Annual News&Financial Report - The Mount

Annual News&Financial Report
Winter 2007 Vol. 27

Edith Wharton
Restoration was
founded in 1980 to
preserve The Mount
as a living tribute to
its remarkable creator.
Our guiding principles
are preservation,
education, and quality
in all endeavors.
Board of Trustees
Barbara R. de Marneffe, Chairman
Sandra Boss
Gordon Travers
Christopher Tugendhat
Executive Officers
Stephanie Copeland, President
Susan Wissler, Vice-President
Mark Gold, Esq., Legal Counsel
Lombardi, Clairmont & Keegan Auditors
2 Plunkett Street, Box 974
Lenox, MA 01240-0974
Phone: 413-637-1899
Fax: 413-637-0619
Email: info@edithwharton.org
Photos:
Beinecke Library/Yale University
David Dashiell
Francis de Marneffe
Kevin Sprague
Editor: David Dashiell
Printing: Quality Printing
Design: Studio Two, Lenox
Fiscal Year 2006 Financial Report
Edith Wharton Restoration, Inc.
Financial Summary for Fiscal Years 006 and 005
April 1, 005 to April 1, 004 to
March 1, 006 March 1, 005
REVENUES
Gifts, Grants, Fundraising Events $604, 55 $1,1 7,710
Tours, Shop, Café, Programs, Other $69 ,747 $719,10
EXPENSES
Restoration Costs $ 1 ,800 $1 , 66
Operating Expenses $ , 44,9 6 $ ,0 4,4 8
The preceding figures have been extracted from the Company’s audited
statements and presented in summary form. Detailed audited statements are
available upon request.
Dear Friends of Edith Wharton and The Mount
Dear Friends of Edith Wharton and The Mount:
What an exciting year this has been! Getting the news that generous benefactors had made possible the purchase of Edith
Wharton’s library…welcoming it back to The Mount in January…seeing the books fill the shelves…celebrating their return
in April with the help of First Lady Laura Bush – all this has been the fulfillment of a decades-long dream for us. It is as if
Wharton’s spirit has returned to The Mount, and one can almost feel her presence among the beautiful books she loved so much.
The excitement of the spring carried us into a successful summer, which brought nearly 0,000 visitors to view the books and the
beautiful restoration of the house and gardens. And of course the season was filled with wonderful events – our first garden symposium,
the 14th year of our Monday lecture series, the return of Selected Shorts, a reading by former Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky, and the
thrilling cavalcade of the Berkshire Coaching Weekend. I hope you will enjoy reading about these happenings and more in the following
pages.
As I meet with my fellow Board members and work with our volunteers and donors, I am constantly reminded of the sacrifice and
generosity of our many friends, which have brought us so far in the last quarter century. I am sure you share my delight and wonder
at what has been achieved, and I invite you to continue with us on our quest to see The Mount fully restored and preserved for future
generations. And I promise that there are many more exciting years ahead!
With all best wishes for the holiday season,
Barbara R. de Marneffe
Chairman, EWR Board of Trustees

Dear Friends:
Wharton described her books as being “at the core of my life,” and now that
they have returned to The Mount, they are at the core of our mission. With this
monumental development, we are poised to take a giant step forward and begin an
era focused on education, preservation, and vision.
The library is an indispensable aid to scholarship. In addition to containing personal
annotations and inscriptions, the books reveal the astonishing range of subjects
that Wharton studied. She was passionate about history, evolution, philosophy, and
religion, as well as topics with which she is usually associated, such as literature. With
this in mind, we inaugurated The Mount’s first annual conference last May devoted
to studying subjects of interest to Wharton. The focus was on landscape gardening,
and happily there is no shortage of Wharton-related subjects to inspire future
symposiums.
The books will be meaningful in other ways as well. The Mount is in the planning
stages of a major fundraising campaign that will have the library at its center. Wharton
raised funds for her World War I causes with a volume entitled The Book of the
Homeless. Following her lead, we will raise funds for The Mount using her books, all
of which will be available for adoption. Wharton solicited contributions for her “fundraising”
book from an impressive array of artists, including Yeats, Sargent, Conrad,
Stravinsky, and Monet. Her library is equally impressive with works by Henry James,
Joyce, Darwin, Nietzsche, and Proust.
The Mount’s plans for the next 1 months include restoring the Stable, expanding
programs, and strengthening our financial position. It will take inspired vision rooted
in careful planning to accomplish these ambitious goals. With the addition of three
new exceptional trustees, about whom you will read on the facing page, the process
is already well underway. Also of great help is McKinsey and Company, which is
providing strategic and operating advice to The Mount on a pro bono basis.
Your continued support ensures that today’s challenges will become tomorrow’s
achievements, and I want to thank you for helping us make The Mount the glorious
tribute its highly accomplished creator so well deserves.
With best wishes for the New Year,
Stephanie Copeland
President and CEO
The Mount welcomes three new trustees
As part of The Mount’s evolution, this past September we welcomed three new trustees whose
business acumen will be instrumental in moving The Mount forward. We are deeply grateful to
our retiring trustees for their dedication and years of service.
Sandra Boss is a Director (senior partner)
with McKinsey & Company, a worldwide
management consulting firm advising leading
companies on issues of strategy, organization,
technology, and operations. She is the
Managing Partner of McKinsey’s Boston Office
and the co-head of its Global Corporate and
Institutional Banking Practice. She joined
McKinsey in 1994.
Ms. Boss’ consulting practice focuses on
investment banking, corporate banking, sales
and trading, and transactions processing. She
works with clients in the US, Europe, and
Asia on a wide range of strategy, organization,
marketing, and operations topics.
Prior to joining McKinsey, Ms. Boss received
her M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and
her B.A. from Stanford University in American
Studies and Economics. She also worked
for Merrill Lynch in Debt Markets and for
Trammell Crow Ventures, a real estate principal
investment group.
Ms. Boss is a Trustee of the Massachusetts
Taxpayers Foundation and a member of the
Boston Economic Club. She has led pro
bono consulting work for the New York City
Partnership following 9/11, the Metropolitan
Museum of Art in New York, and the Museum
of Fine Arts in Boston.
Ms. Boss resides with her husband, Clark
Rockefeller, and her five-year-old daughter,
Snooks, in Boston, Massachusetts and in
Cornish, New Hampshire.
Gordon Travers is a Managing Director with
Alvarez & Marsal, LLC, a global professional
services firm specializing in providing
turnaround management, restructuring, and
corporate advisory services across the US,
Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Mr. Travers
has broad experience in the energy sector
and in structuring and financing infrastructure
projects and related contracts.
Since joining A&M in 00 , Mr. Travers
has served in leading roles in bankruptcy,
restructuring, and refinancing cases . More
recently, he coordinated the firm’s post-
Hurricane Katrina efforts. Over the past year,
Mr. Travers has been pursuing public/private
partnership activities in Germany focused on
restructuring the German healthcare delivery
system, as well as the development and
operation of large healthcare infrastructure
projects.
Prior to joining A&M, Mr. Travers was with
Opus Energy, an investment platform and
advisor to leading private equity firms on
power-related investment activities in the
U.S. and abroad, which he co-founded. Before
joining Opus, he practiced finance and
energy law in New York for more than 0
years. He received a bachelor’s degree from
the University of Pennsylvania, and a juris
doctorate, with highest honors, from Tulane
University.
Mr. Travers lives in New York City with his
wife, Elizabeth Beautyman, M.D., and has a
second home in the Berkshires in Ashley Falls.
Christopher Tugendhat is currently Chairman
of Lehman Brothers’ European Advisory
Board, having previously been Chairman,
Europe since February 00 . He has held a
number of other business positions in Great
Britain, including Chairman of Abbey National
plc from 1991 to 00 , Chairman of Blue Circle
Industries plc from 1996 to 001, and Board
member of Rio Tinto plc from 1976 to 004.
He also holds several other non-business
positions, such as Chancellor of the University
of Bath (1998- ), Chairman of the Advisory
Council of The European Policy Forum, and
Chairman of the Gonville & Caius College
Development Campaign. He was a Member
of the European Commission from 1977 to
1981, and a Vice-President from 1981 to 1985,
and was a Conservative MP for the City of
London and Westminster South from 1970 to
1976. He was knighted in 1990 and awarded a
peerage in 199 .
Lord Tugendhat lives in London with his
wife, Julia.
Sandra Boss
Gordon Travers
Christopher Tugendhat
4 5

First garden conference a success
While many facets of Edith Wharton’s life and work have been extensively studied
over the years, her achievements as a landscape gardener have received relatively
little attention. That imbalance was addressed in May by The Mount’s first garden
conference, which brought together leading scholars and practitioners to consider
Wharton’s contribution to American landscape design.
Conceived, organized, and hosted by The Mount’s Garden Historian, Betsy
Anderson, the weekend conference began with a Thursday evening kick-off
lecture by British writer Martin Wood, who spoke about the influential British
garden designer Gertrude Jekyll. Friday’s program focused on the restoration
of The Mount’s gardens, bringing together many of the professionals who
contributed to its reconstruction. Saturday morning’s speakers explored Wharton’s
relationships with other gardeners and designers, and the afternoon was devoted
to a panel entitled “Edith Wharton: the Garden Writer and the Writer in the
Garden.” The conference concluded on Sunday with talks by two special guests
– architect Hugh Hardy and Wharton biographer Hermione Lee. Betsy Anderson is
currently preparing the proceedings of the symposium for publication.
Trellis niche reconstructed for garden
A key element of The Mount’s original landscape, an elaborate trelliswork niche,
has been recreated, thanks to last year’s grant for the restoration of the flower
garden from an anonymous Boston foundation. The first niche was designed by
Ogden Codman, Jr. for “Land’s End,” the Wharton’s previous house in Newport,
RI, and it is unclear whether that structure was brought to Lenox and altered
slightly, or if a similar one was constructed for the new garden. The Mount’s niche
served as a major focal point in the landscape throughout Wharton’s occupancy,
but how long it survived after she left in 1911 is unknown.
The new niche, made of old-growth cypress, was fabricated by Gaston and
Wyatt of Charlottesville, VA, under the supervision of Tidewater Preservation of
Fredericksburg, VA, and David Andersen, The Mount’s Restoration Manager.
Wharton friend Walter Berry holds one of her dogs aloft inside the original niche.
Garden Historian Robin Karson delivers the conference
keynote speech.
Guest speaker Martin Wood (right) chats with
conference participant Michelle Gillett during tea on
the Terrace.
The reconstructed niche amid the garden’s summer
splendor
Mount Press publishes collection of
Louis Auchincloss’ favorite passages from
Wharton’s works
Readers may not be aware that The Mount has its own book imprint, The
Mount Press, which recently published its second title, Favorite Passages
from Edith Wharton. The collection was compiled by Louis Auchincloss, the
novelist and Wharton biographer who is considered by many to be her literary
heir. He has chosen passages from the range of Wharton’s work that not only
show her at her best, but also provide a fascinating insight into his intellect
and literary taste. Mr. Auchincloss has graciously donated his work for the
benefit of The Mount.
The book is dedicated to the memory of Scott Marshall, The Mount’s Deputy
Director and Historian from 199 until his death in 00 . Its publication was
made possible by the generosity of Scott’s father, Daniel S. Marshall, and
Scott’s partner, Bryce R. Hill. Mr. Marshall, together with his late wife Joan,
also underwrote the restoration of the Lion’s Head Fountain in honor of Scott
in 000, and Mr. Hill planted the American elm tree at the forecourt entrance in
Scott’s memory in 00 .
Bookstore at The Mount offers
unique volumes
One of the unexpected pleasures of a visit to The Mount is discovering our
charming Bookstore, which reflects the warm personality and considerable
expertise of its creator, Kaarin Lemstrom-Sheedy. Besides stocking the
most comprehensive list of Wharton titles available, Kaarin provides a choice
selection of fine books on subjects that interested Wharton, such as gardening,
architecture, and interior design. Kaarin maintains an ever-changing array
of early copies of Wharton works, and currently is offering several volumes
that you won’t find anywhere else – first or early Wharton editions that have
been elegantly rebound by Thornwillow Press, based on instructions given
by Wharton to her bookbinder. While the physical shop inside The Mount is
closed for the winter, you can peruse our virtual bookstore anytime by visiting
www.EdithWharton.org.
Early Wharton books that have been rebound by Thornwillow Press
Cover of The Mount Press’s latest offering, which was
designed by Elizabeth DiPalma of Chatam, NY.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 2007
Gift Calendar, which can be purchased from the
Bookstore, includes this photograph of The Mount
taken by David Dashiell.
6 7

Kathleen Chalfant reads from The House of
Mirth for Boston Committee supporters.
Gretchen Holbrook Gerzina, host of public
radio’s The Book Show, speaks on Frances
Hodgson Burnett and The Secret Garden.
Boston Committee hosts Broadway star at
spring fundraiser
From left: Lillie
Johnson, Mariann
Appley, and
Judy Bracken
chat before the
reading.
The Boston Committee, under the effective leadership of Barbara de Marneffe, continues
to be a major fundraising force for The Mount’s restoration. In late March, the Committee
once again presented its spring Edith Wharton evening, featuring the noted Broadway and
movie actress Kathleen Chalfant. Ms. Chalfant graciously participated in last year’s serial
reading of The House of Mirth in New York, and she reprised her interpretation of one of the
most dramatic passages in the novel for the sold-out Boston event. The reading and dinner
brought in nearly $40,000 for the restoration. The Committee is made up of 40 Boston-area
women who have consistently been among The Mount’s most generous donors, and we
extend our deepest thanks for their hard work and dedication.
Alice Quinn, Poetry
Editor of The New
Yorker, discusses
the uncollected
poetry of Elizabeth
Bishop, which she
recently published.
Monday Lecture Series celebrates 14th season
For fourteen years The Mount’s Monday Lecture Series has provided stimulating and
provocative food for thought for Berkshire summer residents and visitors. This year was no
exception, with ten talks in July and August on a fascinating roster of significant women,
including such diverse subjects as Billie Holiday, Florence Nightingale, Consuelo Vanderbilt,
and the Peabody sisters. Among the highlights were Marion Meade’s introduction to the
life and legend of Dorothy Parker, which drew so many people that extra seating was added
in the Carriage Wash Café; Susanne Marrs’ warm recollections of her friend, Eudora Welty;
and Mitchell Owens’ amusing look at the flamboyant decorator and bonne vivante, Elsie de
Wolfe. The schedule for the fifteenth season will be announced in the late spring.
Amy Clampitt Poetry
Series brings former Poet
Laureate Robert Pinsky to
The Mount
Robert Pinsky drew an overflow crowd for his
appearance as this year’s featured poet in the
Amy Clampitt Poetry Series. Reading with
warmth and humor from his own work, he
charmed the large and appreciative audience.
Pinsky is the author of six books of poetry
and has published four books of criticism,
two books of translation, and a computerized
novel. In 1999 he co-edited Americans’ Favorite
Poems: The Favorite Poem Project Anthology.
Pinsky teaches in the graduate writing program
at Boston University, and in 1997 was named
the United States Poet Laureate.
The Amy Clampitt Poetry Series, which is in
its third year, is named in honor of the poet
Amy Clampitt, who wrote prolifically from
her Stockbridge, MA cottage until her death
in 1994. The series is underwritten by the
Amy Clampitt Fund, established in 001 by
Clampitt’s late husband Harold Korn to benefit
poetry and the literary arts, and managed by
Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation.
Return of Selected Shorts
delights lovers of the
spoken word
Isaiah Sheffer brought his troupe of talented
readers back to The Mount in early August
for what has become a Mount tradition and
a highlight of the Berkshire summer season.
Before live audiences in the Stable Auditorium,
Sheffer and six distinguished actors recorded
a weekend of programs for Selected Shorts,
which is heard nationwide on public radio. This
year’s theme was “It Happened at the Library”
in honor of the return of Edith Wharton’s book
collection to The Mount. Sheffer served his
accustomed roles of host and reader, and was
joined by Charles Keating, James Naughton,
Rochelle Oliver, Tony Roberts, Fritz Weaver,
and Brenda Wehle. The authors of the bookthemed
selections included Ray Bradbury, Italo
Calvino, John Cheever, Henry James, and,
as always, Edith Wharton. Selected Shorts is
produced by New York’s Symphony Space.
Its Berkshire appearances are a collaboration
among The Mount, Symphony Space, and The
Library of America.
Young admirers have their book signed by Robert Pinsky.
Isaiah Sheffer (right) coaches Tony Roberts before his Selected Shorts reading.
8 9

The Books Come Home
Edith Wharton’s Library: A Short History
When you see Edith Wharton’s books arrayed on her shelves
at The Mount, you are first struck by the “expanse of
warm lustrous color” created by the bindings, an effect
she recommended in The Decoration of Houses. But as you study
the titles, and delve into the books themselves, you realize that this
is far more than a decorative assemblage of beautiful volumes. It
is, in fact, a history of Wharton’s intellectual and emotional life – her
autobiography in books.
The chronological history of the collection begins well before
Wharton’s birth, in the gentleman’s library compiled by her father,
George Frederic Jones, beginning in the mid-19th century. There
among her father’s books of philosophy, poetry and the classics,
young Edith gave herself the education that, because she was a girl,
she was not allowed to receive formally. She cherished his books to
the end of her life and they come to us as a testimony to her native
intelligence and her fierce desire for knowledge.
Wharton began to amass her own library as a young girl, and she
mentions many of these formative books in her memoir, A Backward
Glance. On one memorable birthday, she received an especially
meaningful gift:
…I woke to find beside my bed Buxton Forman’s great
editions of Keats and Shelley! Then the gates of the realms
of gold swung wide, and from that day to this I don’t believe I
was ever again, in my inmost self, wholly lonely or unhappy.
In the collection we find books from every period of Wharton’s life,
written in the languages she learned as a child and spoke fluently—
English, French, German, and Italian. There is even a volume of
Anglo-Saxon, which she taught herself at age 14 to impress the
minister of her church, on whom she had a secret crush. Still
preserved in the book is her hand-written translation from one of the
Saxon chronicles.
Included in the library are a significant number of Wharton’s own
works, many with corrections penciled in. In her first edition of
The House of Mirth, for example, she crossed out the name of the
illustrator and removed all of the plates, apparently because she
disliked them (future printings of the book continued to include the
illustrations, however). There are also quite a few books written
by her friends, many containing personal inscriptions. Perhaps
the most interesting (and valuable) is a first edition of The Golden
Bowl, with the cryptic hand-written dedication, “To Edith Wharton / in
sympathy / Henry James / November 1904.” The date coincides with
James’ first visit to The Mount, and biographers have speculated
that his expression of sympathy relates to the mounting difficulties
of her marriage to Edward “Teddy” Wharton, whose behavior was
becoming increasingly erratic.
The range of subjects represented is remarkable, demonstrating
Wharton’s wide-ranging curiosity. In addition to areas with which
she was associated, such as literature, gardening, and travel, there
are numerous volumes of history, philosophy, religion, and science.
Several books on astronomy attest to her love of stargazing, which
she would enjoy from the terrace of The Mount, and studies of
evolution show her interest in the great scientific and philosophical
debates of her day.
Even more revealing is the fact that Wharton often annotated
her books – gently marking in pencil using ticks, check marks,
Volumes from the library of George Frederic Jones, Edith’s father
Edith Wharton’s Library at The Mount circa 1910
Henry James’ inscription in The Golden Bowl, among other books
from Wharton’s collection.
underlining, and, very occasionally, words. In some books that are
heavily marked, it seems almost as if one is following Wharton’s
thoughts as she reads. These markings will provide a fascinating
resource for scholars, and The Mount hopes to eventually make them
all available on the internet.
Wharton died in 19 7 at the age of 75, and her will divided the library
between William Royall Tyler and Colin Clark, the sons of two close
friends. To Tyler, who was in his twenties and had known Wharton all
his life, she left most of the books dealing with art, archaeology, and
art history. These volumes, perhaps 1400 in number, were tragically
destroyed during the London Blitz in 1940. The rest of the collection—
the portion now at The Mount comprising some 700 books—was
left to art historian Kenneth Clark in trust for his six-year-old son (and
Wharton’s godson), Colin. The elder Clark integrated them into his
own extensive library, where, divided among several residences, they
remained for over 40 years. After Kenneth Clark’s death in 198 , Colin
sold the books to the London booksellers, Maggs Brothers, who in turn
sold them to George Ramsden, a book dealer in York, England.
The sale to Ramsden could not have been
more fortuitous, for in him the library found
a champion and protector. Studying his
purchase, Ramsden quickly realized that
the real value of the collection lay in its
intactness, despite the fact that he could
have made a quick profit selling off valuable
individual volumes. He also suspected
that he had not gotten all the Wharton
books that the Clarks owned, and over
the next few years was able to work with
the three Clark children, Colin, Colette,
and Alan, to retrieve another 600 volumes
that were scattered among their libraries.
Ramsden then began to meticulously
catalog the collection, in the process
transforming himself into a Wharton
scholar. He published the catalog in 1999,
and continued to hold onto the books until
a buyer appeared who would agree to keep
the collection intact after the sale.
The Mount was in communication with
Ramsden about the library for many years,
but was never able to meet his asking price
until the fall of 005, when, with the help
of Lord Christopher Tugendhat, benefactors
were found who would advance the money
for the purchase. (See pp. 14-15). Robert
and Elisabeth Wilmers were already good
friends of The Mount, and saw in the library
acquisition an opportunity to generate
significant donations for the restoration by
using the books as a fundraising tool. With
their generous commitment, things moved
quickly, and the transaction was completed
on December 1 , with the books arriving
in Lenox in early January of this year.
The books were carefully unpacked and
cleaned, and Ramsden arrived in time to
arrange them on the shelves for the grand
celebration on April 4 with The Mount’s
honored guest, First Lady Laura Bush.
Stephanie Copeland and George Ramsden sign the contract that transfers
ownership of the books to The Mount on December 12, 2005.
Wharton’s godson Colin Clark Colin’s father, Art Historian
Kenneth Clark
George Ramsden among Wharton’s
books in his Yorkshire library
Cadogan Tate, a British fine arts moving firm, delivers the books on a
frigid day in January.
10 11

Garrison Keillor speaks on
behalf of the library
It all started plausibly, as Garrison Keillor’s
stories usually do. In an alleged account from
Wharton’s diary, she told of leaving a stultifying
dinner party for a walk in The Mount’s garden
with Henry James. By the end of the very
shaggy tale, Edith and Henry were in the
fountain with no clothes on and the audience
was helplessly convulsed with laughter.
Keillor generously shared his comedic gifts at
a January luncheon in New York celebrating
the return of Edith Wharton’s library. He is a
long-time admirer of Wharton and has often
mentioned her and The Mount during the
annual Tanglewood broadcast of his radio
program, A Prairie Home Companion.
Garrison Keillor describes a previously
unknown encounter between Wharton
and Henry James in The Mount’s
flower garden fountain.
The Celebration
On April 4th, the books were finally
arranged on the library shelves and ready
to be unveiled. Though the sky threatened
rain, it held off for the arrival in the afternoon
of the First Lady, Laura Bush, who had
accepted The Mount’s invitation to join the
celebration of the library’s return. Mrs. Bush
had expressed a desire to visit the home of
one of her favorite authors when she and
the President presented The Mount with
a Preserve America award at the White
House the previous May. She was taken
on a tour of the mansion by Stephanie
Copeland and viewed the books in Wharton’s
Library, where she met George Ramsden
and Christopher Tugendhat. She was also
introduced to Robert and Elisabeth Wilmers,
the benefactors whose generosity made the
acquisition possible.
Mrs. Bush addressed a gathering of guests
in a tent erected in the garden. “As a librarian
and a lover of literature,” she noted,
“I believe it’s important for Americans to
be able to visit the homes of our most
renowned and beloved authors.”
George Ramsden and
Curator Erica Donnis
arrange books on the
library shelves before the
celebration.
Top left: George Ramsden (right) shows Wharton’s books to Mrs. Bush,
Christopher Tugendhat (center), Elisabeth Wilmers, and Robert Wilmers.
The Wilmers made the Library Campaign possible by providing The Mount
the funds to purchase Wharton’s book collection.
Top right: Mrs. Bush walks with EWR President Stephanie Copeland
Bottom left: EWR Chairman Barbara de Marneffe introduces the First Lady.
Bottom right: Mrs. Laura Bush.
1 1

Christopher Tugendhat discusses Wharton’s books in
the Ramsden library.
Christopher Tugendhat recounts his pivotal
role in the library acquisition
Christopher Tugendhat played an essential, behind-the-scenes role in bringing
Wharton’s library back to The Mount. Stephanie Copeland asked Lord
Tugendhat to write an account of his part in the story so that it would not be
lost to history, and he has graciously given us permission to print it here.
In the summer of 004 my wife, Julia, and I paid a visit to our old friends
Robert and Elisabeth Wilmers at Stockbridge that changed my life and
that of The Mount. Unbeknown to them I had for many years been a great
admirer of Edith Wharton and collected first editions of her works. “Would
it be possible to visit The Mount?” I asked. “Better than that,” they replied.
“We know the President of Edith Wharton Restoration, Stephanie Copeland.
We will introduce you.” She and I immediately took to each other and the
following day Stephanie gave Julia and me a personal tour of the house and
garden. I was hugely impressed with all that I saw, by the way in which Edith
Wharton’s spirit was being reincarnated in a modern idiom, and by the plans
Stephanie and her team had for the future. “Is there anything I can do to
help?” I asked.
She then told me the story of Edith Wharton’s library. How on her death in
France in 19 7, Wharton had bequeathed the architecture and garden books
to her young friend William Royall Tyler and the literary ones to her godson
Colin Clark; how both the beneficiaries had moved their books to England
and that while Tyler’s were destroyed during the War in the London Blitz,
Clark’s had survived and been sold many years later to George Ramsden, a
bookseller in Yorkshire. Stephanie greatly admired George for the scholarly
bibliography of Wharton’s works that he had produced (a copy of which I
already possessed), for the way he was maintaining the books, and for his
unceasing efforts to find volumes that had gone astray. The problem was
that while she would love to acquire his collection for The Mount, where they
could become the centrepiece of Wharton’s old home as they had been of her
life, she and George had been unable to come to terms.
Numerous contacts had, I was told, taken place, but to no avail. Price was
an issue, but by no means the only one. George knew that he had in his
possession a unique literary archive and wanted to see it go to its spiritual
home at The Mount. But over the years he had invested a vast amount of
time as well as huge commitment. He had also become deeply devoted
to the memory of Edith Wharton and drew inspiration from the presence
of her books in his house. Besides which he had costs accumulated over
many years to cover and capital tied up in the collection. Naturally he wasn’t
prepared to let the books, and all that he had put into them and that they
meant to him, go for too little. He had perhaps been strengthened in this
resolve by the manner of various well-known booksellers who had from
time to time come forward to value the collection. Instead of appreciating
its unique literary value as a totality, they had tended to see it as simply an
agglomeration of individual items to be priced accordingly. Whether The
Mount was to buy it or anybody else, George wanted it to go to and be valued
by a buyer willing to put a financial price on its literary value.
Stephanie Copeland and her committee at EWR understood all this very
well. Nobody knew better than they that the collection was unique, that its
value derived from its completeness, and that bringing it to The Mount would
be like putting the coping stone onto an edifice. But they were stymied.
Whatever the collection’s value to The Mount as the centrepiece of its
restoration and as a fundraising tool might be, potential donors had not been
forthcoming. An impasse had been reached. I therefore volunteered to use
my best efforts to find a way round.
Although I possessed his bibliography and therefore knew of him by repute,
I had never met George. However, once I started making enquiries it turned
out that we had many friends in common, including the well known London
bookseller, John Saumarez Smith whose customer I have been since the
1960s and for whom he had once worked. I also learned that he was
the son of Sir James Ramsden with whom I had been a colleague
some 0 years previously when we were both Members of the British
House of Commons. So it was with hope as well as trepidation that
one cold February day in 005 I took the train from London to York.
George met me at the station and drove me to his old stone rectory in
the village of Settrington near Malton. Except that we were in England
rather than New England, the weather was such that at any moment
I might have expected to see Ethan Frome come looming out of the
snow-covered countryside.
When we arrived George showed me to the upstairs room given
over to the Wharton books and left me alone with them. It was a
most astonishing experience. The completeness of the collection and
the way he had arranged it provided a window into her mind as well
as an understanding of the influences that had formed her. It was
almost as if she had been brought to life. And not just her. Through
the inscriptions in the books they had exchanged, her friends and
contemporaries, such as Henry James, Henry Adams, and Theodore
Roosevelt, were also in the room, as well as her rather nefarious
lover, Morton Fullerton, thanks to the book he had written and
dedicated to her.
When after communing for some time with these ghosts I was called
to the delicious lunch prepared by Jane Ramsden, the three of us
had plenty to talk about. Mostly we discussed the books and Edith
Wharton. But in due course George and I turned to money and terms,
with me making clear that I was not an emissary of The Mount so
much as a facilitator trying to bring the two sides back into contact
with each other. In that I was successful, but a gap remained. It was
as if George on the one side and Stephanie and her board on the
other were reaching out to each other across it with arms extended
but still unable to touch hands.
It was a few months after this that Robert Wilmers re-entered the
scene with a crucial intervention. He had kept in touch with what was
going on and decided that decisive action was required. Would a deal
be possible, he asked, if the financial means were forthcoming, or
were there other factors in the way? I told Stephanie I was sure a deal
was attainable since I believed we had won George’s confidence on
all the non-financial issues. With the backing of Robert and Elisabeth a
revised proposition was then produced, designed to enable the hands
not just to touch but to shake. So again I took the train to York, again
I was let loose among the books and again Jane prepared a delicious
lunch. This time though the denouement was very different. When I
told George what The Mount had in mind, he immediately indicated
that so long as the lawyers and accountants were happy a deal would
be forthcoming. And so it was.
Thus it was that in December 005, shortly before Christmas, I
made my third trip to Settrington. This time I was accompanied by
Stephanie and the London correspondent for The New York Times,
Alan Cowell. People from The Mount were already at George’s house
to help with the packing up of the books, the deal was ceremoniously
signed and cameras and videos recorded the event. Another delicious
lunch was eaten and champagne was drunk. Shortly afterwards the
Edith Wharton library crossed the Atlantic followed in due course by
George to see the books into their new home and to arrange them to
the best effect.
Finally on a showery spring day in April 006, less than two
years after Robert and Elisabeth had hosted that fateful lunch at
Stockbridge, the last act in this literary drama was played out. The
First Lady of the United States came to The Mount to welcome back
to her own country the library of the First Lady of American Letters.
Jane Ramsden (2nd from left) offers a toast to the absent
benefactors after the signing.
George Ramsden (right) explains The Mount’s library layout to
Robert Wilmers (center), Elisabeth Wilmers, and Lord Tugendhat.
14 15

Scenes from the Season
Facing page (bottom right): Winners and judges at the Edith Wharton Writing
Competition award ceremony in June. From left: Lesley Beck, Assistant
Managing Editor of The Berkshire Eagle; fiction judge Karen Shepard; fiction
winner Katharine Hopkins; essay judge Cassandra Cleghorn; essay winner
Jessica Yarmosky; poetry judge Peter Filkins; poetry winner Liana Katz.
Facing page (bottom left): Visitors discover the gardens during the Lenox
Garden Club’s Annual House and Garden Tour in early July.
This page (above): Berkshire Coaching Weekend comes to The Mount in
early October.
This page (bottom right): High school students from Landmark Volunteers
help clear the drive of invasive species.
16 17

Edith Wharton Restoration extends grateful appreciation to all donors who have contributed to The Mount.
Listed below are those donors who gave during the period of April 1, 2005 to October 31, 2006
New tax law encourages
IRA holders to donate
The 2006 Pension Protection Act, recently
signed into law, allows individuals who are
70 ½ and older to transfer up to $100,000
from an Individual Retirement Account (IRA)
directly to a qualifying charity without paying
income tax on the amount transferred this
year and next. In previous years, donors were
required to withdraw the amount from the
IRA, and that money would be counted as
taxable income. To receive an article which
explains the requirements and restrictions of
the new policy, please call David Dashiell at
(413) 637-1899 extension 115.
ARIZONA
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Juliet Gede
Douglas Hayward
Anne Hector, given in association with
Mollie Miller
Stephanie D. Jackel
Patricia A. James
Dancy Kittrell, Ph.D.
Coral O’Hara
Mary Ellen Satterfield
Jacqueline Levering Sullivan
Carol Summers
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R. Jean Taylor
Jo Anne Van Tilburg, Ph.D.
Brenda C. Wehle and John Carroll
Lynch
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COLORADO
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CONNECTICUT
Kathleen and Sherwood Anderson
Lydia Anderson
Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Bailey
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Mr. and Mrs. Peter L. Malkin
Leta W. Marks
J. D. McClatchy
Meridith McGregor
Mrs. Mary Jane Monahan
Marjorie P. Mountain
Marc A. B. Nied and Elliot A. Stultz
Susi F. Peterson
Lisa A. Powers
Helen Sheehy
Mr. and Mrs. Walter Skorupski
Mrs. Martha P. Snyder
Margery and Lewis Steinberg
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Michael Trapp
John A. Waterhouse
Annette Thayer West
Eleanor P. West
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Mr. and Mrs. John H. Wyman
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Susan Brynteson
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DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Gale H. Arnold
Letitia Baldrige
David H. Bennett
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Parker Jayne
Anne R. Litchfield
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Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm E. Peabody
Dorothy B. Wexler
Patricia A. Winston
Marion E. Yeck
FLORIDA
Bill and Sherry Barry
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KENTUCKY
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MASSACHUSETTS
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Mary Bularzik and Kenneth Muzal
Cat Bunker
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Ms. Elizabeth M. Campanella
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Grummon
Howard Chezar
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Gordon Clark
Mr. and Mrs. John Clarkeson
Mr. William C. Clendaniel
Christine M. Clyde
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Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Collier
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Jill Ker Conway
Catharine Cook
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Mr. and Mrs. William G. Coughlin
Ms. Linda Cox
Elizabeth Coxe
Lois B. Crocker
Marylouise L. Crofton-Atkins
Mr. and Mrs. Louis P. Crosier
Helen and J. Neil Curtin
Jone A. Daher
Mr. Nelson Dale
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Dalton
David A. Dashiell III
Anne S. Davidson
Mrs. Holbrook R. Davis
Barbara R. de Marneffe
Dr. and Mrs. Francis de Marneffe
Carol and Disque D. Deane
Andrée Demay
Susan Detjens
Mr. and Mrs. Robert W. Doran
Jonas and Elizabeth Dovydenas
Tom and Ellen Draper
Dana Drugmand
Mr. and Mrs. William J. Ducas
Mr. and Mrs. Lester P. Duke
Nancy Ellis
Mr. and Mrs. William R. Engstrom
Mrs. Barbara Humes Euston
Mrs. Cynthia E. Everets
Carolyn Fabricant
Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Farnsworth
Ms. Margaret J. Faulkner
Dr. and Mrs. Josef E. Fischer
Karel Fisher
Hillary Fitch
Mr. and Mrs. John H. Fitzpatrick
Edward Fleck and Eileen McCormack
Doris Smith Fleisher
Ronald Lee Fleming
Mr. and Mrs. Henry N. Flynt
Mr. and Mrs. Charles C. Ford
Ms. Roz Forman
Mr. and Mrs. Dale E. Fowler
Cameron Q. Furber
Julia Galligan
Mr. and Mrs. John L. Gardner
Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Garner
Frank Garretson and Helen Bray-
Garretson
Mary and Everett Gendler
Melissa and James Gerrity
Mr. and Mrs. James W. Giddens
George and Cornelia Gilder
Gillian Gill
Mr. and Mrs. Jeremy Grantham
Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Grinnell
Mr. and Mrs. Martin Gross
Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin A. Groves
Mr. and Mrs. Richard C. Habermann
Shelagh Hadley
Martin and Deborah Hale
Mr. and Mrs. John L. Hall II
Elizabeth T. Harbison
John and Martha Harrison
Nathan Hasson
Rick and Rena Hedeman
Mr. and Mrs. Barclay Henderson
Maureen and Paul Hickey
Bryce Hill
Barbara and Amos B. Hostetter
Lily Rice Hsia
Elizabeth and Francis O. Hunnewell
Hollis and Edith Hunnewell
Mrs. Walter Hunnewell
Richard M. and Priscilla S. Hunt
Tom Ingersoll
Myron and Katharine Jaffe
Jennifer Donaldson Janes
Elizabeth B. Johnson
Elizabeth Johnson and Robert
Ketterson
Sarah B. Jolliffe
Mr. and Mrs. Frederick H. Jones
R. Courtney Jones and Tanny Dumas
Jones
Mrs. Joseph S. Junkin
Joanne Kane
Rita Ann Kane
Edwin and Carol Kania
Ann R. Karnovsky
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Kerans
Mrs. Elena Kingsland
18 19

Gordon F. and Mary Ford Kingsley
Alan and Linda Kugler
Michael and Susan Landry
Catherine C. Lastavica
Debra and John Lawless
Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas W. Lazares
Mrs. William Leatherman
Regina O’Grady LeShane and Peter
LeShane
Mrs. Josiah K. Lilly
Arrel P. Linderman
Karen Lobbregt and David Surette
Janina Longtine
Amy Loveless
Jill Hornor and Yo-Yo Ma
Ms. Jane Mahon
Dr. Philip Mamolito
Eli and Anne W. Manchester
Brooke Marks
Mr. and Mrs. James A. Marsh
Mr. Megan Marshall
Fair Alice McCormick
Mr. and Mrs. F. Warren McFarlan
Mr. Francis D. McGuire and Ms.
Deborah R. Hanley
James McNeely and Barbara Moore
Margaret M. McNeill
Beatrice A. Miller
Lindsay Miller and Peter Ambler
Mollie Miller
Mr. and Mrs. John A. Miller
Mr. and Mrs. David Mittelman
Alice and Alan Model
Anne M. Morgan
Mrs. G. M. Moriarty
Kate and Hans Morris
Susan P. McWhinney-Morse and
David H. Morse
Doris J. Mottarella
Mary S. Newman
Rev. Dr. Barbara Nielsen
Mr. and Mrs. Richard C. Norton
Mr. and Mrs. Frank O’Brien, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Richard O’Rourke
Elizabeth and Robert I. Owens
Mrs. Sylvia M. Page
Mary Hart Parker
Dr. and Mrs. Oglesby Paul
Isabel C. Perkins
Mrs. Hollis W. Plimpton, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Matthias Plum, Jr.
Susan M. Poduska
William J. and Lia G. Poorvu
Charles W. Popper, M.D.
Mrs. William Pounds
Sandra and Caroline Préfontaine
Mildred Quain
Robert A. Radloff
Margaret Rathbone
Thomas Reilly and Betsy Palmer
Lynne and Mark Rickabaugh
Mrs. A. L. Rickenbacker
Christopher Ricks
Joanna D. Rosenberg
Pat and Sandy Ross
Mrs. Beatrice Roy
Jane Roy
Sue Schenck
Mr. and Mrs. Richard L. Schmalensee
Anne and Ernest Schnesel
Martha and Richard Scholz
Charles Schulze
Virginia H. Schwartz
Mr. and Mrs. Robert G. Scully
Wendy S. Shattuck and Samuel
Plimpton
Laura H. Shucart
Dr. and Mrs. Barry P. Simmons
Lowerre H. Simsarian
Hugh Gerechter and Ellen P. Sisco
Susan P Sloan
Al and Betty Smith
Deborah Detwiller Smith
Richard Solar
Mr. and Mrs. Lionel Spiro
Julie Sprague
Liz Stell
Mary Stokes-Waller and Harvey
Waller
Mr. and Mrs. David Stone
Patricia Straus
Deborah L. Streiff
Lise Lange Striar
Ann W. Sullivan
Katherine Martien Sullivan, M.D.
Jane and Hooker Talcott
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas W. Thaler
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Mr. and Mrs. Barclay Tittman
Mrs. Gerard B. Townsend
Prof. and Mrs. Detlev F. Vagts
Marilyn S. Valeri
Lorraine Van Tis
David B. Walek and Elizabeth R.
Gibson
Mr. and Mrs. Monte J. Wallace
Harvey Waller
Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Webb III
Louise Eastman Weed
Robert and Claudia Wells
Kate Wharton
Mrs. John W. White
Mr. and Mrs. Peter M. Whitman, Jr.
Erika Whitmore and Thomas Aretz
Elaine Wilde
Priscilla Hutt Williams
Kristina Wilson
Susan A. Wismer
Judy and Stephen Wolfberg
Mr. and Mrs. John Wylde
Nancy Young and Allison Byer
Cynthia Zaitzevsky
Gerald and Linda Zukowski
Allice and Albrecht Zumbrunn
MICHIGAN
Barbara A. Robinson
MINNESOTA
Ann G. Bagnoli
Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Bigot
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Garrison Keillor
MISSISSIPPI
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MISSOURI
Donald H. Bergmann
MONTANA
Ossie Abrams and David Orser
NEW HAMPSHIRE
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Nancy B. Emery
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Elizabeth Nordgren
Martha E. Pinello
Sylvia Pope
David Richardson
Mr. and Mrs. George Rublee
Jane S. Young
NEW JERSEY
Marilee Bleetstein, M.A.
Anita De Carlo
Christine I. Edwards
Mrs. Judith S. Gibson
Ms. Ann M. Gold
Dr. June E. Grutzmacher and Dr.
Eugene S. Eskow
Elinor Hirsch
Dr. and Mrs. Harold Isaacson
Mary F. Judge
Jennie Kassanoff
Thomas and Anne Koester
William S. and Eleanor E. Kover
Fern D. Letnes
Mary V. Masker
Mr. and Mrs. James P. Noyes
Bobbi Pope Phillips
Dr. Carole Shaffer-Koros
Sharon and Jeffrey P. Sudac
NEW YORK
Lynne Allen
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Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Ames
Amy Aspland
Mr. and Mrs. Ronald R. Atkins
Eleanor J. Auchincloss
Judith Haskell Auchincloss
Louis Auchincloss
Ms. Lindsay Baker
Richard J. Bartholomew
Mr. and Mrs. James Benenson, Jr.
Lee and CeCe Black
Geoffrey Bradfield
A. Christian Burke
Libby Cameron
Dorothy M. Carpenter
Steven Jay Levy and Teresa S.
Carpenter
Cathy and Andrew Carron
Mary and Robert Carswell
Mr. and Mrs. Richard E. Cavanagh
Lucylee Chiles
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Liz Cook
Bonnie Dalzell Cooper
Nancy Crystal
Jennifer Danner
Margaret Flanders Darby
Mr. and Mrs. Oscar de la Renta
Marie de Lucia and Lee Solot
Carol G. Deren
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George and Eleanor Dwight
Gary Dycus
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Nan Hawk
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Anne Holm
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Daniel L. Hutchinson
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Gail Jacobs
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Jon Katz
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Lois Keating Learned
Annette M. LeClair
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Marilyn Linehan
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Rev. Dr. Robert K. Loesch
Clara and David Londoner
Nick Ludington
Scott Manning
Judith Blanchard Marks
Helen Marx
Barbara McNenney
Marion Meade
Knight Meem
Mr. and Mrs. S. Christopher Meigher III
Melanie B. Melius
Pauline C. Metcalf
Mr. and Mrs. Samuel C. Miller
Susan and J. Gregory Milmoe
Lucia Mitchell
Vicki Moran
Charlotte Moss
Mary Ann Mullarkey
Claire and Ron Nagle
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Richard and Constance Neel
Mr. and Mrs. Wilson Nolen
Julie Olin-Ammentorp
William C. G. Ortel
Sandra Ourusoff
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Heena Pai
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Christina Reik
Bart D. Reiss
Rosemary Ripley
Guy N. Robinson and Elizabeth F.
Stribling
David Rockefeller
Eva E. Rohrmann
Joan T. Rosasco
Mr. and Mrs. Elihu Rose
John Rosselli
0 1

Ellen Fitzpatrick Runge
Wendy Sachs
Anne Sanford
Julie Schwartz
Mr. and Mrs. Stanley DeForest Scott
Eleanor Shearing and David
Pengilly
Frances La Gatta Shelton
Georgia Shreve
Linda Simpson
Mary Jo Smith
Victoria Steinberg
Ann Swyer
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Debra Tanger
Jennifer Tasker
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Genevieve Tom
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Gordon Travers
Maria Tucci
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Anne Walker
Hugo Walter
Nancy E. Weidner
Judith M. White
Dr. and Mrs. Robert D. Wickham
Bunny Williams
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Elisabeth and Robert G. Wilmers
Gertrude de G. Wilmers
Lucia M. Wing
Joanne Wisor
Susan Wissler
NORTH CAROLINA
Leslie S. Hicks
Daniel S. Marshall
Judith Scott
OHIO
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Vanessa Catanzaro
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OREGON
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Glenna M. Giesick
PENNSYLVANIA
Dodi Fordham
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Diane G. Steinbrink
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Mr. and Mrs. David J. Vilcek
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RHODE ISLAND
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Phyllis Dutwin
Felicia Fund, Inc.
Richard Andrew Nelson and James C.
Michael
SOUTH CAROLINA
Mrs. Kathryn Hedgepath
Peter Herman and Jerri Chaplin
TENNESSEE
Karen and Bryan Foreman
TEXAS
Anonymous
Kay Cattarulla
Colin Kennedy
Peter Flagg Maxson and John C. R.
Taylor III
Katherine T. Otte
Susan and C. J. Peters
Vsevolod L. Popov and Natalia N.
Shimanskaya
Merrily Sartain
Willard Spiegelman
VERMONT
Anonymous
Ellen and Roy Berkeley
Peter Kurth
Nancy Mitchell
Marguerite T. Myers
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Thompson
VIRGINIA
Sarah Baldwin
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Barbara M. Collins
Pamela Constable
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Jane Chewning Prugh
Mary S. Schriber
Sandra Stencel
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Terence and Laurie Wehle
Richard Guy Wilson
Viola H. Winner
WASHINGTON
Andrew Bates
Richard Lee Francis
Michael and Alison Harris
WEST VIRGINIA
Dr. and Mrs. Henry W. Overbeck
WISCONSIN
Barbara Kernan
UNKNOWN STATE
Elizabeth Manheim
AUSTRALIA
Dawn McCracken
Frank Moorhouse
Royall Tyler
ENGLAND
David Bainbridge
Julia Blackburn
Hermione Lee
Marion Mako
Miriam Margolyes
Lucasta Miller
George Ramsden
The Right Hon. and Mrs. James E.
Ramsden
Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill /
Woodstock Designs
Amanda Mackenzie Stuart
Christopher Tugendhat
Martin Wood
FRANCE
Judy and Bernard J. Boullet
FOXHOLLOW ALUMNAE
Alyce Micolino Almy (‘57)
Dorothy M. Carpenter (‘68)
Mary Wilde Carswell (‘44)
Manon-Lu Christ (‘46)
Christine Maciver Clyde (‘57)
Barbara Murray Collins (‘52)
Bonnie Dalzell Cooper (‘56)
Elizabeth Baptiste Cooper (‘62)
Celestine Goldsmith Cronin
Jone Aboitiz Daher (‘74)
Cynthia Hoyt Dibbins (‘54)
Alaric Bray Doolittle (‘55)
Joan Wheeler du Pont (‘54)
Helene Rousseau Epifano (‘71)
Elizabeth Felton (‘47)
Dodi Myers Fordham (‘69)
Sarah Mein Fuller (‘66)
Gwyneth DePuy Hunting (‘50)
Christine Hagen Hutchings (‘52)
Mary F. Judge (‘74)
Anne Clark Koester (‘63)
Lois Keating Learned (‘50)
Augusta Ulmer Leininger (‘53)
Anne R. Litchfield (‘65)
May Kieckhefer Lockwood (‘43)
Nancy Kretzer Mitchell (‘57)
Marjorie Pile Mountain (‘68)
Susan Tenney Noble (‘62)
Sheila Barlow O’Brien (‘48)
Coral Bartholomew O’Hara (‘46)
Mary Hart Parker (‘49)
Frances Marburg Peck (‘44)
Bobbi Pope Phillips (‘62)
Catha Grace Rambusch (‘54)
Barbara Allen Robinson (‘46)
Lowerre Harding Simsarian (‘47)
Martha Perry Snyder (‘45)
Lucille Harvey Taff (‘55)
Annette Thayer West (‘64)
Eleanor P. West (‘65)
Susan Welch Williams (‘58)
THE BOSTON COMMITTEE
Mrs. Francis de Marneffe, Chairman
Mrs. Charles D. Atkinson IV
Mrs. Thomas Bracken
Mrs. Lewis P. Cabot
Mrs. William Cottingham
Mrs. Louis P. Crosier
Mrs. Robert W. Doran
Mrs. William J. Ducas
Mrs. William R. Engstrom
Mrs. Jeffrey Garner
Mrs. Shelagh Hadley
Mrs. Martin Hale
Mrs. John Hsia
Mrs. Edward C. Johnson, 3d
Ms. Sarah B. Jolliffe
Mrs. Gordon Kingsley
Mrs. Nicholas W. Lazares
Mrs. Robert Linderman
Mrs. Eli Manchester
Ms. Mollie Miller
Mrs. Robert I. Owens
Ms. Isabel C. Perkins
Mrs. Hollis W. Plimpton, Jr.
Mrs. Matthias Plum, Jr.
Mrs. Nicholas Rhinelander
Mrs. Mark Rickabaugh
Mrs. Jane Roy
Mrs. Garret Schenck
Mrs. Lionel Spiro
Dr. Katherine Martien Sullivan
Mrs. John Sullivan
Ms. Kate Wharton
IN HONOR OF ANN FITZPATRICK
BROWN (GARDEN ENDOWMENT/
PET CEMETERY)
Amy Aspland
Debra Blair
Liz Cook
Nancy Crystal
Jennifer Danner
Linda Elkman
Jane Fortenberry
Nan Hawk
Anne Holm
Gail Jacobs
Knight Meem
Vicki Moran
Heena Pai
Julie Perlin
Jean Phifer
Rosemary Ripley
Wendy Sachs
Linda Simpson
Debra Tanger
Genevieve Tom
Sharon Vaino
Nancy E. Weidner
IN HONOR OF
Barbara de Marneffe by Mr. and Mrs.
Preston H. Haskell
Jonas Dovydenas by Barbara S.
Longfellow
Mr. John Mashek, Jr. by Karen and
Bryan Foreman
Pauline Metcalf by Wendy W. Larsen
Mr. and Mrs. Chips C. Page by the
Robert H. and Monica M. Cole
Foundation
Shelley Swofford by Joanne Wisor
IN MEMORY OF MISS AILEEN M.
FARRELL
Catha Grace Rambusch
Lowerre H. Simsarian
IN MEMORY OF SCOTT
MARSHALL
Stephanie W. Copeland
Bryce R. Hill
Myron and Katharine Jaffe
Daniel S. Marshall
Eleanor P. West
The Edith Wharton Society
IN MEMORY OF LIDA C.
SPOFFORD
Stephanie W. Copeland
Mrs. Judith S. Gibson
Ms. Brenda S. O’Neill
IN MEMORY OF
Paul David Burgess, Jr. by Richard
Andrew Nelson and James C.
Michael
MATCHING GIFT COMPANIES
American Express Foundation
Bank of America
GE Fund
J.P. Morgan Chase Foundation
Newsweek
Norfolk Southern Foundation
Patrons Mutual Insurance Company of
Connecticut
Pfizer Foundation Matching Gifts
Program
Philip Morris Companies
CORPORATIONS &
ORGANIZATIONS
A. Schneller & Sons, Inc.
Abbott’s Limousine & Livery
Service, Inc.
Anita De Carlo Inc.
Anthony Knerr & Associates
Anthony Lawrence - Belfair
Ashley Manor
Astrid, LTD
The Bank of New York
Benjamin Moore & Co.
Berkshire Bank
Berkshire Books
Berkshire Home & Antiques
Berkshire Life Insurance Co.
Blantyre
Blumenthal Fabrics
Bridgewater Fine Arts
Brunschwig & Fils
Bunny Williams Inc.
Charlotte Moss Interior Design
Christopher Norman, Inc.
Chuck Hettinger
Claremont Fabrics
Clarence House Fabrics Ltd.
Classical Tents and Party Goods
Devonfield Inn
Doris Leslie Blau
E. Wharton & Co.
The Edith Wharton Society
F. Schumacher & Co.
Fatto a Mano
Florian Papp Antiques
Flowering Gardens
Fredrick P. Victoria & Son - Chez Soi
Geoffrey Bradfield, Inc.
George N. Antiques
Greg Gurfein Woodworking
Greystone Gardens, Antique Clothiers
Hinson & Company
Homsi Leather
Hyde Park Mouldings
Interiors by Royale
J. Pocker & Son Inc.
John Rosselli International
Jonas Upholstery
Joseph Biunno Ltd.
Julia Gray
Landmark Volunteers, 2006
participants in The Berkshires
program
Lee Bank
Lee Jofa Inc.
Legacy Banks Foundation
The Lenox National Bank
Libby Cameron, LLC
Louis J. Solomon
Malmaison Antiques
Manhattan Shade & Glass
Mark Giglio Decorative Painting
McKinsey & Company
Mecox Gardens
Michael Trapp, Inc.
Milillo Interiors
Millennium Music DJ Service
Minic
Morgik Metal Designs
Mrs. MacDougall, Inc.
Museum of the City of New York
Niermann Weeks
Paterae Inc.
Race Mountain Tree Services, Inc.
Robert Altman
Save Blithewold, Inc.
Scully and Scully
Seven Hills Inn
2006 Smith College Botanic Garden
Internship Program
Stark Carpet
Steelcase, Inc.
Stroheim & Roman
Sue Connell
Thomas Jayne Studio, Inc.
Thomas Pizzillo & Son
Treillage Ltd.
Two World Arts
Vaughan Designs Inc.
Vincent J. Fernandez Oriental Rugs
Wheatleigh
Williams & Sons Country Store
Yankee Septic
FOUNDATIONS
Anonymous
The Amy Clampitt Fund
The Aquidneck Foundation
The Berkshire Taconic Community
Foundation
Cabot Family Charitable Trust
Foxhollow School Foundation, Inc.
The Gertrude B. Nielsen Charitable
Fund
Massachusetts Foundation for the
Humanities
Maurer Family Foundation
Mimi and Peter Haas Fund
National Trust for Historic
Preservation’s Mildred Jones Keefe
Preservation Services Fund for
Massachusetts
The Richard C. von Hess Foundation
Robert H. and Monica M. Cole
Foundation
Roy A. Hunt Foundation
The Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust
Youth Foundation, Inc.
We have tried to make this list as accurate
as possible. If you are listed incorrectly or
believe your name has been omitted, please
notify The Mount at 413-637-1899 and
accept our sincere apologies.
Deceased

Two Rare Opportunities to Travel in Wharton’s Footsteps
Edith Wharton’s Mediterranean
June 22 - July 3, 2007
Come aboard a luxurious 114-guest yacht to retrace Wharton’s
1888 journey through this ancient sea. Using her journal of
the trip as a guide, the cruise will visit Sicily and the Aegean,
including stops in Palermo, Syracuse, Santorini, and Rhodes,
among others. On the all-suite Corinthian II you will travel in
elegant style worthy of the Gilded Age. Co-sponsored by the
Alumnae Associations of Bryn Mawr College, Smith College,
Vassar College, and Wellesley College.
Edith Wharton Restoration
PO Box 974
Lenox MA 01240-0974
Edith Wharton’s Morocco
October 13 - 25, 2007
Experience the Morocco that mesmerized Edith Wharton
during her visit in 1917. The tour will draw on her
groundbreaking travel book In Morocco and scores of personal
letters from her trip to North Africa. Enjoy sumptuous lodging
and fine dining as you visit private homes, gardens and palaces
in the red and white cities of Rabat and Salé, medieval Fes,
the Roman ruins of Volubilis, Marrakech and much more.
Sponsored by The Mount.
For information call 413-637-1899 or visit www.EdithWharton.org