National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

Resource History and Description of Existing Conditions
Louvre, 679 and a clock by Paul Sormani almost an exact copy of a clock by Martin Carlin in the
Louvre. 680 Paul Sormani also made the desk. 681 A pair of side cabinets echoes the placement on
opposite walls of the mirrors. The seating furniture, including settees, armchairs, wingchairs,
and side chairs, is all French nineteenth century and upholstered in brocades. The sconces were
made by Caldwell & Co. of New York. 682 The accessories were imported from France and
included a mantel clock by Henri Dasson, a pair of ormolu candlesticks, a pair of porphyry vases
and a pair of green marble vases with ormolu mounts. 683 There is a rose-colored rug with a
border. When the Vanderbilts were at Hyde Park there was a vase of flowers on the desk. 684
Some changes appear to have been made in the room arrangement. The three-fold
screen should be placed in front of the door as in other rooms. 685 The most drastic alteration
was whitewashing over the ceiling painting. It was done in 1906, as part of the larger renovation
carried out by Whitney Warren. 686 Mowbray paintings in the Living Room were also removed at
that time. The mural was uncovered in 1962 while preparing to repaint the room. 687 Other
changes to the Reception Room include the replacement of gold leaf ornament and retouching
the gilded chairs in 1962. 688 In 1972 two armchairs were reupholstered 689 and in 1975 fabric for
the draperies was acquired. 690 The draperies were made and installed in 1978.
Mrs. Vanderbilt did not like this room and it was seldom occupied. 691 "She [Mrs. Van
Alen Bruguiere] said to her knowledge it was almost never used. I asked whether Mrs.
Vanderbilt ever received a small party of guests in it, and she said no, that she always entertained
even a small number of guests or an individual in the Drawing Room. I gathered from the
conversation that Mrs. Bruguiere never liked the room either." 692
679
See Carle Dreyfus, The Louvre Museum: French Furniture (Paris: 1921) illustration number 19. Cited in
Katherine Boyd Menz and Donald McTernan, "Decorating for the Frederick Vanderbilts," Nineteenth
Century 3 (Winter 1977), fn #17.
680
See: Lady Dilke, French Furniture and Decoration in the XVIII Century (London 1901), 184, illustration
number 3. Cited in Menz, Boyd and McTernan, 48.
681
According to Mr. Samuels of French & Co, Mr. Vanderbilt paid for an original. (Samuels, French &
Co., Additional Information, 1940, 2.)
682
Caldwell Collection, Cooper-Hewitt Library, Wall Brackets, Volume 3, 8, #d-7452.
683
Herbert Shears took a pair of violet marble vases from this room.
684
Knauss, List of Flower Arrangements.
685
"She [Van Alen Bruguiere] noted that the screen on the west side of the room formerly stood in front
of the door, but she could see that to show the room we had to move it." (Bruguiere, 1948.)
686
Memo from Acting Superintendent to Regional Director, February 19, 1962, re: telephone call from
Mrs. Louis Bruguiere concerning Gold Room Ceiling. Mrs. Van Alen Bruguiere stated that "Mr. and Mrs.
Vanderbilt both disliked the painting, " and "In 1906 directed architect Whitney Warren to cover the
painting with water soluble paint."
687
See article in the Poughkeepsie Journal, copy in ROVA General File, "Van Alen," ROVA Curatorial
Division.
688
Albert McClure, Monthly Report, March, July, and August, 1962.
689
Annual Report, 1972.
690
Annual Report, 1975
691
Historian Research Notes File, Series V.C. Vanderbilt Mansion, Card 1021 cites interview with Mr.
Martin, 1947.
692
Bruguiere, 1948. Mrs. Eleanor Worcester who was a guest in 1923 recalled in 1981 that she had tea in
this room.
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