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Ruth Vanderbilt Twombly

Ruth Vanderbilt Twombly (April 15, 1885 – September 1, 1954) was an American philanthropist, tennis coach, socialite,[1] and heiress to the Vanderbilt family fortune.

Ruth Vanderbilt Twombly
Born(1885-04-15)April 15, 1885
New York City, United States
DiedSeptember 1, 1954(1954-09-01) (aged 69)
Hôtel Ritz, Paris, France
Parents

In 1931, she was the Chairman of the Peacock Ball,[2][3] later called "the greatest charity event ever held."[2]

Personal life

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Twombly was born in New York, New York, on April 15, 1885. Her parents were Florence Adele Vanderbilt, an American socialite and heiress, and Hamilton McKown Twombly, an American businessman.[4] Her great-grandfather was Cornelius Vanderbilt, railroad magnate.[5][6]

Some time during the Gilded Age, Twombly and her mother commissioned American architect Whitney Warren to design a playhouse for their estate. It included a pool and "a scenic landscape by Chanler that featured a broad assortment of bird life, including turkeys, peacocks, flamingos and cranes."[7]

In 1908, Twombly was a bridesmaid during a "notable international marriage event" of Gladys Vanderbilt and Count László Széchenyi of Hungary. Széchenyi was chamberlain to the Austrian emperor.[8] The ceremony, led by St. Patrick's Cathedral Monsignor Michael J. Lavelle, took place at the Cornelius Vanderbilt II House at 1 West 57th Street, New York.[8]

In 1918, she attended the Easter parade on 5th Avenue, and Issues and Events magazine reported on her outfit.[9]

In 1923, fashion magazine Harper's Bazaar described Twombly as wearing a "deep, rose-colored satin" outfit to the Met Opera in a fashion article.[10]

In 1928, her address is included in Dau's New York Social Blue Book, a listing of prominent family's addresses.[11]

Philanthropy

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On November 6, 1931, Twombly was the Chairman of the Peacock Ball,[2] a New York charity event with 3,000 prominent attendees.[3] Guests included notables of stage, screen, and radio, including Rudy Vallée, Marion Harris, and Nick Lucas.[12][13] It was held in the newly constructed Waldorf-Astoria[14] and broadcast live over WJZ Radio.[13] Proceeds would go to the Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor.[15] The following year, the event featured 11 orchestras and over 500 musicians.[16] The Peacock Ball has since been called "the greatest charity event ever held,"[2] despite the luxurious event being held during the Great Depression.[17]

In 1926, Twombly founded The Opportunity Shop, a high-end charity thrift shop and volunteer project.[18][19] It was located on the ground floor of 46 West 47th Street[20] and celebrated its 40-year anniversary in 1966.[18]

Some time after 1938, Twombly was active with the Community Service Society of New York.[6]

One of her personal chefs was French "master chef" Joseph Donon, who served her and other members of her family for 38 years.[21][22] The New Yorker has called Donon "probably the richest and most famous private chef in the world."[23]

In 1940, Twombly was involved, possibly as an investor, in the Redwood Library and Athenaeum in Newport, Rhode Island.[24]

Death and legacy

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On September 1, 1954, Twombly died of heart failure at the Hôtel Ritz in Paris, France, a city she "dearly loved."[25] Twombly left behind an estate of $22 million,[26] which was liquidated in an auction on July 15 and 16 of 1955.[27][28] The auction included furniture, rugs, tapestries, and other fine art pieces.[29] The highest individual item sold for $315,195.[30]

References

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  1. ^ Breslin, James E. B. (2012-08-13). Mark Rothko: A Biography. University of Chicago Press. p. 137. ISBN 978-0-226-07406-1.
  2. ^ a b c d CMHS, Stanley Turkel (2014-09-19). Hotel Mavens. Author House. ISBN 978-1-4969-3335-5.
  3. ^ a b "MANY BOXES TAKEN FOR PEACOCK BALL; Second Annual Benefit of A.I. C.P. Will Take Place on Fri- day at Waldorf-Astbria. WILL HAVE 11 ORCHESTRAS Entertainment Will Enlist Aid of 500 Musicians -- Miss Ruth V. Twombly Heads Committee". The New York Times. 1932-11-01. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-09-24.
  4. ^ of 1871, Harvard College (1780-) Class (1896). Eighth Report of the Secretary. Press of Rockwell & Churchill. p. 107.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ Rae, John W. (2002). Morristown: A Military Headquarters of the American Revolution. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-2400-9.
  6. ^ a b Sanger, Margaret (2003). The Selected Papers of Margaret Sanger: Birth control comes of age, 1928-1939. University of Illinois Press. p. 145. ISBN 978-0-252-03137-3.
  7. ^ Wouters, Gina; Gollin, Andrea (2016-05-03). Robert Winthrop Chanler: Discovering the Fantastic. The Monacelli Press, LLC. p. 155. ISBN 978-1-58093-457-2.
  8. ^ a b "SOCIETY". Automobile Topics. E.E. Schwarzkopf. 1908. p. 1294.
  9. ^ Issues and Events. Vital Issue Company. 1918.
  10. ^ Harper's Bazaar. Hearst Corporation. 1923. p. 36.
  11. ^ Dau's New York Social Blue Book. Dau's Blue Books. 1927.
  12. ^ Kaye, Lenny (2004). You Call it Madness: The Sensuous Song of the Croon. Villard. ISBN 978-0-679-46308-5.
  13. ^ a b Lent, Henry Bolles (1934). The Waldorf-Astoria: A Brief Chronicle of a Unique Institution Now Entering Its Fifth Decade. Priv. print. for Hotel Waldorf-Astoria corporation.
  14. ^ Harper's New Monthly Magazine. Harper & Brothers. 1931.
  15. ^ Ross, Harold Wallace; Shawn, William; Brown, Tina; Remnick, David; White, Katharine Sergeant Angell; Irvin, Rea; Angell, Roger (1931). The New Yorker. F-R Publishing Corporation.
  16. ^ "MANY BOXES TAKEN FOR PEACOCK BALL; Second Annual Benefit of A.I. C.P. Will Take Place on Fri- day at Waldorf-Astbria. WILL HAVE 11 ORCHESTRAS Entertainment Will Enlist Aid of 500 Musicians -- Miss Ruth V. Twombly Heads Committee". The New York Times. 1932-11-01. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-09-24.
  17. ^ Issues Management in Public Relations. 1990. p. 108.
  18. ^ a b York, Community Service Society of New (1966). Annual Report. p. 39.
  19. ^ Directory of Social and Health Agencies of New York City. Columbia University Press. 1969.
  20. ^ Lellenberg, Jon L.; Smith, Edgar Wadsworth (1991). Irregular Records of the Early 'forties: An Archival History of the Baker Street Irregulars, January 1941-March 1944. Baker Street Irregulars. ISBN 978-0-8232-1356-6.
  21. ^ Wine and Food. Wine and Food Society. 1960.
  22. ^ Waggoner, Walter H. (1982-03-20). "JOSEPH DONAN, 94, A MASTER CHEF". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-09-24.
  23. ^ Cummins, Walter; Vanderbilt, Arthur T. (2017-05-26). The Richest and Most Famous Private Chef in the World Joseph Donon: Gilded Age Dining with Florence Vanderbilt Twombly. Serving House Books. ISBN 978-0-692-89337-1.
  24. ^ Athenaeum (R.I.), Redwood Library and (1940). Annual Report of the Redwood Library and Athenaeum. Redwood Library and Athenaeum.
  25. ^ Patterson, Jerry E. (1989-09-01). The Vanderbilts. Harry N. Abrams. p. 286. ISBN 978-0-8109-1748-4.
  26. ^ Patterson, Jerry E. (1989-09-01). The Vanderbilts. Harry N. Abrams. p. 286. ISBN 978-0-8109-1748-4.
  27. ^ ARTnews. ARTnews Associates. 1955. p. 66.
  28. ^ Standen, Edith Appleton; N.Y.), Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York (1985). European Post-medieval Tapestries and Related Hangings in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Metropolitan Museum of Art. ISBN 978-0-87099-406-7.
  29. ^ Arts, Minneapolis Institute of; Adelson, Candace (1994). European Tapestry in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. The Institute. pp. 402, 444. ISBN 978-0-8109-3262-3.
  30. ^ Art News Annual. 1956. p. 192.
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