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Lot Essay
Brooke Astor (1902 – 2007) was an American philanthropist and socialite best remembered for her lasting impact on New York City. Born to Mabel Cecile Hornby Howard and John H. Russell Jr., 16th Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, her father’s military career moved the family around the world before she returned to the Washington, D.C. area to finish her education.
In 1953, Brooke married Vincent Astor, son of John Jacob Astor IV, and great-great grandson of John Jacob Astor, America’s first multi-millionaire. Although their marriage was brief, with Vincent passing away in 1959, Mrs. Astor never remarried and she remained committed to her husband’s charitable work as head of the Vincent Astor Foundation. Mrs. Astor’s dedication to philanthropy changed the landscape of New York City for the better.
Mrs. Astor reasoned that because so much of the Astor fortune had been made in New York City real estate over the last two centuries, it should be put to use for New Yorkers. Her grants supported museums, libraries, hospitals, schools, youth clubs, elderly homes, animal welfare and countless other institutions for the betterment of New York’s civic society. Often favoring less glamorous initiatives, such as new pipes or air conditioning units for public buildings, Mrs. Astor was committed to giving where it was needed most, regardless of how fashionable the cause may seem.
Mrs. Astor’s most well-known causes included the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the New York Zoological Society, and the New York Public Library. Grateful for her philanthropic dedication, many institutions named grand ballrooms and entryways in her honor. One such place where Mrs. Astor’s influence can be felt at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s peaceful Astor Court, a Chinese garden courtyard named in her honor, influenced by her childhood years spent in China.
With an influence that extended beyond New York City and throughout the United States, Mrs. Astor received the National Medal of Arts in 1988 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1998. Her contributions to New York City were recognized by the New York Landmarks Conservancy, which named her as a “living landmark” in 1996.
Born during what has since come to be known as the Gilded Age, Mrs. Astor witnessed tremendous change and evolution in New York City. Her long lifespan endured the transition from her grandmother by marriage, Mrs. William Backhouse Astor, ruling over society and its Four Hundred Families to beyond the dot-com bubble and into the 21st century. A holdover from a bygone era, Mrs. Astor was undoubtedly the last of her kind. Her funeral was attended by icons of finance, politics, arts and media, coming together to mourn a bastion of New York City life. Christie’s is pleased to offer at auction the present diamond ‘À Cheval 11-Row' bracelet, a coveted jewel by Van Cleef & Arpels from the collection of Brooke Astor.
In 1953, Brooke married Vincent Astor, son of John Jacob Astor IV, and great-great grandson of John Jacob Astor, America’s first multi-millionaire. Although their marriage was brief, with Vincent passing away in 1959, Mrs. Astor never remarried and she remained committed to her husband’s charitable work as head of the Vincent Astor Foundation. Mrs. Astor’s dedication to philanthropy changed the landscape of New York City for the better.
Mrs. Astor reasoned that because so much of the Astor fortune had been made in New York City real estate over the last two centuries, it should be put to use for New Yorkers. Her grants supported museums, libraries, hospitals, schools, youth clubs, elderly homes, animal welfare and countless other institutions for the betterment of New York’s civic society. Often favoring less glamorous initiatives, such as new pipes or air conditioning units for public buildings, Mrs. Astor was committed to giving where it was needed most, regardless of how fashionable the cause may seem.
Mrs. Astor’s most well-known causes included the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the New York Zoological Society, and the New York Public Library. Grateful for her philanthropic dedication, many institutions named grand ballrooms and entryways in her honor. One such place where Mrs. Astor’s influence can be felt at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s peaceful Astor Court, a Chinese garden courtyard named in her honor, influenced by her childhood years spent in China.
With an influence that extended beyond New York City and throughout the United States, Mrs. Astor received the National Medal of Arts in 1988 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1998. Her contributions to New York City were recognized by the New York Landmarks Conservancy, which named her as a “living landmark” in 1996.
Born during what has since come to be known as the Gilded Age, Mrs. Astor witnessed tremendous change and evolution in New York City. Her long lifespan endured the transition from her grandmother by marriage, Mrs. William Backhouse Astor, ruling over society and its Four Hundred Families to beyond the dot-com bubble and into the 21st century. A holdover from a bygone era, Mrs. Astor was undoubtedly the last of her kind. Her funeral was attended by icons of finance, politics, arts and media, coming together to mourn a bastion of New York City life. Christie’s is pleased to offer at auction the present diamond ‘À Cheval 11-Row' bracelet, a coveted jewel by Van Cleef & Arpels from the collection of Brooke Astor.