Restoring Our Roots, One Tree at a Time

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When George Vanderbilt first visited Asheville, North Carolina, in 1888 and began envisioning his private estate, the wooded slopes of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains included vast numbers of American chestnut trees.

The edible nut of the chestnut tree in its spiny burr covering

Seeds from one of Biltmore’s hybrid chestnuts encased in a spiny, protective “burr”

History of the American chestnut tree

Known as an all-purpose tree, American chestnuts grew quickly to great size. The wood was strong and resistant to rotting, making it a prized material for foundations, fencing, and railroad ties while the edible nut was an important source of food for cattle, hogs, and wildlife.

Around the turn of the 20th century, a blight (Cryphonectria parasitica) struck the American chestnut tree, effectively destroying the species as a source of food and lumber. The blight doesn’t kill the tree’s underground root system, but once an American chestnut sprouts from an existing stump, it succumbs to blight before it matures into a tree.

​​Scaly, thickened bark on this branch shows evidence of chestnut blight

Restoring our roots

In 1997, Biltmore partnered with the American Chestnut Foundation (AFC) to provide a test site for hybrid chestnuts as part of the AFC’s work to restore this heritage tree. The AFC collected pollen and seeds from the estate and crossed the genetic material with blight-resistant Chinese chestnut trees. The seedlings were planted on a sunny slope near Deerpark Restaurant.

“In a way, we’re restoring our roots,” said Jason Mull, Landscaping Supervisor for many of the outlying historic areas of the estate, including the Approach Road and the chestnut plantings. “This project has a natural tie to the importance Vanderbilt and Olmsted placed on landscaping and managed forestry.

Jason Mull points out one of three original hybrid chestnut trees at Biltmore

Jason Mull indicates one of the original hybrid chestnut trees planted at Biltmore in 1997

The project continues

Jason has been involved with the chestnut project since the beginning and has now cared for several generations of trees. The test site includes a mix of American-Chinese hybrids plus full Chinese chestnuts that act as a control group.

“There are only three hybrid chestnuts left from the original planting,” Jason said. “They’ve grown pretty well in the last 20 years. They do show effects from the blight, but it hasn’t killed them.”

According to Jason, some of the more recent plantings carry a much higher percentage of American chestnut DNA than the originals because the hybrids have served their purpose in helping increase resistance to the blight.

Students from a local charter school help plant new hybrid chestnuts at Biltmore in 2013

Planting a legacy

“We’re continuing to work with the AFC to establish another planting site on the estate—preferably in the kind of wooded area that chestnuts tend to prefer,” Jason said. “If our trees continue to do well over time, that’s a wonderful legacy to leave for future generations.”

Featured blog image: Jason Mull and a student from a local charter school plant a hybrid chestnut tree near Deerpark Restaurant in 2013

From the Ground Up: Preparing for Chihuly at Biltmore

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Chihuly at Biltmore was on display in Biltmore’s gardens from May 17 to October 7, 2018.
Please enjoy this archived content.

While still in high school, Clare Cottrell discovered two important things that would help shape her future: 1) it was possible to have a career in Public Horticulture, and 2) the location of her dream job was Biltmore.

Clare joined Biltmore’s landscaping team in 2007 after earning her degree in Horticulture Management at Bob Jones University. She served in a number of garden-related roles before becoming Supervisor of Gardens and Conservatory in 2017.

Clare Cottrell at work in Biltmore's Conservatory

Clare at work in the Conservatory

Chihuly at Biltmore

In addition to her day-to-day responsibilities supervising these areas, Clare was also involved with the preparations to host Chihuly at Biltmore—the first art exhibition in our historic gardens and the first North Carolina garden exhibition by artist Dale Chihuly whose works are included in more than 200 museum collections worldwide.

“The preparation for this exhibition was intense,” Clare said, “but it is wonderful to have our gardens be a focal point for guests in 2018.”

Base for Chihuly sculpture in Walled Garden at Biltmore

​Base for one of the Chihuly sculptures in the Walled Garden

Planning and preparation for Chihuly at Biltmore

Planning for Chihuly at Biltmore—and its special evening component Chihuly Nights at Biltmore—began nearly two years ago and includes the addition of major infrastructure in our gardens. Power and data lines had to be in place before last year’s spring tulip bulbs were planted, and in a carefully timed three-month period during fall 2016, two crews spent three months installing underground utilities.

In November 2017, the foundations for Chihuly’s sculptures were installed, and some of the complimentary garden plantings were completed.

Chihuly at Biltmore

Chihuly sculpture mounted on its base (shown above) in the Walled Garden

“Specific types and colors of plants were planned around the sculptures and will change with the seasons,” said Clare. “Many of the botanical elements help provide a protective buffer for the artworks, such as low-growing juniper and sedges planted around the foundation of one of the large pieces in the Walled Garden.”

Towering palm in the Conservatory at Biltmore

Towering palm in the Conservatory

Palm project

According to Clare, some long-term garden maintenance projects had to be completed ahead of schedule to prepare for the exhibition.

“Because of the sculptures that are displayed in the Conservatory, we went ahead with a major overhaul of the Palm Room,” Clare said. “There are more than 200 palms in the Conservatory, and some of them are very old. We re-potted and repositioned them to focus the view on the ends where Chihuly’s Chandeliers are installed.”

Walled Garden and Conservatory at Biltmore

Walled Garden and Conservatory at Biltmore

The future looks bright

Even with the demands of the extra planning and preparation, Clare is excited that the estate is hosting Chihuly at Biltmore now through October 17, and she looks forward to the future.

“This exhibition has given us the opportunity to upgrade the infrastructure of the gardens, and that means we can try new ideas and events,” said Clare.

Featured blog image: Clare Cottrell, Supervisor of Gardens and Conservatory 

Spring is a Special Time to Honor Olmsted

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Spring is a special time to honor Frederick Law Olmsted, Biltmore’s landscape designer.

Bench by Biltmore's Bass Pond
A quiet spot near the Bass Pond highlights Olmsted’s landscape design

When designing Biltmore’s historic gardens and grounds, Olmsted knew that spring would set the stage for all the glorious seasons to come.

Today, the meticulously maintained landscape still stand as a timely tribute to Olmsted’s springtime birthday.

Born April 26, 1822, Olmsted is known as “the father of American landscape architecture,” with premiere projects including Central Park in New York City and the grounds of California’s Stanford University.

Olmsted designed this lagoon to reflect Biltmore House
The Lagoon is one of Olmsted’s many landscape designs for Biltmore

“There are many beautiful American parks and landscapes that reflect Olmsted’s genius,” said Parker Andes, Director of Horticulture, “but it’s the design for Biltmore that is considered Olmsted’s masterpiece.”

According to Parker, Olmsted had already worked on several Vanderbilt family projects when George Vanderbilt approached him in 1888 for advice on the North Carolina property he’d already purchased.

“Now I have brought you here to examine it and tell me if I have been doing anything very foolish,” Vanderbilt reportedly told Olmsted.

Olmsted’s frank assessment

Azaleas along the Approach Road in spring
The Approach Road to Biltmore House is lined with azaleas each spring

“Olmsted was frank in his assessment, advising Vanderbilt that the soil seemed to be generally poor, with most of the good trees having been culled already,” Parker said. “He noted that the topography was unsuitable for creating the type of park scenery that characterized the English country estates that Vanderbilt admired.”

Olmsted planned colorful blooms for spring in Biltmore's Shrub Garden
Colorful spring blooms in Biltmore’s Shrub Garden

Plans for both the house and landscape changed in 1889 when Vanderbilt and architect Richard Morris Hunt toured France together and the scale of Biltmore House and its surrounding gardens expanded.

Olmsted wrote that he was nervous, not sure how to “merge stately architectural work with natural or naturalistic landscape work,” but Olmsted biographer Witold Rybczynki says that the landscape architect achieved something completely original at Biltmore: the first combination of French and English landscape designs.

White wisteria blooming in Biltmore's Walled Garden
White wisteria blooming in the Walled Garden

“You can see Olmsted’s creativity and skill in the transitions between Biltmore’s formal and natural gardens, and his use of native plants, small trees and large shrubs, and color and texture year-round,” said Parker. 

Now that Biltmore welcomes 1.7 million guests each year, the historic gardens and grounds must be protected and preserved as carefully as Biltmore House and all other original parts of the estate.

Kids in Biltmore's Azalea Garden
Guests of all ages love discovering Biltmore’s “outdoor rooms” like the Azalea Garden

“In addition to the impact of so many visitors, the landscape has changed and matured over the past century,” said Parker, “and the challenge for today’s landscaping team lies in determining what Olmsted intended.”

Landscaping crew at work in Biltmore's Walled Garden
Landscaping crews at work to carry on Olsted’s vision for Biltmore

“The team uses archival resources such as early plans, original plant lists, letters of correspondence, weekly reports written during the construction of the estate, and information about Olmsted’s design philosophies to help them preserve the landscape style while remaining true to Olmsted’s vision,” Parker noted.

Plan your visit this spring

Prepare to be dazzled as the splendor of spring unfolds across Biltmore’s historic gardens and grounds and thousands of blossoms create a tapestry of color across the estate.

Featured blog image: A couple enjoys a visit to the estate’s historic gardens and grounds

A Sneak Peek at “The Vanderbilts at Home and Abroad”

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Please enjoy this archived content from 2018

Premiering March 15 at The Biltmore Legacy, The Vanderbilts at Home and Abroad details George Vanderbilt’s youth and boyhood travels, his courtship and marriage to Edith Stuyvesant Dresser, and the birth of their daughter, Cornelia Vanderbilt.

In addition to family life, stories about their travels and lives on the estate are chronicled, and a variety of rare objects and personal photos from the Biltmore House collection are showcased. In honor of this upcoming exhibit, here’s a sneak peek at some of the items that will be on display:

Louis Vuitton travel trunk, 1900

1. Louis Vuitton travel trunk

Edith Vanderbilt’s elegant Louis Vuitton travel trunk, ca. 1900, has her initials E.S.V. engraved on the top. This fashionable piece served as her luggage for many of the Vanderbilt’s frequent trips to Europe.

Edith Vanderbilt's No. 4 Panoram Kodak camera Model B, ca. 1900-1903

2. Edith Vanderbilt’s Personal Cameras

Edith was an avid photographer who chronicled the lives of her family while living at Biltmore and traveling the world. Two of her personal cameras will be on display: her No. 4 Panoram Kodak camera Model B, ca. 1900-1903 (pictured); and her No. 3 Folding Pocket Kodak camera Model G, ca. 1912.

Samurai warrior armor from Japan’s Edo period (1615-1868)

3. Samurai Armor

This suit of Samurai warrior armor dates to Japan’s Edo period (1615-1868). Made of iron, lacquer, leather, textiles, and silk, the armor caught the eye of George Vanderbilt during his travels in the Far East.

Japanese daggers from the Meiji period (1868-1912)

4. Japanese Daggers

Also souvenirs from George Vanderbilt’s travels in the Far East, these ornate daggers were prized by Western collectors and are exquisite examples of traditional lacquer and metalwork. They are made of steel, lacquer, gold, bronze, and silk from the Meiji period (1868-1912).

Cartier hat pin, 1924

5. Cartier Hat Pin

In addition to the antique books, tableware, and decorative objects that Cornelia Vanderbilt Cecil and Honorable John F. A. Cecil received for their 1924 wedding, they also received jewelry, including this Cartier hat pin, made of carved jadeite, sapphire, diamond, and platinum.

Join us for The Vanderbilts at Home and Abroad—included in your estate admission—to view these items and other exceptional pieces while learning more about the fascinating family that called Biltmore “home.”

Housekeeping in America’s Largest Home®

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What happens in America’s Largest Home® after we un-deck our massive halls from the splendor of Christmas at Biltmore? Our housekeeping team “sweeps into action!”

Deep cleaning

Biltmore House post-Christmas is in need of the kind of deep cleaning that can’t be accomplished during the busy holiday season.

“It’s my favorite time of year,” said Connie Dey, housekeeping supervisor. “We jump right into some of our biggest cleaning projects, from the Basement all the way to Fourth Floor.” 

Lights, dusters, action!

There are plenty of smaller jobs, too, and for these, Connie relies on her flashlight that busts dust in all its hiding places, a soft goat hair brush, and a Swiffer-style duster created in-house to meet Museum Services standards. Armed with these trusty tools, Connie and her team can carefully clean even the most delicate pieces in the collection. 

“It takes several weeks of special training to learn how to care for the objects in Biltmore House,” Connie said, “and even then, it can be a little scary to start handling things on your own.”

Books on shelves in Biltmore's Library

Housekeeping by the numbers

According to Connie, it takes three members of her seven-person team approximately four days to clean the books and shelves in the Library. We did the math: it works out to be about 833 books—plus shelf space—per person, per day! 

“We’re used to working at a fast pace and not getting in the guests’ way during their visit,” said Connie, “but lots of people are fascinated by the process, and they want to watch us work.”

Safety first

While hard hats aren’t the most common sight in Biltmore House, some cleaning projects require extra safety precautions. To reach the Grand Staircase chandelier or the arched doorways of the Banquet Hall, Engineering Services puts industrial scaffolding in place to help Housekeeping reach new heights in cleaning.

“It’s a strange feeling to have that enormous chandelier move slightly as you vacuum the cups around the lights,” Connie said, “but we have work to do, so we keep going. I can only imagine how difficult some of these tasks must have been for past housekeepers, without today’s safety controls and technology to make it faster and easier.”

Part of our preservation story

Although Connie has been a member of Housekeeping for nine years, she says she never gets tired of the work. 

“My team takes great pride in cleaning Biltmore House,” Connie explained. “We’re not only keeping it clean, but we’re also looking at things constantly to detect possible problems, and that makes us an important part of Biltmore’s preservation story.”

Plan your Biltmore getaway

Winter is a wonderful time to visit the estate, and you may catch Housekeeping “brushing up” on their deep cleaning projects!

Blog images
Featured image: Connie Dey uses a soft brush to dust an intricate clock in the Salon
First image: Connie cradles a lamp base close to her body
Second image: Freshly-dusted books and shelves in the Library
Third image: Mildred Florence of Housekeeping at work in the Banquet Hall
Fourth image: Connie checks to make sure no dust has settled on the linens in the Breakfast Room

And the Winner is… Titanic

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Please enjoy this archived content from 2018.

Our newest exhibition, Glamour on Board: Fashion from Titanic the Movie, features costumes from the iconic production, which holds the record for the most Academy Award® nominations and the record for the most Oscars® won by a single film.

The 1997 movie was nominated for 14 Academy Awards, tying All About Eve (1950) for the most Oscar nominations. Additionally, it won 11 of those awards, tying Ben Hur (1959)—and later matched by The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)—for having won the most Oscars.

Titanic’s Academy Awards include:

  • Best Picture
  • Best Director
  • Best Art Direction
  • Best Cinematography
  • Best Costume Design
  • Best Film Editing
  • Best Original Dramatic Score      
  • Best Original Song
  • Best Sound        
  • Best Sound Effects Editing           
  • Best Visual Effects

Needless to say, the award we’re most excited about is “Best Costume Design”—which means that each and every costume on display in our exhibition is a true Academy Award-winner!

While key costumes from the film have been shown in other places, this is the first large-scale display—including outfits of background characters, shoes, accessories, and more.

Here’s a sneak peek at the detailing on a few of those fabulous pieces that’ll be displayed during Glamour on Board.

1. Rose DeWitt Bukater’s Yellow Breakfast Dress will be on display in the Oak Sitting Room during Glamour on Board.

Titanic at Biltmore Yellow Breakfast Dress

2. Rose’s red shoes, along with the famed Jump Dress, will be on display in the Library during Glamour on Board.

Titanic at Biltmore Rose's Red Shoes

3. Rose’s iconic Boarding Hat from the start of the film will be on display near the Winter Garden during Glamour on Board.

Titanic at Biltmore Rose's Boarding Hat

Join us for the exhibition beginning on February 9, 2018 until May 13, 2018. Also, be sure to ask about our limited-time Glamour on Board Premium Guided Tour. In this 90-minute tour, you’ll learn captivating stories behind the costumes’ creation, and get fascinating insights into the elegance of the era’s fashions, culture of the times, costume design, and making of the film.

Dressing the Mannequins of Glamour on Board

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Please enjoy this archived content from 2018.

After almost two years of planning, Biltmore’s newest costume exhibition, Glamour on Board: Fashion from Titanic the Movie, is beginning to come to life.

While key costumes from the film have been shown in other places, this is the first large-scale display—including outfits of background characters, shoes, accessories, and more.

All that’s to say, Leslie Klingner, Biltmore’s Curator of Interpretation; Anne Battram, our Upholstery and Textile Conservator; and Janey Abbott, Costume Specialist, have been hard at work. Anne and Janey began dressing mannequins back in May and they’ll be the first to admit: There’s more to the task than meets the eye.

Shoes from the film Titanic

1. Outlining the exhibition

Before the costumes were chosen at Fox Studios, Leslie worked with other members of our Museum Services team to map out the storyline of the exhibition, which informs where the costumes will be placed throughout Biltmore House.

“This plan shifted a bit as we saw what costumes were available,” said Leslie. “Some were so striking that it was clear immediately in what room they could best be showcased.”

As Titanic is set in the early 1910s, many of the period-specific costumes paired easily with the interior of America’s Largest Home®—but others required some judgment calls.

Costumes from the film Titanic

For instance, one costume in the film’s collection is a beautifully intricate maritime officer’s uniform.

“The artistry of the piece is truly incredible,” Leslie said, “and the Captain’s story is an important one, but that outfit simply doesn’t make sense just anywhere in Biltmore House. In the end, we decided that it made the most sense in the Banquet Hall, knowing that when the Vanderbilts’ travelled, they would have often been invited to dine at the Captain’s table. We wanted to convey a sense of that through this exhibition.”

Box with Rose's Baording Hat

2. Documenting the costumes of Glamour on Board

Not long after the flow of the exhibition is outlined, the costumes begin to arrive. At this point, Leslie and Janey must photograph each of the 511 items to document their condition and arrangement upon arrival.

“The process is far more involved than dressing a retail mannequin,” explains Leslie. “These costumes are iconic and hold cultural and historical value, so we have to pay attention to the details of every single piece.”

The team then creates an inventory sheet for each costume, identifying all of the pieces included as well as a film still showing the costume on its character.

Inventory sheets

3. Dressing the mannequins

Before actually dressing the mannequins, Leslie and Anne pair the costumes with the most appropriate mannequin.

“Our mannequins are custom made,” explained Leslie, “and as styles change with the times, it’s important for each to reflect the style of dress from that era. We pad out mannequins to best support the textiles while they are on display and also try to reflect the form of the actor who originally wore the outfit.”

“For some costumes, we need mannequins whose poses can accentuate certain accessories, such as shoes or a fan, while still appearing anatomically correct,” added Janey.

Shoes on a mannequin at glamour on board

Finally, Anne and Janey put the costumes on the mannequins and Leslie checks to see what may need adjusting to make the pieces as authentic as possible—which can be anything from needing extra padding to create a certain shape to finding creative ways to resolve issues that arise.

They then take the costume off, make the adjustments, put the costume back on, and check their work.

“No matter how well we plan, there is always something that didn’t fit quite how we expected,” said Leslie. “Anne and Janey have come up with countless ways to mask small gaps between buttons or to create the illusion of a lengthened hem. It’s an art!”

Janey Abbott working during glamour on board

“It really is a challenge in 3D thinking,” says Janey. “We’re essentially creating form from the inside out.”

In the last few months of dressing, this team will be adding wigs custom-made of watercolor paper and jewelry for a final touch. Meanwhile, our Floral team is planning complementary décor for the rooms and our Engineering and Conservation teams plan for lighting, object movement, and installation.

Join us for the exhibition and see how all of the hard work pays off. Also, be sure to ask about our limited-time Glamour on Board Premium Guided Tour. In this 90-minute tour, you’ll learn captivating stories behind the costumes’ creation, and get fascinating insights into the elegance of the era’s fashions, culture of the times, costume design, and making of the film.

George Vanderbilt: A Modern Art Collector

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From a young age, George Vanderbilt inherited his father’s passion for admiring and collecting art. While George was inspired by the earlier artists his father admired, he also supported more modern, progressive artists who embraced contemporary themes and new technologies.

Let’s take a look at a few of the pieces in the Biltmore House collection that speak to George Vanderbilt’s love of ground-breaking artists and their work.

1. Ignacio Zuloaga’s “Rosita”
Rosita

On display in the Louis XV Hallway

​Painter Ignacio Zuloaga drew from folklife and long-founded elements of Spanish painting—for instance, Rosita is lounging on a divan draped with a mantón de manila, an integral part of the costume worn by flamenco dancers. However, Zuloaga was also influenced by the philosophy and art of the French symbolists to explore different modes of expressing character and energy and encouraging personal interpretation. In this, the character and energy of Rosita is distinct; she is confident: a model at ease with being an object of beauty.

2. Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s “Young Algerian Woman” and “Young Boy with an Orange”
Young Algerian Woman

On display in the Breakfast Room

Renoir painted alongside fellow artists Monet and others to create a wholly new style concerned with capturing light, movement, and other optical effects. This Impressionistic approach to handling light, as well as Renoir’s unique style of composition, his use of underlying foundations and free brushwork, and his informal, intimate subject matter were all ground-breaking developments—represented in both Young Algerian Woman (above) and Young Boy with an Orange (feature image).

Fun fact: The Renoir paintings in the Biltmore House collection were likely among the first of his works in America!

3. Maxime Maufra’s “Vue du Port” (“View of the Harbor in Sunset”)
Vue du Port

On display in the Breakfast Room

Frenchman Maxmie Maufra travelled to England as a young man and devoted time to study the Romantic landscapes of Constable and Turner. While their dramatic skies and turbulent seas were impactful, his work clearly shows the influence of the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist schools in his handling of light and color.

4. Constantin Emile Meunier’s “Anvers” (“Antwerp”)
Anvers

Not currently on display

Inspired by his travels and exposure to the industrial region of Belgium, Meunier made an important contribution to the development of modern art by elevating the image of the industrial worker, dock worker, and miner to an icon of modernity. While he certainly wasn’t the first to explore the theme of workers and industry, his portrayal of labor and laborers in forthright, heroic fashion was an altogether new approach.

Fabulous Fashion Find Yields Titanic Results

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Please enjoy this archived content from 2018.

With our new exhibition Glamour on Board: Fashion from Titanic the Movie, we are celebrating not only the 20th anniversary of the iconic film that won 11 Oscars®, including Best Picture and Best Costume Design, but also the elegant wardrobes favored by transatlantic travelers in the early 1900s. On display in Biltmore House February 9–May 13, 2018, this exhibition is the first large-scale display of the original Titanic costumes and will showcase the exquisite detail meticulously recreated for these award-winning fashions. Just as portrayed in the movie, long days at sea fostered friendships and romances, including George Vanderbilt’s courtship of Edith Stuyvesant Dresser.


Planning the exhibition

In planning the exhibition, members of our Museum Services team wanted to ensure that guests understood the historical significance of Edwardian fashion as it pertained to Biltmore and the Vanderbilt family.

Leslie Klingner, Curator of Interpretation, conducted specific research related to the costume designers who created the glamorous gowns and dashing suits worn by the principal actors–as well as the extraordinary number of extras–in Titanic. Leslie learned that many of the costumes were original fashions from the era purchased for use in the film; others were created using original elements to make them look and feel as close as possible to authentic clothing of the era.

“While researching, I came across information indicating that the memorable striped ‘arrival suit’ worn by Kate Winslet’s character Rose as she boards Titanic for the first time was a direct reproduction from the January 1912 issue of Les Modes magazine,” said Leslie. “Knowing that Les Modes was a popular fashion magazine of the period, I wondered if we could find another institution that held that particular issue in order to reproduce the original fashion plate for comparison with the costume.”

January 1912 Les Modes fashion magazine features a costume later used in the film Titanic
A fabulously fashionable discovery

Leslie asked Lauren Henry, Associate Curator, for assistance with the search, and that’s when Lauren made a fabulous fashion find: Edith Vanderbilt not only read Les Modes, she kept a number of issues that are still in our archives–including the January 1912 edition!

“The magazines themselves are gorgeous,” Leslie said. “The covers are printed using a very refined technique called pochoir. This specialized process used a stencil-based method of printing that produced crisp lines and brilliant colors and was often used to illustrate fashion magazines like Les Modes,” explained Leslie. “The issues in our archives have metallic gold highlights on the covers and are in remarkable condition. Many look just as lovely as they would have when they were new!”

Fashion spread featuring five dresses in the April 1911 issue of Les Modes
Titanic connections

We’ve always known that Edith Vanderbilt was considered a trendsetter when it came to fashion, but with the discovery of this treasure trove of magazines, we now know one of the ways she kept up with the latest Parisian styles on a monthly basis. In fact, she may have looked at the very dress in 1912 that would be used to express the height of haute couture more than a century later in the film Titanic. In another twist of fate, George and Edith Vanderbilt would make plans to travel aboard the ill-fated ship just a few months later, and though their personal arrangements were changed before Titanic sailed, a member of their household staff was lost in the tragedy.

Discover The Vanderbilts at Home and Abroad

Opening in March 2018, The Vanderbilts at Home and Abroad exhibit, located in The Biltmore Legacy in Antler Hill Village, will further showcase the lives of the Vanderbilts as well as treasures collected during their world travels.

Featured image: (L-R) April 1912 and February 1913 covers of Les Modes magazines from Biltmore’s archives

First image: Leslie Klinger displays the large striped hat that accompanies the ‘arrival suit’ worn by Kate Winslet’s character Rose in Titanic

Second image: January 1912 Les Modes photograph featuring original design which inspired the ‘arrival dress’ used in the film Titanic (magazine from Biltmore archives)

Third image: April 1911 Les Modes fashion spread featuring five original gowns from the time period in which Titanic is set (magazine from Biltmore archives)

Olmsted’s Groundbreaking Work: Gardens and Glass

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Chihuly At Biltmore Was On Display From May 17 To October 7, 2018.
Please Enjoy This Archived Content.

Long known as the father of American landscape architecture, Frederick Law Olmsted reached the pinnacle of his professional career with his landscape design for Biltmore–George Vanderbilt’s magnificent private estate.

Portrait of Olmsted by John Singer SargentA vision for the future

In addition to developing the extensive plans for Biltmore, Olmsted was a true visionary–looking ahead more than a century to understand how his designs would mature to create a stunning setting for America’s Largest Home® that future generations would continue to preserve.

From gardens filled with glorious blooms to carefully managed forest lands, Olmsted’s genius is recognized around the world and his contributions to the art and science of landscaping continue to be celebrated.

First in Forestry plaque with Gifford PinchotThe success of Olmsted’s protégées is also directly attributable to his mentorship, from Biltmore’s first forest manager Gifford Pinchot’s who went on to serve as the first chief of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service to Chauncey Beadle, Biltmore’s estate supervisor who managed and nurtured Olmsted’s designs for more than 50 years.

Masterpieces in gardens and glass
From May 17–October 7, 2018, Biltmore will host Chihuly at Biltmore, the first-ever art exhibition in our historic gardens. This exhibition features the works of globally-renowned artist Dale Chihuly set in the living backdrop of gardens that remain true to Frederick Law Olmsted’s design intent.

Just as Olmsted is known as a leader in the development of landscape architecture, Chihuly is leader in the development of glass as a fine art and he is celebrated for amazing architectural installations combining brilliant colors and striking forms that have entranced viewers worldwide. Chihuly at Biltmore features awe-inspiring artworks in both Biltmore House & Gardens and Antler Hill Village.

Dazzling by daytime, the exhibition sparkles during Chihuly Nights at Biltmore, when the sculptures are illuminated to showcase their spectacular colors and shapes.

The Conservatory at BiltmorePlan your visit now

Chihuly at Biltmore is included in your estate admission. The dramatic experience of Chihuly Nights at Biltmore requires a separate ticket purchase and is offered on select evenings by reservation only.

Featured blog image: Biltmore’s Walled Garden
— First image: Frederick Law Olmsted portrait by John Singer Sargent, located in Second Floor Living Hall of Biltmore House
— Second image: First in Forestry plaque at Biltmore, featuring Gifford Pinchot
— Third image: The Conservatory at Biltmore, which will feature several of Chihuly’s Chandeliers during the exhibition