The Gilded Age took cues from Alva Vanderbilt’s 1883 ball, which “was the most extravagant affair of its kind America had ever seen.”
Tokyo-born artist Masaaki Sasamoto creates surreal worlds bathed in gold, mixing mythological iconography and the painter’s own, distinctive figures. The butterfly is one of the most common components in Sasamoto’s work, whether enveloping his subjects or fully embedded into them. Some of these scenes also carry notes of steampunk and futuristic, manga-inspired flourishes.
xiv, 384 p. 19 cm
We have likely all seen the stereotypical image of a knight in shining armor, but there is more to the world of armory than the steel plate armor we are often exposed to.
Model Wearing DIOR Haute Couture during 2005 Paris Fashion Week - Haute Couture - Fall/Winter 2005/2006 - DIOR - Runway at Polo de Paris in Paris, France.
The Astor Double Mansion Overlooking Central Park On a sunny, June day while in Newport Mrs. Caroline Astor offered her friend, architect Richard Morris Hunt, the commission to design and build a new house for her on a property she owned at the northeast corner of Fifth Avenue facing Central Park. The lot was unusually large, and since Caroline was getting on in age (she was pushing 80) and did not need that much space, it was decided that the home would really be a double home the corner half for her son, John, and the other half for her. Caroline Was Know Simply as "The Mrs. Astor" Richard Morris Hunt was called the Society Man Hunt spent 3 months searching all over Europe looking for inspiration and finally decided on a early 16th century French Renaissance style chateau for Caroline's new residence. On the outside the mansion would look like one house but on the inside it would really be two divided right down the middle by a parting wall. Mrs. Astor demanded that their be a ballroom, so a large ballroom was added to the rear of the home that would be used by Caroline, although her son and daughter-in-law John and Ava would have access too it (that was the only way it would be big enough), but they preferred to use their inflated drawing room for their parties. The Floor Plan of The Homes Show That They're Exact Mirror Versions of Each Other The beautifully crafted interiors were designed by Jules Allard and were all done in the French mode. The ground floors of both homes were designed for entertaining and all of the rooms are suited for that purpose. The ground floors of both houses contained a large stair hall, small reception room, large drawing room (or salon), a dining room and a pantry, while the ballroom was at the rear. Mrs. Astor's Stair Hall, Where She Tragically Fell Down Its Staircase and Cut Her Head Open The stair halls were at the center of the house and rose up three storeys high. The rest of the rooms on the ground floor were wrapped around it. Access to all of the ground floor rooms was gained from the stair hall. Mrs. Astor's Reception Room, Where She Greeted Arriving Guests John's Reception Room, Where Ava Played Bridge With Mrs. Lehr While Ava was playing bridge in the reception room, John would normally retreat to the drawing room, where he could read in solitude or play the piano. The drawing rooms were the largest of the entertaining rooms (not including the ballroom) and for John and Ava it was used as a ballroom (since the actual one was dominated by Caroline). Mrs. Astor's Drawing Room Held A Collection Of Famous Sevres Vases John's Drawing Room Was Basically a Inflated Reception Room The Dining Rooms were the most detailed and decorated rooms of the house. Both rooms had dark oak paneling and decorative detailed ceilings. Also both dining rooms had several large tapestries and were capable of seating 200 people. Mrs. Astor's Dining Room Housed A Statue of Venus That Was From Her Original House John's Dining Room Housed a Picture Of The First John Astor Over The Fireplace At the rear of the mansion was the ballroom. The ballroom, which also doubled as the art or picture gallery, was the largest room in the house and was furnished according to Mrs. Astor with furniture used from the old house, John thought it was old fashioned and would have rather furnished it otherwise. Mrs. Astor's Ballroom Could Hold 1,200 People After the mansion was completed Mrs. Astor continued to entertain as lavishly as she always had, opening the house with her annual Patriarch's Ball. By the 1900's, though, Mrs. Astor was more of a shadow queen and although Caroline still held pride of place, society was mainly ruled by other such as Alva Belmont, Mamie Fish and Tessie Oelrichs. Mrs. Astor gave her last ball, her annual Opera Ball the start of the season, in 1904 and in 1907 gave her last dinner party. Shortly after that, one morning, Mrs. Astor fell down her beautiful staircase and tumbled to the floor. Servants heard a loud thud and a great moan and rushed to find her laying flat across the floor, her halo of white hair soaked in a pool of bright, red blood. A hastily examining doctor discovered numerous deep cuts and gashes on her head; having refused to go to the hospital, Mrs. Astor bravely sat in a chair in the drawing room, tightly clutching the arms while the doctor stitched up her wounds. Although she recovered, Caroline was never mentally the same again and forever the large door of her marble palace were closed. Mrs. Astor's sharpness faded and her brain deteriorated, her doctors ordered her not to entertain anymore. Servants would Mrs. Astor wandering through her large palace greeting guests that weren't really there and hosting dinners and parties that didn't exist. The large staff of 26 people that ran her palace was cut to a skeleton crew of 6 which consisted of The cook, Hade the butler who had been with Mrs. Astor since 1876, Miss Simrock the housekeeper and three maids. Also attending to Mrs. Astor was her doctor and three nurses. Finally Mrs. Astor died in 1908, she left her side of the house to John along with her famous jewels. Most of her money went to her two remaining daughters some $1 million. John Was Considered A Playboy Promptly after Caroline's death, John and Ava divorced. Ava claimed parental custody of their daughter, Alice, along with a $3.5 million settlement, while John would have custody of their son, Vincent, and would retain all of their properties. Ava promptly moved to England and married Lord Ribblesdale. John also remarried, this time again to another great beauty, and society was shocked at who he picked. John, age 47, married Madeleine Force, age 18. Madeleine was considered by most to be an extreme beauty, her swan-like neck, silk-like brown hair, attractive face and perfect figure, and to top it all off was basically the opposite of Ava. John had met her at Bar Harbor and was immediately smitten with her and they were married shortly after in the ballroom at "Beechwood" the Astor's cottage in Newport. "Beechwood", The Scene of John And Madeleine's Wedding Meanwhile, in New York City, John was having the architectural firm of Carrere and Hastings convert the double mansion into one giant residence for him and Madeleine. The total cost of the renovations was said to be $3 million. This would be accomplished by removing the parting wall and replacing the double staircases with a large bronze-domed great hall and creating a smaller, less conspicuous staircase toward the back of the house. Later on, John decided to put a marble fountain in the middle. The Great Hall The Fountain That Was Latter Added Also John replaced what had been his mother's dining room with his dining room, which was an exact copy of the one he had before. Where his dining room had been he turned into his library, which he had removed from the third floor and redone. The Library, After John Had it Redone Perhaps because it was so elegant, John left the ballroom, although by then the art collection had become old fashioned. Though John left the ballroom he didn't leave the furniture and he gutted the room of all the old furniture Caroline had brought over with her from 34th Street. He replaced the old fashioned furniture with red velvet armchairs, sofas and benches. The Ballroom Now Sat Empty And Never Used Another View Of The New Ballroom Published In A Newspaper Meanwhile In Europe John and Madeleine were on their honeymoon, although they had to cut it short on account of Madeleine's pregnancy. While in Europe John had lavish on Madeleine with expensive gifts and jewels which made her look stunning (not to mention she had Caroline's jewels back at home all at her disposal). John booked a large suite of rooms on the brand new ship "Titanic" for him and Madeleine's return home. The Titanic Would Be Sailing On It's Maiden Voyage The Suite John Booked Contained a Sitting Room, 2 Bedrooms And A Bathroom Sadly, though, the "Titanic" sank while on it's way to America. Madeleine survived, as did her maid and nurse, but John and his valet perished. Madeleine went into deep morning, visiting his grave daily, from which she emerged in 1915. According to the terms of John's will, Madeleine received $2 million outright and a $5 million trust fund. Madeleine also received the Fifth Avenue mansion and "Beechwood" cottage, all to be given up if she remarry. Madeleine In Deep Morning Since Madeleine did remarry (two more times to be exact) the property went to Vincent, John's son. Vincent and his wife Helen were at first content to give an annual ball every year in the mansion in honor of Caroline. Vincent and His First Wife Helen But by the time Vincent's third wife, Brooke, moved in Vincent no longer wanted the immense expense of maintaining a large New York City residence and he moved to a smaller residence, so the great house was boarded up and sat empty. As a tribute to his father, Vincent had John's bedroom and bathroom reinstalled in his new townhouse. By The Time Vincent Had Moved Out The Astor Mansion Had Already Become A Symbol Of A Bygone Age By 1925, Vincent had already sold "Beechwood" cottage and "Ferncliff" the Astor estate on the Hudson and now it was time for the Fifth Avenue palace to go too, which had been sitting empty for almost 1 year. It was sold and demolished to make way for the Temple Emanu-El, which occupies the spot today.
This mega palace on fifth avenue belong to Andrew Carnegie and his wife Louise. Andrew Carnegie was called the "Steel King" and owned Car...
Julian Fellowes has written an American version of Downton Abbey for HBO, so we’re recapping this first season of The Gilded Age! Starting in 1882, the story promises to be a juicy soap opera…
Embrace Spiritual Enlightenment with the Green Tara Stone Statue The Green Tara Stone Figure, a work of spiritual beauty and craftsmanship, exudes divine peace. This beautiful figure, which stands 4.7 inches tall and weighs 0.340 kilogram, embodies elegance and grace and perfectly captures the compassionate energy of Tara. It is made of stone and has elaborate detailing. It is embellished with paintings in gold and acrylic as well as 24K gold gilding, which gives it a serene, beautiful appearance. It inspires you to make a connection with the holy within any sacred location with its antique finish, which lends a touch of timeless knowledge. She is frequently invoked to conquer phobias and barriers while also assisting individuals in distress. To commune with her altruistic energy, devotees say her mantra, "Om Tare Tuttare Ture Soha," and partake in visualization and meditation exercises. By means of devotion to Green Tara, practitioners hope to develop strength, fortitude, and a profound compassion, benefiting from her enlightened presence for guidance and inspiration. Size: 4.7”/12cm (Height) x 4.1”/10.5cm (Width)Weight: 0.340 kgMaterial: 24K Gold Gilded, Gold & Acrylic Paintings, Turquoise Stone Body, Antique Finished A well-known character in Tibetan Buddhism, Green Tara is a Bodhisattva who is admired for her quick thinking, compassion, and capacity to spare suffering from sentient beings. She is frequently shown as a dazzling goddess with a serene expression, decked out in jewels and perched elegantly on a lotus throne. Tara's green hue represents her affiliation with proactive empathy, development, and freedom. Through rituals, prayers, and visions, devotees call upon her graces in order to seek her direction in navigating difficulties, fears, and roadblocks on the spiritual path. "Om Tare Tuttare Ture Soha," Green Tara's mantra, is said to call upon her kind energy and assistance during difficult times. She is the embodiment of the compassionate side of enlightenment, encouraging followers to develop courage, wisdom, and compassion in their daily lives.
Dr Kate Fulcher is a Research Assistant in the British Museum's Department of Scientific Research, and she led the a research project into the “black goo” used in Egyptian burials is, and what it might reveal about ancient Egyptian funerary practices and rituals.
Friends, have you checked out the new Online Exclusive products that went live March 1st? Last week's Facebook Live featured the beautiful new Hello, Irresistible Suite. If you missed the demo and blog post, click here. Today's card features another brand new product - the gorgeous new Naturally Gilded Specialty DSP. I've paired it with the Dragonfly Garden Stamp Set, from our Annual Catalogue. Something old and something new! Click here to see my Facebook Live demo. I'll include a clickable photo supply list at the end of this post. To make this card, I started by die-cutting my label from Very Vanilla Cardstock, using the Waves Dies. This label is a favourite of mine, for the ability to thread ribbon through it. Next, I stamped and embossed. I first used my Embossing Buddy to remove any humidity from the cardstock I'd be stamping on. Using VersaMark Ink, I stamped my sentiment from the Dragonfly Garden Stamp Set onto the label. (Ce jeu d'estampes est également disponible en français.) Then I stamped the floral image onto a 2" x 5" strip of Very Vanilla Cardstock. To emboss, I shook Gold Embossing Powder from the Metallics Embossing Powders over the images, then tapped off the excess and returned it to the jar. I used my Heat Tool to emboss both images. (If you've never used this tool before, it is much like using a hairdryer.) Then I trimmed the edges of the floral image to turn it into a 1 1/2" x 5" rectangle. Here's a look at the stamps in the Dragonfly Garden set: To assemble the card, I positioned the floral image and two 1" x 5" strips of the Gold Naturally Gilded Specialty DSP on a 4" x 5 1/4" Gold Foil Sheets panel. I used Grid Paper to help me centre the floral image, then adhered it with Stampin' Seal. I also adhered the Naturally Gilded strips with Stampin' Seal. Naturally Gilded Specialty DSP comes in patterns of Copper, Gold & Silver: I next fed Gold & Vanilla Satin Edged Ribbon through the label and attached the ribbon to the back of the Gold Foil panel with Mini Glue Dots. I added Stampin' Dimensionals behind the label to pop it up, then tied and attached a bow using Mini Glue Dots. My final step was adding the completed panel to a 4 1/4" x 11" Very Vanilla Thick Cardstock card base with Stampin' Dimensionals. Thanks for joining me today, friends! If you don't have a demonstrator, I would be happy to assist with your crafting needs. Please check out my Special Offers below. And don't forget to sign up for my newsletter, to find out about the upcoming BOGO! Special Offers 🛍 Shop with Me using Host Code YZFVA3SE & receive: FREE tutorial bundle featuring Playing in the Rain Bundle FREE card of the month 🛒 BOGO Coming Soon! Click here to sign up for my next newsletter & receive details about the BOGO! Sale will be online, available to addresses across Canada. 🎨 Sign Up for an Online Class here Here's a Sneak Peek from the Hues of Happiness Class: 🙋 Get the Best Deal & Join Stampin' Up!® No selling required. You don’t even have to buy anything else, ever! Find out more here 🗞 Sign up for my e-newsletter here Receive FREE pre-cut paper pieces for a card as my thanks! (Canadian addresses only) 💻 Follow my blog: Click the button below so you won't miss a single card! 💌 Thank you for stopping by, friends, and I wish you a wonderfully crafty day! Product List Dragonfly Garden Cling Stamp Set [154411] Set De Tampons Amovibles Libellule Au Jardin (Français) [154597] Waves Dies [158840] Versamark Pad [102283] Metallics Embossing Powders [155555] Heat Tool (Us And Canada) [129053] Naturally Gilded 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Specialty Designer Series Paper [161639] Gold Foil Sheets [132622] Gold & Vanilla 3/8" (1 Cm) Satin Edged Ribbon [159555] Very Vanilla 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [101650] Very Vanilla 8-1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock [144237] Mini Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine [150673] Grid Paper [130148] Add All to Cart
You can make this Stampin' Up! Online Exclusives: Naturally Gilded Specialty DSP & Brilliant Wings Card with the instructions here.
Julian Fellowes has written an American version of Downton Abbey for HBO, so we’re recapping this first season of The Gilded Age! Starting in 1882, the story promises to be a juicy soap opera…
Part One: The Children Cornelius Vanderbilt and Margaret Vanderbilt Shephard The eight offspring of William Henry Vanderbilt set the benchmark for luxurious living in gilded age New York, forever intertwining the name Vanderbilt with opulence and wealth. Nowhere was this more ev
