Rommantic Couple Image Biography
Source (google.com.pk)"Love, Fiercely is an exquisitely-rendered portrait of passion and privilege in the Gilded Age."
—Deborah Davis, author of Strapless: John Singer Sargent and the Fall of Madame X
Demonstrating the same flare as in her previous biography, Zimmerman (The Women of the House: How a Colonial She-Merchant Built a Mansion, a Fortune, and a Dynasty) pays respect to the lives and times of Edith Minturn Stokes and Isaac Newton Phelps Stokes. Edith and Newton, as he was called, who married in 1895, were born in New York to immense privilege and became patrons of the arts and advocates for immigrant rights. The two knew each other as children and eventually fell in love. Newton, a respected architect in his own right, pulled together a massive multivolume documentary history, The Iconography of Manhattan Island, and Edith worked for many charitable organizations. Zimmerman chronicles their personal lives and love, from the heights of financial success to the depths of deteriorating health and wealth, while also encapsulating the era in which they lived. VERDICT With an impressive amount of research behind every page, Zimmerman manages to capture the sweeping drama of the turn of the century as well as the compelling story of a couple who knew how to love, fiercely. Her superb pacing and gripping narrative will appeal to all who enjoy history, biography, and real-life romance.--Library Journal
This double biography of Edith (Minturn) Stokes and Newton Stokes was inspired by the double portrait, "Mr. and Mrs. I. N. Phelps Stokes," by John Singer Sargent, painted in 1897. Isaac Newton Stokes and Edith Minturn had been born into two of New York's wealthiest families in the same year, 1867 and grew up during "The Gilded Age," the period of rapid economic development following the Civil War and Post-Reconstruction era of the late 1900s. Although the Minturn and Stokes families were both members of "the 400" (the "haves" of this era, those who qualified to hobnob with the Astors) and both attended the same Episcopal services at Christ Church during their formative years, they didn't marry until they were 28 years old.
Details of the indefinite courtship between Edith and Newton, their eventual marriage, their Paris years and their subsequent lives that focused on philanthropy and preservation are skillfully covered by Jean Zimmerman. I felt immersed in "the age" in this comprehensive study of the progressive times, the habits of the very wealthy and their enclaves along the east coast, and the history of New York City.
Thanks to Newton Stokes, there exists today (mostly in university libraries, but also in private collections) a six-volume collection of the history of New York with maps and engravings. Invaluable, because, according to the author, "None of the contemporary histories of New York could have been written without the `Iconography' as a source." The acquisition of materials for his "Iconography" and the printing of 402 copies, combined with a tough economy (the Great Depression of 1929) reduced Newton's wealth of approximately $1.75 million to less than $50,000.
On the face of it, I liked almost everything about this book. It told the story of Isaac Newton Phelps Stokes and his wife Edith Minturn. They were a New York society couple who came of age during a period normally referred to as the Gilded Age (roughly the last half of the 19th century and the early years of the 20th century) and remained devoted to one another for the rest of their lives. The author did a good job of describing the rarified lives of the extremely wealthy during the period of the Gilded Age as well as defining the social mores of the period. She also did a good job of introducing and familiarizing the reader with both the Minturn and Stokes families, describing the sources of their wealth as well as the family dynamic, and establishing their lofty roles in the development of New York City. As for Newton and Edie, the reader sees a couple who are rich in love and money but also committed social reformers in their own right. Newton is heavily involved in preserving and recording the history and development of New York and this becomes one of his many passions. Edie is a dedicated wife and mother who is active in the settlement reform movement. On the side, Newton designs fabulous homes for family members and is involved in building development on spec. The book also guides the Stokes through a life of incredible wealth and opportunity to a downturn as the Gilded Age fades into modern times and the economic depression that started in the late '20's.
I liked the descriptions of life in the Gilded Age and the curious stories of how the families developed and multiplied their fortunes. The family included Civil War casualty Robert Gould Shaw(known today for his part in the film GLORY), who was Edie's uncle. It also included through marriage communist Rose Pastor Stokes. This family member alone probably rates her own book. Rose's husband Graham was another character who followed his own unconventional path. I don't remember this being mentioned in the book, but Andy Warhol darling Edie Sedgewick (named after Edith Stokes) was also a decendent of the original Edie. I was also interested to learn that aside from sitting for some well known portrait artists of the period, Edie was also the model for a huge statue called The Republic that was a centerpiece of the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago and still exists in a somewhat scaled down version from the original in Jackson Park.
What might turn off some readers is the florid rhetoric used to describe the world of the Stokes and Minturn families. While I suspect it was intentional to capture the language as well as the spirit and atmosphere of the time the author was conveying, it might be frustrating at times to get through.
This book is interesting and provides an interesting slice of life from another place and time.
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Rommantic Cupple Image Facebook Timeline Of Couples On Bed Of Couples With Quote Hd Of Hearts For Facebook Of Couples Of Kissing
Rommantic Cupple Image Facebook Timeline Of Couples On Bed Of Couples With Quote Hd Of Hearts For Facebook Of Couples Of Kissing
Rommantic Cupple Image Facebook Timeline Of Couples On Bed Of Couples With Quote Hd Of Hearts For Facebook Of Couples Of Kissing
Rommantic Cupple Image Facebook Timeline Of Couples On Bed Of Couples With Quote Hd Of Hearts For Facebook Of Couples Of Kissing
Rommantic Cupple Image Facebook Timeline Of Couples On Bed Of Couples With Quote Hd Of Hearts For Facebook Of Couples Of Kissing
Rommantic Cupple Image Facebook Timeline Of Couples On Bed Of Couples With Quote Hd Of Hearts For Facebook Of Couples Of Kissing
Rommantic Cupple Image Facebook Timeline Of Couples On Bed Of Couples With Quote Hd Of Hearts For Facebook Of Couples Of Kissing
Rommantic Cupple Image Facebook Timeline Of Couples On Bed Of Couples With Quote Hd Of Hearts For Facebook Of Couples Of Kissing
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