by NRF User | Oct 16, 2019 | NRF News
As I write this post, fall is in the air, and I am fast approaching the end of my first “season” in Newport. Whitehorne House will close at the end of October, and Rough Point will close in mid-November, though we will continue to hold special programs there until the end of December. When I first came aboard nine months ago, I suggested that this time of year, the close of the season, might be a good time for me to write a blog post…so here it goes.
Early in the season, and still very early in my tenure at NRF, I discovered something that has profoundly shaped the way I think about our museums. You see, at some point in the spring I came to see that unlike my previous museum experience, NRF’s museums (Rough Point and the Whitehorne House Museum) are houses as opposed to buildings created specifically for the purpose of museum exhibition. And so sometime in early April it finally hit me that I work in and with houses!
I recognize that this last point, my recognition that our museums are housed in…well…houses, may seem fairly obvious, and of course that is so. After all, NRF does not hide this fact in its promotional material or even in the job announcement that first drew my attention to this extraordinary institution and its important work. Nor are the buildings that make up NRF’s museums cleverly disguised to hide their initial lives as houses. Nevertheless, one may know something intellectually and still not understand its broader implications. Naturally, I was fully aware that I would get to work in a Bellevue Avenue mansion—heck, I bragged about that fact to my colleagues back in Los Angeles. Still, I assumed that the texture of that experience (of museum work in a house museum) would not be too different from my previous experience working in museums specifically built for exhibitions. As it turns out, I was right, but I was also wrong. I have come to see that my museum practice feels, simultaneously, familiar and somewhat alien to me.
On the familiar side, museum work is museum work. The talented and committed staff of NRF’s museums strive to share information about our collections and about Doris Duke, the founder of NRF and a fascinating woman whose interests and passions continue to make a difference in people’s lives. Like museum professionals everywhere, we exhibit art and artifacts. We share our knowledge through written text, human interaction, and other forms of engagement. We mount special exhibitions and programs to share unseen portions of our collection or to make a new point or argument on a particular topic. We propose and plan new projects to expand our reach and to align our museum work with the interests and needs of the 21st-century museum-goer. And we do our very best to protect our collections from the ravages of time and the environment. While this work is important and valuable, and while I believe our staff is particularly skilled at it, there was nothing that surprised me about it. It all made sense to me. It was the kind of work I have done for nearly twenty years.
Far less familiar were the requirements of doing such work in a nearly 130 year old house. For example, as I began writing this paragraph, three of our staff were in the middle of a discussion about purchasing the right kind of toilet paper to work in our old and delicate plumbing system. Our facilities staff has struggled mightily to create a steady temperature that can protect our objects from the wild fluctuations of the New England climate without making the place uncomfortably cold. In an effort to have Rough Point appear as it did in Doris Duke’s lifetime, our rooms undergo far fewer object change-outs than did the galleries of my previous institution. This practice, which is not unusual in the historic house museum setting, in turn poses its own, unique conservation challenges. And while it is our goal to welcome all who care to visit us, the height of our front gate prohibits large motor coach buses from bringing visitors to this special place, which is too bad, because the most important thing I have come to learn about working in houses is that they really beg to be filled with people.
I know that all museum professionals dream of seeing their spaces filled with people, but that’s not what I mean. I am, instead, suggesting something more personal and emotional. In some sense, I am anthropomorphizing our museums, because I believe (or perhaps feel is a better word) that a house (especially a grand estate like Rough Point) almost demands the presence of people and above all it needs guests.
When I first arrived in January, Rough Point was a quiet, dark, almost haunted place. Most of its exquisite furniture was covered in protective cloth, and the dark and chill of the New England winter hung over the place in ways that were, at once, romantic and eerie. While NRF staff were present throughout the day, with few exceptions, most of our work took place in the third floor offices that used to house the servants’ quarters. Yes, our talented conservators and house cleaners moved from room to room to care for the house and its collections, but the Great Hall, the Music Room, the Solarium, and all of our other spaces were, for hours, or days, or weeks devoid of life. And while I recognize how fantastic this might sound, it felt to me like the house wanted to welcome visitors.
When April 1st arrived and we held our opening of the season party, I found that my suspicions were confirmed. The house came alive, as people admired its grandeur and the beauty of the decorative and visual arts that fill its rooms and walls. Rough Point was abuzz with friends (old and new) all of who admired this beautiful place and the valuable work that the NRF staff does to share the house, its treasures, and its stories with the public. Almost two months later, Whitehorne House experienced the same kind of life and excitement at its opening party, and a few months after that, ninety or so people crowded into the Whitehorne House on a rainy August evening for our Midsummer Celebration. There are no words to describe the joy and energy that permeated the house those few hours. Suffice it to say, Whitehorne House got what it needed, guests.
I should probably close by acknowledging that I recognize the whimsy of my thoughts on this subject. Naturally, I know that our houses neither feel nor think. I can only assume that in talking about our houses and their needs, I am projecting my own feelings and thoughts onto these unbelievably beautiful but ultimately inanimate estates. So perhaps that is what I should be communicating to all of you—not that the house wants you to visit but that I want you to visit us. The presence of guests at Rough Point and Whitehorne House turns our houses into homes. And I appreciate the ways in which our guests’ presence bring about that transformation. Also, I am a big fan of our museums and the staff who work in them. I think that anyone fortunate enough to visit us will be delighted by the experience, and I want as many people as possible to have that feeling. There is still time to visit us this season (the shoulder of the season as my colleagues say), but if you can’t make it now, I encourage you to visit next season. I can’t wait to see you, and the houses are pretty excited at the prospect as well.
By Erik Greenberg, Ph.D., Director of Museums, Newport Restoration Foundation
by NRF User | Sep 6, 2019 | NRF News
Doris Duke (1912-1993) was a tobacco heiress, generous philanthropist, savvy businesswoman, discerning collector, visionary preservationist—and amateur musician.
She was a private woman who stayed away from the scrutiny of the spotlight, so it can be difficult to get a look at the woman behind the fortune and the name. This season’s special exhibition at Rough Point, Beyond Fortune: The Life & Legacy of Doris Duke attempts to do just that.
Although Doris did not leave many scrapbooks, letters, or a diary, she did leave a record of her passions and interests through the causes she supported, photographs, and the objects with which she surrounded herself.
Doris Duke was passionate about jazz both as a supporter of musicians and as a musician herself.
She was friends with some of jazz’s greats—including Teddy Wilson (1912-1986), Kitty White (1923-2009), Duke Ellington (1899-1974), and Anita O’Day (1919-2006).
Doris was also dedicated to developing her musical talents. She reportedly practiced daily and took lessons to hone her craft. In the 1950s and 1960s, for example, Doris took piano lessons in New York City from musician Hall Overton (1920-1972).
One of the longest-lasting and significant relationships she had was centered on music. Doris met Joseph “Joey” Armand Castro (1927-2009) in Hawaii in 1951 when she saw him perform with his band, 3 Bees and a Queen. As he recounted, she asked him for private piano lessons and their relationship developed from there.
When Doris purchased Falcon Lair, the former Los Angeles estate of dashing actor Rudolph Valentino (1895-1926), she designed a “playhouse” within the home to have a practice and performance space. After years of preparation, she and Joey Castro launched Clover Records in 1964. The label (along with their relationship) ended in 1966 after only a few projects. Although the relationship ended acrimoniously, there are reports that Doris reached out to Joey before her death.
Although she did not formally become a member of a band, Doris often performed incognito. Besides singing with gospel choirs, Doris also joined Joey Castro’s band on stage and played the piano.
For example, between late 1953 and early 1954, Doris Duke toured Europe with an ensemble including saxophonist Phil Benson, drummer Chick Moncayo, Paul Castro on Bass, and Joey Castro on vibraphone. Doris wore a black wig as a disguise and played piano under the stage name “Dolly Strayhorn.”
While the sound of Doris’s public performances will have to be left up to the imagination (there are no known recordings or photographs of “Dolly Strayhorn”), there do exist recordings of Doris practicing songs and performing with friends. Today, you can hear recordings of Doris Duke playing piano and singing popular 20th-century songs in the Pine Room at Rough Point Museum.
by NRF User | Sep 5, 2019 | NRF News
Newport Restoration Foundation celebrates the fall season with programs that include taking guests behind-the-scenes at our museums, bringing the community together at Prescott Farm, and discussing sea-level rise with our Newport and Nantucket neighbors. Please mark your calendars for upcoming special events including:
Second Sundays
September 8 & October 13 / 12:00 – 3:00 pm / FREE / Prescott Farm
Each month, NRF partners with a local organization to explore different topics related to Prescott Farm in the past and present. Explore the nature trails with our guest guides, chat up URI’s Master Gardeners, or climb inside the historic windmill – themes, guests, and activities change monthly!
September: Aquidneck Community Table hosts a pop-up farmers market
October: Aquidneck Stone Wall Initiative shares the lasting importance of stone walls on the island
Behind the Design–A Craftsman’s Tour of Newport Furniture
September 12 / 5:00 – 7:00 pm / $25 / Whitehorne House Museum
Join furniture maker Timothy Philbrick on a special tour of the Whitehorne House Museum’s exceptional collection of 18th-century, Newport Furniture. Mr. Philbrick will share his professional and artistic insights into the construction and design of these beautiful works of American Craftsmanship. Doors open at 5 pm, the tour will begin at 5:15 followed by time for Q&A. For more information on Mr. Philbrick please visit his website at www.timothyphilbrick.com.
Tackling Sea Level Rise through Digital Technology: Lessons Learned from the Resilient Nantucket Model
September 18 / 6:00 – 8:00 pm / Free / Innovate Newport, 513 Broadway, Newport, RI
Newport Restoration Foundation and the City of Newport’s Historic Preservation Department are pleased to co-host a lecture given by Morris (Marty) Hylton III, Director of the Historic Preservation Program at the University of Florida and Preservation Institute Nantucket. Hylton will share his one-of-a-kind 3D visualization of sea level rise in Nantucket and discuss how this work has contributed to a larger town-wide initiative to address the impacts of climate change on the community’s historic resources. The presentation promises to be thought-provoking and shed light on how small coastal communities can begin planning for climate change. The event is being offered free of charge. Space is limited, so please register by Tuesday, September 17 at noon. Visit newportrestoration.org/events for more information.
Closet Tour: Fantastic Plastics
September 19 / 5:00 – 7:00 pm / $15 / Rough Point Museum
Peek inside Doris Duke’s closet and the Rough Point costume collection. This expert-led experience will focus on pieces from the collection made from synthetic materials and all of the challenges historic plastics present to modern-day curators. Come see for yourself if Doris’ go-go boots and scuba suits have withstood the test of time.
Ask a Gardener
September 28 & October 26 / 11:00 – 11:30 am / Rough Point Museum
Free with house or grounds admission.
Tour the Rough Point grounds in the company of experts – once a month our estate gardeners share their expertise on a range of topics from plant identification to organic garden care. Get insider tips about how the Rough Point staff keeps the grounds looking lush and how to incorporate those practices in your own home garden. This program takes place outside and is weather dependent. Tours meet at the camels.
Newport Schools Night
October 24 / 5:00 – 7:00 pm / Rough Point Museum & Whitehorne House Museum
This event is free for Newport County students and their accompanying adults.
We invite all Newport County K-12 educators, students, and accompanying adults to Rough Point Museum and Whitehorne House Museum for a free night of fall fun and exploration. This is a special opportunity for students and families to experience NRF museums before the end of the season. There will be hands-on activities, inside and outside, to inspire and encourage learning beyond the classroom. All ages are welcome.
For information on all events, visit newportrestoration.org/events.
by NRF User | Aug 7, 2019 | NRF News
On the morning of my first day at NRF as the Laird Museum Studies Intern, I nearly missed my exit. When I pulled onto the I-95 South ramp from Providence, I realized that if I just kept driving, the interstate would take me all the way down the Eastern Seaboard to North Carolina. In just a couple days on the road, I could walk through Duke University’s campus, the magnificent Gothic wonderland that I call home; I could be reunited with my friends working in Durham for the summer; I could return to my regular campus job at the Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library. Restless with first-day jitters and unsure what my summer in Newport might hold, I must admit I was tempted by the absurd idea to just keep driving.
Never fear—I made it to work on time. For a student interested in museum work and public history, a summer internship at a place like Rough Point is kind of the dream. It doesn’t hurt that Rough Point belonged to the Dukes, the family that gave both their name and their generous financial support to the university I love so dearly. My first week I was tasked with familiarizing myself with Newport history, NRF’s mission, and the incredible collections at all of our public properties. I took this instruction to mean marveling at the beautiful gardens, spectacular handcrafted furniture, and priceless artwork at both Whitehorne House and Rough Point Museums. It shouldn’t have surprised me that Doris Duke’s home is full to bursting with reminders of Duke University, but to my delight, I am discovering that these two places are connected in more than name.
The first of these reminders waits in Rough Point’s kitchen, tucked against the wall to the right as one comes through the doorway. It certainly was not the first thing I noticed—that was the view, a glorious vista of sun, sea, and stone. And compared to the large hearth and polished refrigerator, the two-foot-tall box covered in plain white porcelain tiles can seem unremarkable. But this rectangular chest is a cigar humidor, an appliance that holds the key to the fortune that helped create both Rough Point and Duke University.[1]
James B. Duke transformed his father’s business into the supremely successful American Tobacco Company, which at one time produced 90% of the tobacco products sold in the United States.[2] Mr. Duke had expanded the enterprise enough to withstand the Sherman Anti-Trust Act—Duke Energy is the most well-known example of this diversification—and he continued as one of the richest men in the world for the rest of his life. In 1924 he established the Duke Endowment, a $40 million trust fund created to support several Southern hospitals, churches, and schools, including Trinity College, which was promptly renamed in honor of the Duke family. $19 million was made immediately available for the construction of the university’s new campus, and at Mr. Duke’s death in 1925, he bestowed an additional $67 million to the Duke Endowment.[3]
After his charitable donations, the bulk of the Duke fortune was left to his only child, Doris, who was just twelve years old. The “richest little girl in the world” grew up to continue her father’s legacy, both in philanthropy and collecting artwork to fill houses like Rough Point with priceless treasures. The seemingly-unremarkable cigar humidor, tucked into the corner of the kitchen, is a concrete reminder of the tobacco industry and fortune that made places like Rough Point and Duke University possible.
There are plenty of other connections to Duke, too many for a single blog post. There are names printed on signs at Rough Point that I recognize from my research into the construction of Duke University with the Franklin Humanities Institute last summer: Horace Trumbauer’s architectural firm designed both James and Nanaline Duke’s modifications to Rough Point and Duke University’s West Campus; Frederick Law Olmsted orchestrated the beautiful landscaping at Rough Point and his sons continued his legacy with their designs for Duke’s campus.[4],[5]
The list continues: the magnificent 16th century tapestries hanging in Rough Point’s dining room used to hang in the reading room of the Duke University library.[6] James B. Duke’s portrait displayed at the top of the main stairs at the museum is identical to his portrait hanging in the Gothic Reading room— and also matches the stance of his statue at the center of Duke’s Abele Quad, complete with cigar in hand.[7] Upstairs, the exhibit “Beyond Fortune: The Life & Legacy of Doris Duke” features a photograph of the Duke Tobacco Company storefront that I recognize from the University Archives.[8] No matter which room of the house or part of the gardens I may be strolling through, it seems that Duke University is never too far away.
Whenever I get on I-95 South, I still think about how the interstate could take me right back to Durham. Or, I could continue with my commute, cross the Claiborne Pell Bridge, and walk through the house where reminders of the school that I call home wait for me around every corner.
Gretchen Wright is the Emily A. Laird Museum Studies Intern for the summer, as well as a rising senior at Duke University studying English and Classical Studies. Come to Rough Point, Whitehorne House Museum, or Prescott Farm and ask her about Duke! She can’t wait to discuss Gilded Age mansions, historical preservation, and the highs and lows of college basketball with you.
[1] https://www.newportrestoration.org/room/kitchen/; http://newportalri.org/items/show/18388
[2] Patrick G. Porter, “Origins of the American Tobacco Company,” The Business History Review 43, no. 1 (1969): 1.
[3] William E. King, “Duke University: A Brief Narrative History,” Duke University Archives, accessed 11 June 2019, https://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/uarchives/history/articles/narrative-history.
[4] “History of Rough Point,” Newport Restoration Foundation, accessed 11 June 2019, https://www.newportrestoration.org/roughpoint/history/.
[5] Mark Hough, “Duke Landscape Designed by Landscape Architecture Greats,” Duke Today, 25 April 2012, https://today.duke.edu/2012/04/landscapemonth.
[6] http://www.newportalri.org/items/show/18377; https://www.newportrestoration.org/room/dining-room/
[7] http://newportalri.org/items/show/7029
[8] https://www.newportrestoration.org/exhibit/beyond-fortune/
Photos courtesy of Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Historical Archives, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
by NRF User | Jul 17, 2019 | NRF News
You asked and we’re answering! In our interactive talk back section of the Beyond Fortune: The Life & Legacy of Doris Duke exhibition at Rough Point, so many of you wanted to know more about Doris Duke’s camels.
Princess and Baby, Doris’s Bactrian camels, were born in 1987 and came to live with her in Newport in 1988. They enjoyed the summer months here on the back lawn of Rough Point and winter months in a heated stable at Duke Farms in New Jersey. Rumor has it that they also enjoyed eating graham crackers!
One of the most common questions we received was, “What happened to the camels?”
After Doris Duke passed away in 1993, Princess and Baby retired to Duke Farms. Princess eventually moved to Popcorn Park Zoo, an animal sanctuary in Forked River, New Jersey.
Another frequently asked question was, “What did Princess and Baby eat?”
Staff at Rough Point would be responsible for the care and feeding of the camels—Princess and Baby also took vitamins. Here is an inventory of supplies used by the camels in 1993:
Feed Supplies
75 bales of hay
45 bags of shavings
10 bags of omolene
Feeding Schedule
Feed the camels two times a day 7am—7pm
1 scoop for Baby
1 scoop for Princess
Vitamin E – one ounce each in their grain, once a day
Have you seen the living statues of the camels on the front lawn? Both are a tribute to Princess and Baby. The frames of the camels are made of steel rebar and are covered with chicken wire. Zip ties hold sphagnum moss in place. The plants—mostly sedums and hens-and-chicks—are overwintered on the camels. In the spring, some new plants are added.
Come see Beyond Fortune to leave your own questions for us about Doris Duke and Rough Point, and don’t forget to take a #camelgram while you’re here!
by NRF User | Jul 9, 2019 | NRF News
“Doris Duke did a wonderful thing fifty-some years ago when she preserved these Colonial houses,” he said. “Here we are 50 years later, and it is our responsibility to ensure that the work she did is not lost. To do for Newport a second time what she did for Newport the first time — to save these Colonial properties.” – Mark Thompson, Executive Director, Newport Restoration Foundation
Many thanks to The New York Times for spotlighting the efforts NRF and many others are taking to Keep History Above Water in their piece, ‘We Cannot Save Everything’: A Historic Neighborhood Confronts Rising Seas.
Click here to read the article online.
