Newport Vintage Dance Week

Newport Dancers' Gazette

Newport Dancers' Gazette
Vol VII, Number 3
Wednesday, 16 August 2000

1890’s ball at the Astor’s Beechwood
Wednesday, August 16, 580 Bellevue Ave., Newport

Directions from Portsmouth Abbey:

Turn left onto Cory's Lane, drive to the intersection with route 114, turn right onto 114 and almost immediately, at the first light, turn left onto Hedley St. (there is a sign to Portsmouth Business Park). A little over 1/2 mi. down Hedley St. there is a stop sign, with a second stop sign almost immediately beyond it. Go straight at the first stop sign and turn right at the second onto route 138 south. Go approx. 4 1/2 mi. on Rte. 138, at the Dunkin Donuts 138 intersects with 138A (Aquidneck Ave.), turn onto 138A. Follow Aquidneck Ave. for about 5 miles, it eventually intersects with Memorial Blvd. Turn left onto Memorial Blvd., which bears right and past Newport's First Beach (on left). Follow Memorial Blvd. up the hill to the first major intersection, which is Bellevue Ave. After turning left onto Bellevue Ave., go approximately 1 1/2 mi. on Bellevue Ave, Beechwood is on the left, just after Rosecliff and just before Marble House (watch carefully as the sign can be difficult to spot). If you get to Marble House, turn around.

Videotaping at Astor’s

In the 1/2 hour prior to the 1890’s ball, 8 to 8:30pm, a camera crew from Connecticut Cable television will be videotaping this period for broadcast on their local station. Those who wish to be on camera are welcome to come to this session. For those who do not wish to be filmed, the ball will start at its usual time, 8:30pm, and will not be filmed.

A brief History of Beechwood
and the Astors

Caroline Schermerhorn married William Backhouse Astor in 1853. She brought long lines of established social background to the Astor fortune and became the undisputed Queen of American Society. Caroline Astor insisted upon being called "The Mrs. Astor" by family and friends. With the help of a southern gentleman, Mr. Ward McAllister, she devised the famous "400," a list of 213 families and individuals whose lineage could be traced back at least three generations.

Beechwood was built in 1851 for a southern cotton merchant named Daniel Parrish; the architects were Andrew Jackson Downing and Calvert Vaux. William Backhouse Astor, Jr., purchased the mansion in 1881, and it became the social center for New York Society for twenty-five years of the Gilded Age. William B., as his wife called him, was the grandson of John Jacob Astor, the German immigrant who made himself the richest man in America by investing in fur trading and real estate. Even in 1999, he was listed as the fourth-wealthiest American ever (Microsoft's Bill Gates was fifth).

The Astors hired architect Richard Morris Hunt to create an atmosphere at Beechwood that would be worthy of America's finest citizens. The family invested two million dollars into the renovations. Caroline Astor resided over countless social activities during the eight weeks of each year she visited Beechwood. The highlight of every summer season was Mrs. Astor's Summer Ball. Mrs. Astor retired from social life in 1906. She lived quietly until her death in 1908.

After Mrs. Astor's death her son John Jacob Astor, IV, inherited Beechwood. In 1911 he remarried a much younger woman named Madeleine Talmadge Force; their ceremony was held in the ballroom of Beechwood. After the service the couple headed to Europe to escape the gossip of their union. Unfortunately, they were returning to New York on the RMS Titanic. Madeleine, who was five months pregnant, survived. Her husband, John Jacob Astor IV, Titanic's most wealthy passenger did not.

-text courtesy of The Astors Beechwood Mansion

Swap and Sell

The Vintage Swap and Sell will be held on Wednesday at 3:30pm in the Auditorium. Everyone is welcome to bring items that you wish to sell or trade. You might find what you have always wanted to complete that vintage outfit, or something you never knew you wanted, to add to the pile of stuff in your room.

Thursday Class Schedule

Remember that there is no Thursday afternoon class to allow more time for outings. This class period will be held on Saturday Morning at the time of the usual first class period.

5th Annual Vintage Sailing Outing

Sail on the ADIRONDACK II Cost is $20.00 (group rate). Limited reserved places available. FREE transportation and Parking arranged! Carpool leaves Hockey Rink parking lot at in Portsmouth at 2:30 p.m. Sharp! If you haven’t already signed up see Tom Walton ASAP or check the bulletin board in the gym.

Beach Excursion

On Thursday afternoon, weather permitting, there will be an outing to the campus beach. Period bathing attire is encouraged, but optional. Coordinators are Patri Pugliese and Katy Bishop.

Mansion Tour
Thursday, August 17
Marble House, Bellevue Ave, Newport

This year's optional Mansion Tour will be to Marble House on Thursday afternoon. We are pleased to offer a reduced group rate of $7.00 per person. Directions and a brief introduction to Marble House follow.

Directions from Portsmouth Abbey:

Turn left onto Cory's Lane, drive to the intersection with route 114, turn right onto 114 and almost immediately, at the first light, turn left onto Hedley St. (there is a sign to Portsmouth Business Park). A little over 1/2 mi. down Hedley St. there is a stop sign, with a second stop sign almost immediately beyond it. Go straight at the first stop sign and turn right at the second onto route 138 south. Go approx. 4 1/2 mi. on Rte. 138, at the Dunkin Donuts 138 intersects with 138A (Aquidneck Ave.), turn onto 138A. Follow Aquidneck Ave. for about 5 miles, it eventually intersects with Memorial Blvd. Turn left onto Memorial Blvd., which bears right and past Newport's First Beach (on left). Follow Memorial Blvd. up the hill to the first major intersection, which is Bellevue Ave. After turning left onto Bellevue Ave., go approximately 1 1/2 mi. on Bellevue Ave., Marble House is on the left just after Rosecliff and Beechwood Mansion.

A Brief History of Marble House
and the Vanderbilts

Designed by Richard Morris Hunt, Marble House was built between 1888 and 1892 for Mr. and Mrs. William K. Vanderbilt. Visitors are amazed to discover that this massive, opulent residence was designed as a summer house or "cottage," as Newporters called them. Marble House played an important role in the transformation of Newport from a summer colony of modest wooden homes to the legendary "palaces" of the nations wealthy.

Mr. Vanderbilt was the grandson of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, who established the family's fortune through steamships and the New York Central Railroad. Mrs. Vanderbilt's "temple to the arts" pays homage to Versailles, Gothic and other French design chapters she considered important. The cost of the house was reported at the time to be $11 million, of which $7 million was spent on the 500,000 cubic feet of marble required for construction. Parisian cabinetmakers Allard and Son furnished the home.

The Vanderbilts had three children, Consuelo, who became the 9th Duchess of Marlborough, William K. Jr., a pioneer of auto racing in the U.S. and Harold, a three-time defender of the America's Cup. Much of Harold's yachting memorabilia is on display at Marble House.

Mrs. Vanderbilt later married Oliver H.P. Belmont but continued to use Marble House. She had a whimsical Chinese tearoom added to the grounds where she entertained and held suffrage rallies. The house was sold to Frederick H. Prince in 1932 and was acquired by the Preservation Society of Newport County in 1963 from the Prince estate.

-From information provided by the Preservation Society of Newport County.

Formal Dinner and Ragtime Ball
Glen Manor House
Coelho Drive, Portsmouth

"The Glen," as it is referred to by locals is the setting for Thursday’s formal dinner and Ragtime Ball.

Directions from Portsmouth Abbey:

Turn left onto Cory’s Ln., drive to the intersection with route 114, turn right onto 114 and almost immediately, at the first light, turn left onto Hedley St. (there is a sign to Portsmouth Business Park). A little over 1/2 mi. down Hedley St. there is a stop sign, with a second stop sign almost immediately beyond it. Go straight at the first stop sign and turn right at the second onto route 138 south. Go approx. 2 mi. on Rte. 138, and then turn left on Glen Rd.; landmarks as you approach Glen Rd. are a big sign on the right just before the turn ("Daniel Chapter One") and the "Old Almy Village" directly across from Glen Rd. (if you reach the state poice barracks you have gone too far). Go to the end of Glen Rd. (approx 1 mi.) and turn right onto Coelho Dr.. After passing the Elmhurst School on the left, the road ends at the courtyard in front of Glen Manor House. Passengers may be let out at the door; parking is back up the hill across from the school.

About Glen Manor House

In 1920 H. A. C. Taylor, a prominent farmer who also owned homes in New York and Newport planned to build a proper home on his farm. He hired architect John Russell Pope, designer of the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, DC. His French style design for the house was based on the Petit Trianon at Versailles, and was very unique for the area. Although Mr. Taylor died before work began in 1921, his son Moses continued the work.

The Taylors moved into the house in 1923 and lived there for many years. Reginald, Moses’ son, sold it to the sisters of the Sacred Heart, who moved their Elmhurst School to the property in 1961. When the school closed in 1972, the town of Portsmouth purchased the property. Glen Manor House now provides an exquisite setting for special functions.

-excerpts from information provided by Glen Manor House

Etiquette and Arithmetic
by Patri J. Pugliese
(reprinted from the Newport Dancers' Gazette, 1994)

"Ladies who dance much, should be very careful not to boast before those who dance but little or not at all, of the great number of dances for which they are engaged in advance. They should also, without being perceived, recommend to these less fortunate ladies, gentlemen of their acquaintance."

(R. A. Wells, Manners, Culture, and Dress of the Best American Society (Mass., 1891))

The Friday evening ball will feature dance cards on which ladies and gentlemen can fill in the names of partners for upcoming dances. Many ladies dislike the use of dance cards, while others like them very much indeed. The Newport Dance Week compromise is to have cards only at the mid-nineteenth century ball as they were a nearly universal part of balls at that time. There will, however, be a considerable number of "extra" dances throughout the evening. For some reason, many ladies panic when presented at the beginning of the evening with an empty dance card - perhaps because it calls to mind that most dreadful of images, an evening spent sitting near the wall for the duration of the ball. The natural reaction is to take all possible measures to get that dance card filled as quickly as possible lest all the most desirable (from the point of view of dancing) gentlemen, or worse, all the gentlemen whatsoever, be taken as partners by others. The unfortunate consequences of this are rarely appreciated by the majority of ladies at a ball, but are unforgettable to a small minority.

In the year this article was written, the estimate for the Friday evening Ball was that there would be 45 gentlemen and 49 ladies present. If the gentlemen sit out no dances, then each lady could dance nine out of every ten dances, and would thus sit out between one and two dances in the entire evening. If one permits the gentlemen a bit of rest, it should still not be necessary for any lady to sit out more than two or three dances in the evening. What happens if a particular lady decides that missing two or three dances is an unpardonable infraction on her desire for the pleasures of the ballroom, and decides to get another dance filled in? Presumably, some other lady will sit out one more dance. Now, what if 24 or 25 ladies decide to add one more dance to their program? One might suppose that the other 24 or 25 ladies would each sit out one more dance, but this is by no means the case. What actually happens is that two or three ladies sit out virtually all of the dances of the evening. If those 24 ladies fill their cards completely, this becomes four or five ladies. I find it difficult to imagine that any ladies present at this dance week would knowingly inflict that fate upon another for the sake of adding one or two dances on an already fairly full evening, but I have seen it happen far too often through what can most generously be granted as thoughtlessness.

The quote above refers to ladies who find themselves sitting out many dances at a ball as "less fortunate." In our present ballrooms, this often translates as those new to the activity and thus less well known to the gentlemen, those who are shy by nature about approaching gentlemen with requests for dances, or those who have adopted at Nineteenth Century style balls something of the manners of the Nineteenth Century and are unwilling to ask gentlemen to dance because ladies at that time would not have done so.

While the above is addressed to ladies who have on some occasions exhibited an undue aggressiveness about filling their dance cards, this by no means absolves the gentlemen from their responsibilities in the Nineteenth Century style ballroom. If gentlemen make a particular point of noticing which ladies happen to be sitting out dances and ask these ladies to dance, the unfortunate consequences mentioned above could be avoided. While the use of dance cards reduces the capacity of gentlemen to correct the consequences of overly aggressive women (as they cannot very well ask a lady to dance if they are already promised for that dance), the presence of extra dances provides at least some opportunities in this direction.