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Image provided by: Suffolk Cooperative Library System
BY ELISE PEARLMAN Vmitors to the Suffolk County Nanderbilt Museum in Centerport are immediately drawn into the grandeur and mystery of a bygone era. The Vanderbilt Mansion known as Lagle's Nest sits on 43 rolling acres over- looking Long Island Sound and Northport Harbor The 24-room manson. with its unusual Spanish architecture, was once William K. Vanderbilt II's summer home Although not as well-known as his great-grandfather, tycoon Comnehus Vanderbilt. the founder of the New York Central Railroad and the Staten Island Ferry, \Willie K.\ was born into the life of wealth and privilege synonymous with the family name. Upon his father's death. Vanderbilt used his $21-million inhen:- tance to expand his own modest bachelor retreat into a residence of palatial proportions. Florence Ogg: She keeps a Vanderbilt in the Inmelight Ogg began the monumental tisk of inventorving and- assigning a C.omiition report and a lox ation to cach object ~- She sad that she received a grant from the New York State Archives and Records Adminstration. Documentary Heritage Program to hire someone to descenbe and orgamize the Long Island Motor Parkway archival collection. A finder's gunde was created that enables researchers to locate particular documents in this collection The museum now has an archival col- lection with documents stored in acid free folders and boxes. Easy access to docu ments concerning Vanderbilt's travels. collections and other pursuits is provided by an index Ogg is proud to say that the archives have served as valuable resource maternal for scholars. authors, magazines - Life. Sports Hllustrated and Naval History Magazine Visitors will find that Vanderbilt's home bears witness to hus passion for collecting. with unusual spoils of his worldly travels Movers & Shakers and even a televiston senes According to Ogg. Vanderbilt was an avid sailor who owned many vachts and visited Europe everywhere. Vanderbilt had a vision of sharing the beauty of his surroundings and the knowl- edge gained through his travels with oth- ers. The estate, along with funds for its perpetuation, was willed to Suffolk County upon Vanderbilt's death, and opened as a museum in 1950. It is this noble vision that Florence Ogg. Director of Archives and Collections. and the staff at the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum. work tire- lessly to preserve. According to Ogg, Vanderbilt wanted to do something for future generations and \knew what he collected would be of use.\ Like many others, she was not in- nally aware of the diversity of his inter- ests, expressing amazement at what \Vanderbilt had accomplished in his own way. Ogg, who studied graphic design at the School of Visual Arts and received a degree in art history at C.W. Post, brought her organizational and technical skills into play upon encountering the extensive col- lecuon of business transactions and corre- spondence that Vanderbilt left behind. To her surprise. Ogg found boxes of historical documents. records and photos in closets and under beds in the mansion. She was amazed to see \how far the records went back.\ adding that she even located the sates ship for what was perhaps Vanderbilt's most eclectic purchase -- a 3.000-year-oid mummy he bought in Carro in 1931. Wow W art hur m urf ay s ut fo ik * DISCO » NIGHTCLUB * PARTIES * SWING » BALLROOM e VACATIONS * CRUISES . Hours: Mon. - Fri. 1:30-10:00 pm * Sat: By Appointment and exotic locations such as Polynesia. the Galapagos and Australia: \He traveled in the 192th and 1930s when people weren't travel ing.\ Ogg said, adding. \And in a style that not too many people knew ~ The Arts & Entertainment Channel came to the Vanderbilt Mansion and Museum when they produced a special on America's castles, with Vanderbuilt's estate among them. Ogg said. She did research in connection with that senies Ogg noted that many researchers are particularly interested in Vanderbilt's role in developing Vanderbilt Motor Parkway. the world's first roadway bunlt expressly for automobiles According to Ogg. Vanderbilt was a motorar-racing enthus: ast and many people don't know that he sponsored races to encourage Amencan automobile manufacturers to keep up with European designs. later teaming up with other investors to create the parkway In the past few years. Ogg has orga nized five major exhibits. including one relating to the Vanderbilt Cup Races. She helped implement Museum Director J Lance Mailamo's idea of opening the mansion's servants' wing to the public _ tour. In conjunction with shilled restoration carpenter Mike Kerr, Ogg redesigned and restored the ship model gallery, assem- thug an rciating solely to Vanderbilt's yachts. Credible inststutions which have bor rowed matenals from the wealth of c o m CALL NOW FOR YOUR INTRODUCTORY LESSON * BUSINESS « & MORE 4747-19 Fite 347 oat, in the museutth % son inx dude the Long stand Museum of History, Ar and Camages. the Huntington Historm al Society. the Cradle of pl 1% »C *% Aviation. the Society for Preservation of Long Island Antiquities and Northport Public Library Ogg keeps abreast of the latest museum practices through her mem- bership in the A moe fo roc a n Association of Museums and the Long Island M ou % e u m Associatiun She s on the board of the latter institution and served as its president tor tour years A few years ago, Mallamo armved at an ingenious way of giving visitors a better understanding oft Vanderbult's tormer htesivle through a \In ing history tour\ oft the mansion Ogg who has helped imple ment the tom follows a narrative and uses guides dressed as Nanaderbult tanuly mem bers and trends Ogg noted that the tour's authenticity was augmented by oral histones taken from former Vandertult employees and their relatives In addition to their testume ny to \a particular time and wealth.\ Ogg added that st w as tasuinating to learn how how employment in the Vanderbilt house hold had heen \4 journey that affected [the employees] lives ~ Ogg said she is delighted to share what she considers the \toremost source on the Vanderbalt Parkway and the Vanderbili Cup races with the public.\ adding. \The work with researchers is very exciting ~ Ogg achnowledged that some of the \missing preces\ in the Vanderbult stor have been filled in with the public's gen erownity The family of the naval architect who supervised the building of the Alva. Vandertult's largest vacht. donated the vacht's - specificatiuns and photographs associated Germany. The farmuly of the ensmee; uho <crved an the Alva donated an album that pro vides a priceless photographn summary of the great yacht's around-the- world tous with its: cunstruction in Photo by Elise Peartman Florence Ogg examines documents at the Vanderbilt Mansion Special precautions for handling documents include the use of white gloves and acid-free folders and boxes to deter the aging of documents in the 193th \These donations are a real stutement of trust ~ Ogg sard. adding that these matenals provide further insight inte Nanderbult's golden days Eren in Nanderbult's day Ctes played a surprising role Ogg sud that Vvanderbult's leather tendered 1928 a how a tounng «car was equipped with a Rolodex that provided the «chautteut cas access to- destinations frequented hw Vandertbult and his entourage The house had a security system and a Cturmtabtec in the garage «umplified exits Convdenng that the house was onis one of several Vanderbualt' s residences Ogg said that the: thousands of howks housed in the hbrary attest to Vanderbilt s love of knowledge and his abrlity to speak many | languages She also noted. that Vandertult's collection of marme bite specimens is ane of the biggest private vollections in the world Ogg is grateful tor this inside look into \a htestyle that we will never see again ~ \My office is in a mansion ~ she said with a smile. adding that on snowy days she looks out over a winter wonderland Ogg. a Northport resident tor 29 years sult lves in the extended ranch that a real estate agent showed her and fie? hush Bill. so many years ago - She added that she loves Iv ing near the water and \tell in love uith the village before Leven saw the house ~ Ogg has two chitdren Note: an urhan planner. and Anthony. an industrial designer MICHELE MARTIN 1028 FT. SALONGA RD NORTHPORT (631) 261 4200 mchelemartin@alistate.com PS. Call for a free quote. CALL ME. YOU MAY BE SURPRISED AT | How arrorpasie Moe ALLSTATE COVERAGE is. Tain will vary, imurunce altered only with select companies and subject io ty and quakhcohons MfimwdeWQKQMWW
