| The Astor's Beechwood Newport |
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| Known mostly to Titanic historians as the place where JJ and Madeleine were married in September of 1911, the mansion was first the summer cottage of the Queen of Society, Mrs. Caroline Astor-THE Mrs. Astor of the infamous 400. It was said that her fashionable New York ballroom would hold only 400 guests- but there were after all, only 400 old family guests WORTH inviting anyway. And speaking of Worth- the photograph below is our costumed guide beneath a foyer portrait of Caroline in a Worth gown- covered front and back with thousands of dollars in jewels so she was seen to advantage both coming and going! |
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| To the right is the original library which would have been Mr.Astor's sanctuary. The Victorian color palette could be very dark with strong colors. Beechwood was intended as an unpretentious residence. The rooms are not large. Usually the family was only in residence 60 days out of the year. |
| This is the window overlooking the ocean where J.J. spent his honeymoon with first wife Ava Lowell Willing- a society beauty from Philadelpia Caroline had chosen for her son. They barely were acquainted before the ceremony. Caroline put the two in this room with a double bed instead of the usual twin bedded rooms in hopes they would be forced to get to know each other better- apparently not a success! |
| Not surprisingly the marriage was not a love match and J.J. became enamoured of Madeleine Force whom he had met in Bar Harbor. The couple were married in front of the ballroom fireplace at Beechwood in September 1911, and left for a European honeymoon-she returned alone- on TITANIC, expecting a baby boy. J.J.'s body was later recovered from the North Atlantic. Mrs. Astor, who expired in 1908, would not have approved of the match. |
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| Leader of the matriarchal High Society of Newport, Caroline Schermerhorn Astor and Willie B.- The "B" was for Backhouse- which Caroline though sounded rather like an outhouse! |
| The unlucky J.J. |
| The family manse on Fifth Avenue's Millionaire's Row, New York. Beechwood was built in `1851 -Mrs. Astor bought the "cottage" and spent two million on renovations. |
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| Wall motif of a mermaid. The entire ballroom evokes the undersea world. The chandelier of baccarat crystal features pendants shaped like water droplets. The wall sconces are gilded sea kelp. Even the French doors overlooking the Atlantic have wavy panes of glass. It is in this room J.J. and Madeleine repeated their vows of "Until death do us part"- which would be only eight months into the future- and the room prophetically filled with the symbol of J.J.'s impending nemesis. |
| The scene of the wedding 1911 |
| The Wedgewood "teacup" room from France where the musicians would play on the nights of the grand balls. During the day Mrs. Astor enjoyed confidential chat with her closest confidantes. Anything said here was "sub rosa"- or "under the rose"- meaning TOP SECRET! The ceiling medallion features the famous Astor rose. If walls could TALK! |
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