I must thank you for your continued interest, it is a tremendous help, and a continual incentive for me to do my very best to get well and make a real cure.”

Sadly, Patrick’s condition did not improve. In 1926, he moved to New Mexico, where thousands of tuberculosis patients had traveled to seek treatment with its dry climate, high elevation, and sunshine.

In November 1927, Patrick wrote to Mrs. Vanderbilt’s secretary, William Ashby: “Glad to say I’m going on pretty well. Haven’t made such rapid progress as I had hoped but am getting over the danger period (Dr. Peters noticed that I slipped periodically) but have steadily improved so can feel encouraged that am on the way to permanent cure.”

A few months later, Patrick wrote to Beadle about some insurance matters. He noted, “I have more than a suspicion that Dr. Peters considers me a ‘chronic’ case though I refuse to look at it in that light myself. My argument is that if one can change for the worse—one can also for the better! I know it is a question whether I can recover sufficiently to return to my old occupation or any kind of physical work. That is the reason I now spend my mornings at school—I feel bookkeeping etc. should be handy in whatever line I may happen to work in the future.”crest button

Patrick continued to correspond with Beadle and Ashby throughout the year, always giving reports on his health in an upbeat manner and expressing confidence in an eventual cure. In a letter dated April 8, 1927, however, Patrick conceded: “My mother is 73 years old. Up until the time of my sickness I had visited her often. I had just returned from England previous to coming to Mrs. Gerry six years ago. I am glad to say she is in wonderful health but should anything happen it would be necessary for me to go and needless to say I would like to be with her before. . . . . . It is an event that I cannot contemplate but of course has been in my mind since this ‘curing’ has taken so long.”

By 1928 it is clear that Patrick’s health had deteriorated even more. In one of his last letters, he wrote, “Glad to say am pretty well though I’m 20 pounds lighter than when I got here and at present don’t walk. I feel once I can regain my appetite though I’ll pick up again.”

Death records indicate that Sefton Patrick died on December 26, 1928. He was laid to rest in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Photos

Top right: Servant livery coat worn by footman Sefton Patrick, 1921.

Center: Close up of coat button showing George Washington Vanderbilt's monogram.

Bottom right: Close up of coat button showing the Cecil family crest.

A special bond

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Chauncey Delos Beadle began working at Biltmore as nursery supervisor under the direction of Frederick Law Olmsted in 1890—five years before Biltmore House and its surrounding gardens were completed. Beadle, who said he came to Biltmore for a month and stayed for a lifetime, lovingly supervised the estate grounds until 1950.

Chauncey Beadle, ca. 1906
Chauncey Beadle, ca. 1906

Ten years after arriving at Biltmore, Beadle and the other staff members helped George and Edith Vanderbilt welcome the arrival of their only child—a daughter named Cornelia Stuyvesant Vanderbilt. Later that same year, a cucumber magnolia tree (Magnolia acuminate) was planted in the child’s honor in the area of the estate that would come to be known as the Azalea Garden. According to one newspaper account,

The spot selected is in a beautiful grassy dell near Biltmore House. The tree itself, now but a sapling of twelve feet in height, is expected to be 60 feet above the ground when little Cornelia reaches the age of 20 years. A few years after that event, it is expected that it will reach a height of 100 feet. It lives centuries, and is one of the prides of our beautiful southern forests. 

A special bond

As a young girl, Cornelia developed a special bond with Beadle. He had become estate superintendent and was now responsible for the overall business management of the estate, as well as many of the Vanderbilts’ personal affairs—but he was also a trained botanist and horticulturalist who encouraged Cornelia to take an interest in plants and flowers from a very young age. Together, they undertook such activities as planting a flower garden for the child to tend.

When Cornelia was away travelling with her parents, Beadle wrote letters detailing the garden’s growth and often included pressed flowers for her enjoyment.

Here are excerpts from the charming letters Beadle wrote to Cornelia just before her sixth and seventh birthdays:

August 17, 1906 – To Cornelia in Paris, France:

“I promised you just as you were leaving Biltmore to send you some pressed flowers from your garden, that you may see some of the results of the seeds we planted last spring. Almost all of the seeds grew and thrived and, in particular, I wish you could have seen some large double sunflowers as large as breakfast plates … They were so large that I could not press them and I fear that before your return they will have faded and gone. The little package which I am sending you, however, contains some of the smaller flowers that were easily pressed and, perhaps, before your home-coming, I can send you another lot so that you may be able to enjoy the garden even though you were in Europe…”

August 14, 1907 – To Cornelia at Point D’ Acadie, the Vanderbilt’s home in Bar Harbor, Maine:

“I have sent you by mail a package containing a number of pressed flowers from your garden which you painstakingly planted and watered. Very many of the plants have made a splendid showing… In the package you will find handsome Larkspurs of various shades and mottled colors… and several other flowers that were in blossom…. You will find the names of the flowers written on the inside of the sheets of paper which contain them, and I am very sure that you will soon know them all by name and will be able to recognize them wherever you may see them growing…”

Keeping up a correspondence

George Vanderbilt passed away unexpectedly in 1914, and Edith and Cornelia began spending more time in Washington, DC where Cornelia attended The Madeira School. Beadle continued corresponding with the pair through the years, bringing Edith up-to-date on estate business and describing the gardens in great detail so both ladies could enjoy them even when they were far from home.

In a letter dated April 14, 1922, Beadle wrote to Cornelia,

“The tulips in the walled garden are so glorious that we are trying out an experiment of sending you a box today by express for Easter. We shall hope they will bring you something of their original beauty and charm to make Easter even more wonderful. Spring is very much advanced here, even the yellow rambler roses are opening.”

Beadle’s gift

In 1923, Cornelia met the Honorable John Francis Amherst Cecil, a British diplomat who had been transferred to Washington, DC after posts in Egypt, Spain and Czechoslovakia. John Cecil came from a very prominent British family, and was a direct descendant of William Cecil, the first Lord Burghley, who served Queen Elizabeth I of England.

Cornelia and John announced their engagement later that year, and set a wedding date for April 29, 1924. Although Beadle was in Florida and unable to return for their wedding, he sent a very special gift that commemorated their mutual love of the natural world: fresh orange blossoms from his own garden. Our archival records indicate that Cornelia placed some of the fragrant flowers on her veil and also decorated the toe of each of her wedding slippers with a single, perfect blossom.

Cornelia Vanderbilt’s wedding portrait upon her marriage to John Francis Amherst Cecil, April 1924
Cornelia Vanderbilt’s wedding portrait upon her marriage to John Francis Amherst Cecil, April 1924

Images

Top: Chauncey Beadle at Biltmore in 1906

Middle: Cornelia Vanderbilt photograph; 1904

Bottom: Cornelia in her wedding dress at the bottom of the Grand Staircase in Biltmore House

A fashionable lady

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From her debutante days onward, Edith Vanderbilt was a fashionable lady who enjoyed wearing some of the most elegant styles designed by the exclusive fashion houses of the era.

Standing portrait of Edith(Right) Standing portrait

In the late 1800s, standing portraits like this one were popular because a standing pose allowed a lady to display all the details of her beautiful costume to best advantage! Note the extraordinary length of lace falling from the delicate floral trim at Edith's shoulders (the floral design is also echoed in her sweeping skirt) and the height of her feathered hair ornament.

Young Edith

(Left) 1900

As a young mother, Edith Vanderbilt's style of dress reflected a bit more restraint than her glamorous debutante and engagement gowns, but there were still rich layers of details to keep the style engaging. Notice the striking combination of Edith's elegant sleeves layered in stripes and dots, the lavish lace bow at her throat, and the dangling brooch pinned to her bodice.

Edith wearing a locally created suit

(Right) March 1907

On this date, the New York Times featured a front-page story on Edith Vanderbilt wearing a gown of mountain homespun cloth woven by artisans who worked for Biltmore Industries–a business the Vanderbilts developed to provide economic support for local crafters in the community. Edith Vanderbilt always chose examples of current styles to flatter her tall, slim figure, and this sleek suit is no exception. In addition to enjoying the elegant ensemble, Edith used it as an attractive tool to help influence her social connections and push sales of Biltmore Industries merchandise.

Edith in 20s fashion

(Left) A fashionable lady

Throughout her life, Edith Vanderbilt would continue to be celebrateded for her fashion sense and good taste. 

(Top) Featured blog image 

A 1911 portrait of Edith Vanderbilt painted by Italian artist Giovanni Boldini, known for his glamorous renderings of notable members of society. This portrait hangs in the Tapestry Gallery at Biltmore House, just outside the entrance to the Library.