** This essay is a draft for the new project I am working on about the vanishing opulence of the north shore of Long Island, known as “The Gold Coast”. Current working titles are “ Fleeting Opulence” or “Evanescent Ritziness”. The project is an interactive map and personal reflections on the grand mansions . As the project is work in progress, your feedback is very welcome and highly encouraged - just respond to this email. You can find the draft here.
Fleeting Opulence
I was always surprised by how Americans are magnetized by the old buildings and historical sites in Europe. Every summer they eagerly cross the ocean to experience “history” and touch the antiquity. I never understood this infatuation, since the history of a lot of American cities is as captivating as the intrigues of the Versailles. As a matter of fact, right before crossing the Atlantic, there is a region that can rival the most palatial castles of Germany and England - the North Shore.
The opulence of the North Shore mansions and the corresponding lifestyle were so glorious, that it used to be called “the Gold Coast”. In the beginning of the 20th century the inordinate concentration of wealth allowed for the exclusive enclave to hire the greatest artisans, architects, landscape architects, and designers to erect awe-inspiring residences. These days few people refer to it that way or are even aware of the history. As fame has faded the names of "Great Neck" and "Old Westbury" mean little to the new wave of vacationers rushing on I-495 to the currently fashionable “Hamptons” and "Montauk". But even if a curious wanderer will venture into those parts, without proper research one can not “stumble upon” or “drive-by” historical mansions. The original owners- the Morgans, Woolworths, Vanderbuilds, Philips have elaborately hidden their royal pied-à-terres in lush greenery and wavy roads of the Long Island. They concealed their palaces on the edge of the cliffs (like Falaise mansion) and high hills (like Manor Neck House). And when they ran out of hills, they have artificially erected them made them ( Otto Kahn build his the Oheka Castle is built on a man-made mountain).
The lavishness of the Gold Coast mansions became synonymous with Scott Fitzjerald’s novel “The Great Gatsby”. The novel has immortalized that historical period but did a disservice by capturing only the festive ceremonies. While the dining halls and ballrooms of the mansions leave little doubt that copious drinking and dancing were a big part of the entertainment, the life in the mansions had a lot more to offer. There was golf. There was tennis. There were numerous equestrian activities like polo and coaching. There were fox hunts. There were car races. There were aviation clubs (in fact LI boasted the first aviation club). There was sailing. There were gardens. In fact, the gardens surrounding the mansions are/were sometimes even more impressive that the houses themselves. The contemporary cleanly shaved lawns seem dismally modest compared to manicured arboretums, orchards, rose gardens, greenhouses and fountains.
A handful of these majestic castles have survived. By some accounts, only one third out of the original 1200 remains. Some have become foundations and museums. Few were repurposed into universities and schools. During the weekends, the visitors from diverse backgrounds, flood the grounds of those 'open to the public' to engage in more populist activities like hiking and picnicking. The current state and fate of the mansions would probably have baffled the original owners. For example, the snow-white 'Greentree' mansion ( now offices of AHMC) does not have elaborate landscaping but instead a spacious parking lot. The glorious Old Westbury gardens became the backdrop for engagement or recreational photoshoots. The Manor House became a hotel with the pool that blasts pop music and serves keenly priced alcohol. The Clayton mansion was turned into the museum, whose grounds host obscure contemporary sculptures by Richard Serra and hoards of shouting kids playing frisbee.
But the majority of those mansions have vanished. Erected to outlast generations, scarcely any have lasted a century. The historic records cataloging the mansions are full of sad stories of demolitions and abandonment. Some have been captured and archived in photographs. However, the lost mansions of Long Island raise an important question of legacy. We, as humans, subconsciously try to leave a mark and prolong our contribution beyond the lifetime, whether it's in form of our children, creative projects, or architectural marvels. But the stories of the Gold Coast vividly demonstrates that few, despite grandeur, will withstand the passage of time.
I have recently ventured to the North Shore in search of the former magnificence of the mansions. The spirit of ritziness is gone, but the lessons in evanesce remain. And while we can nostalgically postulate on bygone opulence, there is something endearing in seeing on a Saturday afternoon a family of four, parc their hybrid sedan next to a Tudor-inspired palace and enjoy the lunch out of tupperwear on a perfectly manicured lawns decorated with marble angels. In my opinion, it is uplifting that our society allows the many more people to enjoy beautiful earthy delights in a more environmentally-conscious way.
Scherzo di Follia 1863–66, printed 1940s by Pierre-Louis Pierson
This belongs to the Met, but it is not on view. How can one request to view an art piece owned by art museum? https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/269214
“We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect.”
Anais Nin
Bouke de Vries
Enclothed cognition is a term coined by Hajo Adam and Adam D. Galinsky in their experiment from 2012. It relates to the effect which clothing has upon a persons mental process and the way they think, feel, and function, in areas like attention, confidence, or abstract thinking. So yes, go ahead, buy the shoes…
Futher Reading: [Enclothed cognition - ScienceDirect]