(Newport, RI) The
Preservation Society
of Newport County,
in partnership with
Tiffany & Co.,
entertained 600
guests at a
memorable Tiffany
Ball in the
legendary Vanderbilt
"summer cottage,"
The Breakers, on
Friday evening,
August 15. The
black-tie event
raised approximately
$300,000 for the
Preservation
Society's ongoing
mission of
preserving its
collection of
historic houses and
landscapes,
including seven
National Historic
Landmarks.
The
evening included an
additional
fundraising
activity: an
exciting Tiffany &
Co. Mystery Blue Box
raffle. Two hundred
Tiffany boxes were
sold for $150 each.
Every box contained
a keepsake Tiffany
crystal or porcelain
box…but two boxes
contained very
special gifts: a
pair of Tiffany Aria
pearl and diamond
drop earrings in
platinum, and a
Tiffany T-57 men's
sport watch.
On
display during the
evening was a
collection of
flatware and
ceramics produced
and/or retailed by
Tiffany & Co., New
York, in the late 19th
century. Included
were a custom
pattern silver
flatware service
made for the
Vanderbilt family
and designed by
Charles Grosjean of
Tiffany & Co.(1884).
Dinner
was served on the
terrace of The
Breakers, decorated
by events designer
David Price of
Newport in colors of
soft green, white
and silver. The
menu prepared by
Fine Catering by
Russell Morin
consisted of: a
first course of
chilled lobster
salad with smoked
paprika remoulade,
served with Santa
Margherita Pinot
Grigio 2006; the
entrée was beef
tenderloin with
melted leeks and
shiitake mushrooms,
oven roasted new
potatoes and summer
sweet pea puree,
served with
Chateauneuf du Pape
Mont-Redon 2004; and
for dessert, Meyer
lemon mascarpone
cheese cake with
summer fruit jewels,
served with
Taittinger La
Francaise Brut N/V.
Following dinner,
guests enjoyed
dancing in the Great
Hall to the music of
The Alex Donner
Orchestra. Each
guest also received
a gift bag including
a gift from Tiffany
& Co. and a CD of
music played at the
Ball by The Alex
Donner Orchestra.
Valet parking for
the evening was
provided by Bentley
Providence.
The co-chairs of the
Tiffany Ball were
Mrs. Mark D.
(Leslie) Hull, Miss
Gladys V. Szápáry,
and Mrs. Guy F.C.
(Mary) Van Pelt.
About
The Preservation
Society of
Newport County and
The Breakers
The Preservation
Society of Newport
County is a
non-profit
educational
organization
accredited by the
American Association
of Museums and
dedicated to
preserving and
interpreting the
area’s historic
architecture,
landscapes and
decorative arts.
Its 11 historic
properties—seven of
them National
Historic
Landmarks—span more
than 250 years of
American
architectural and
social development.
The
Breakers is the
grandest of
Newport's summer
"cottages" and a
symbol of the
Vanderbilt family's
social and financial
preeminence in turn
of the century
America.
Commodore Cornelius
Vanderbilt
(1794-1877)
established the
family fortune in
steamships and later
in the New York
Central Railroad,
which was a pivotal
development in the
industrial growth of
the nation during
the late 19th
century. The
Commodore's
grandson, Cornelius
Vanderbilt II,
became Chairman and
President of the New
York Central
Railroad system in
1885, and purchased
a wooden house
called The Breakers
in Newport during
that same year. In
1893, he
commissioned
architect Richard
Morris Hunt to
design a villa to
replace the earlier
wood-framed house,
which was destroyed
by fire the previous
year. Hunt directed
an international
team of craftsmen
and artisans to
create a 70-room
Italian
Renaissance-style
palazzo inspired by
the 16th century
palaces of Genoa and
Turin. Allard and
Sons of Paris
assisted Hunt with
furnishings and
fixtures,
Austro-American
sculptor Karl Bitter
designed relief
sculpture, and
Boston
architect Ogden
Codman decorated the
family quarters.
The
Vanderbilts had
seven children.
Their youngest
daughter, Gladys,
who married Count
Laszlo Széchényi of
Hungary, inherited
the house on her
mother's death in
1934. An ardent
supporter of The
Preservation Society
of Newport County,
she opened The
Breakers in 1948 to
raise funds for the
Society. In 1972,
the Preservation
Society purchased
the house from her
heirs. Today, the
house is designated
a National Historic
Landmark.
www.newportmansions.org