Eagle S Nest The William K Vanderbilt Ii Estate

Designed and constructed by the eminent New York City architectural firm of Warren & Wetmore, Eagle’s Nest estate is the easternmost Gold Coast mansion on Long Island’s affluent North Shore. From 1910 to 1944, the palatial Spanish Revival estate was the summer home of William K. Vanderbilt II, great-grandson of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt. Eagle’s Nest hosted the most exclusive guests and intimate gatherings of Vanderbilt family members and close friends. Included among them were the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, golfer Sam Snead, and the Tiffanys. Vanderbilt embarked on many of his legendary world voyages from this locale, along with a 50-person crew and a few fortunate invited passengers. During his travels, he collected natural history specimens and ethnographic artifacts from every corner of the earth. With the help of scientists and museum professionals, Vanderbilt created exhibits at Eagle’s Nest to showcase his collections. “Willie K.,” as he was known, bequeathed his estate and museum to the public, fulfilling his intended mission.

Designed and constructed by the eminent New York City architectural firm of Warren & Wetmore, Eagle's Nest estate is the easternmost Gold Coast mansion on Long Island's affluent North Shore. From 1910 to 1944, the palatial Spanish Revival estate was the summer home of William K. Vanderbilt II, great-grandson of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt. Eagle's Nest hosted the most exclusive guests and intimate gatherings of Vanderbilt family members and close friends. Included among them were the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, golfer Sam Snead, and the Tiffanys. Vanderbilt embarked on many of his legendary world voyages from this locale, along with a 50-person crew and a few fortunate invited passengers. During his travels, he collected natural history specimens and ethnographic artifacts from every corner of the earth. With the help of scientists and museum professionals, Vanderbilt created exhibits at Eagle's Nest to showcase his collections. "Willie K.," as he was known, bequeathed his estate and museum to the public, fulfilling his intended mission.

The Vanderbilts were one of the great American families of the industrial era. This book explores the life of one of its lesser-known scions of the fourth generation, William Kissam Vanderbilt II, known simply as Willie K. An inheritor, not a builder, Willie K. lacked the drive and ambition necessary for furthering the Vanderbilt dynasty, especially in the political atmosphere of bank failures, the dawn of progressivism, and the First World War. This biography, while the story of one man, is also an exploration of the burden of enormous wealth, the danger of inherited dreams, and the struggle for self-actualization regardless of wealth or social status.

Discover the whos, the whats, the whys and hows of social history that make the city come alive. A sarcophagus sits in a public park Stones from the dungeon that imprisoned Joan of Arc support a statue of her A Star of David adorns a Baptist church A fire-breathing salamander decorates a firehouse A stained-glass window relates an architect’s frustrations These are the details that guidebooks usually ignore and passersby ordinarily overlook. Curious readers will delight in revelations of history hidden in plain sight, alongside stunning photography of Manhattan’s overlooked treasures.

The most comprehensive, well-researched and generously illustrated volume of its kind on the subject, bringing over three centuries of Long Island’s great architectural heritage to life. Over 240 photographs, complete with authoritative, extensively detailed captions, present a wide range of structures—from simple lean-tos to distinguished contemporary buildings by such architects as Marcel Breuer, Frank Lloyd Wright, David L. Finci and others.

aChain your dogs and lock up your fowls!a heralded posters announcing the first international road race in the United States and the first of the six William K. Vanderbilt Jr. Cup Races held on Long Island from 1904 to 1910. These races were the most prestigious sporting events of their day, drawing huge crowds from 25,000 to over 250,000 spectators. The Vanderbilt Cup Races had a far-reaching impact on the development of American automobiles and parkways and are a testament to the early racing spirit and drama. The rare images in this book, many published for the first time, have been selected from the archives of major museums, libraries, and private collectors.

A photographic essay and documentation about the master artist-blacksmith Samuel Yellin representing the culmination of 19th-century wrought iron design and fabrication.