Read more about the article Ventfort Mansion, part 2
Ventfort: Sarah Morgan's bedroom.

Ventfort Mansion, part 2

For the history of the mansion and the downstairs rooms, see last week's post. This post is available as a video at https://youtu.be/OkHKGWBtKDM. This week, we're mounting this lovely staircase…

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Read more about the article Ventfort Mansion, part 1
Ventfort: Stairs from the main entrance to the second floor.

Ventfort Mansion, part 1

This post is available as a video at https://youtu.be/mehgweDIyik. The Gilded Age mansions of the late nineteenth century were the homes of entrepreneurs who earned their wealth by advancing science, technology, and…

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Read more about the article Favorite Recommendations of 2021, part 3
Louis Majorelle, stained-glass windows for the Longwy Steelworks, 1926.

Favorite Recommendations of 2021, part 3

In 2021, I emailed 157 art-related items to my members of my free Sunday Recommendations list. (To join, just ask me: DuranteDianne@gmail.com.) For supporters, I recommended 52 more items. The items…

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Read more about the article Historical Monument of the American Republic
Erastus Salisbury Field, Historical Monument of the American Republic, 1867-1888. Michele and Donald D'Amour Museum of Fine Arts, Springfield Museums, Springfield, MA.

Historical Monument of the American Republic

In my weekly email of Sunday Recommendations, I promise "art-related suggestions meant to  inspire, to provoke wonder or thought, or simply to amaze by sheer beauty." The Historical Monument of…

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Read more about the article The Breakers, Newport, part 2
The second-floor loggia in The Breakers, Newport, R.I. Photo copyright © 2021 Dianne L. Durante

The Breakers, Newport, part 2

On The Breakers and other Gilded Age mansions, see last week's post. Alice Vanderbilt's bedroom Even though this room is decorated in the Louis XVI style, it's much more restful…

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Read more about the article The Breakers, Newport, part 1
Great Hall in The Breakers, Newport, R.I. Photo copyright © 2021 Dianne L. Durante

The Breakers, Newport, part 1

Many Gilded Age mansions have fabulous gardens that remained open during most of the Corona-virus pandemic, even if the mansions were locked up. Since 2020, I've visited Ventfort, Naumkeag, and…

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Read more about the article Lost Central Park – north end
Conservatory in Central Park, 1902. Image: Annual Report of the Board of Commissioners of Central Park, 1902.

Lost Central Park – north end

If you've read any of my books on Alexander Hamilton, you know I'm a fanatic about primary sources. So when I started to research Central Park, one of my first…

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