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

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

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

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
  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. CMHS, Stanley Turkel (2014-09-19). Hotel Mavens. Author House. ISBN 978-1-4969-3335-5.
  3. "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.
  5. Rae, John W. (2002). Morristown: A Military Headquarters of the American Revolution. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-2400-9.
  6. 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. "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. 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. 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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