Read more about the article Naumkeag, part 4
Naumkeag. Photo copyright © 2020 Dianne L. Durante

Naumkeag, part 4

For more on Naumkeag, see the first post in this series. This post is available as a video at https://youtu.be/lQYzlOFti3M. Gardens at the north end of Naumkeag This week, we're…

Comments Off on Naumkeag, part 4
Read more about the article Naumkeag, part 3
Naumkeag, interior. Photo copyright © 2020 Dianne L. Durante

Naumkeag, part 3

For more on Naumkeag, see the first post in this series. This post is available as a video at https://youtu.be/MMlZuPW6zjg. Inside the house Ventfort (here and here) and The Mount -…

Comments Off on Naumkeag, part 3
Read more about the article Naumkeag, part 2
Naumkeag's gardens. Photo copyright © 2020 Dianne L. Durante

Naumkeag, part 2

For more on Naumkeag, see the first post in this series. This post is available as a video at https://youtu.be/npmDQpdImZY. This week: more of Naumkeag's spectacular gardens. Naumkeag's gardens, continued…

Comments Off on Naumkeag, part 2
Read more about the article Naumkeag, part 1
Naumkeag's gardens. Photo copyright © 2020 Dianne L. Durante

Naumkeag, part 1

This post is available as a video at https://youtu.be/L4Gxc_QQWb0. Naumkeag (website here) is a 44-room “Berkshire cottage” in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. The Gilded Age mansion boasts fantastic gardens, spectacular views, and…

Comments Off on Naumkeag, part 1
Read more about the article Untermyer Gardens, Yonkers, part 2
Temple of Love and surrounding landscaping. Untermyer Gardens, Yonkers, NY. Photo copyright © 2022 Dianne L. Durante

Untermyer Gardens, Yonkers, part 2

On Samuel Untermyer and the Untermyer Gardens, see last week's post. This post is available as a video at https://youtu.be/SMsWvbi7JE0. The Vista From the Walled Garden, a flight of a…

Comments Off on Untermyer Gardens, Yonkers, part 2
Read more about the article Untermyer Gardens, Yonkers, part 1
Untermyer Gardens: Walled Garden. Yonkers, NY. Photo copyright © 2022 Dianne L. Durante

Untermyer Gardens, Yonkers, part 1

This post is available as a video at https://youtu.be/taZEyc54pQo. History of the Gardens As a corporate lawyer, Samuel Untermyer (1858-1940) was reportedly the first to earn a million-dollar fee. Eventually…

Comments Off on Untermyer Gardens, Yonkers, part 1
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…

Comments Off on Ventfort Mansion, part 2
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…

Comments Off on Ventfort Mansion, part 1
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…

Comments Off on The Breakers, Newport, part 2
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…

Comments Off on The Breakers, Newport, part 1