Description
Inaugural volume to present 100 treasures from the collections of The Preservation Society of Newport County across its house museums and landscapes.
The Preservation Society of Newport County, Rhode Island, has in its care 11 historic houses and landscapes (1748-1902), including seven National Historic Landmarks, which together with their artworks, furnishings, and archives constitute a unique cultural museum spanning centuries. For the first time, the Preservation Society presents a catalogue that offers a glimpse at 100 “treasures” from the collections of the Newport Mansions.
Traditionally associated with luxury goods across the mansions, the term “treasures,” in this context, conveys historical and cultural significance. The volume brings together a stunning range of objects that Newporters collected for their expert craftsmanship, aristocratic associations, and worldly presentation, with both surprising and formerly overlooked “treasures.” Highlights include an oyster jar produced for famed African American restauranteur Thomas Downing, whose family built a culinary empire in New York and Newport, and a letter by the Vanderbilts’ long-serving butler Yussuf Azar, which sheds light on his struggles and perseverance as an early Egyptian immigrant in the U.S. during the Gilded Age. Also showcased are important works by makers including John Singer Sargent, Janet Scudder, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Giovanni Boldini, the Gobelins manufactory, Tiffany & Co., Kimbel & Cabus, and more.
Providing written interpretation, based on recent research for the catalogue, are forty authors from an array of disciplines, including experts in American, Chinese, Japanese, French, and Italian art. Conservators and artisans offer technical insights and experiential perspectives.
Edited by Nicole J. Williams and Leslie B. Jones
Author biographies
Nicole J. Williams, Ph.D. is Curator of Collections at The Preservation Society of Newport County.
Leslie B. Jones is Director of Museum Affairs and Chief Curator at The Preservation Society of Newport County.
Table of Contents
-
- Director’s Foreword by Trudy Coxe, CEO & Executive Director of The Preservation Society of Newport County
- Acknowledgments
- Introductory essay
- Catalogue
- Endnotes
- Further Reading
- Contributors
- Photo Credits
- Index
