10 September 2012

Edith Wharton Porn


Yes, Virginia, we spent the weekend indulging in a massive dose of Edith Wharton porn.

Not exactly the entire weekend.  Part of was spent building one of those heavy stainless steel kitchen rack in a tiny closest the was not much bigger than said rack.  Such a rack usually requires at least two people to put together and space to mover around all sides.  This was a solo project in a 2 X 5 space with a 1 1/2 X 4 rack.  It was not pretty.  After contortions that would get the average person a job with Cirque du Soleil, the rack was erected.  Then there was the Alabama game followed by 36 hours of recovery from rack building.  My body felt like it had been on a rack or on the Western Kentucky offense.  I was aided in my recovery by spending the afternoon on the sofa ensconced in Edith Wharton porn.

Edith Wharton's Library at The Mount
 Richard Guy Wilson's new book on her house, Edith Wharton at Home: Life at The Mount arrived.  I spent a lovely afternoon pouring over the vintage pictures and the new photos by John Arthur.  I would have wanted more photos of the kitchen, but I doubt Wharton set foot in there more than a few times.  I have a photo from a now defunct blog featuring the linen closet at The Mount, another place Wharton probably never saw!  In fact, one of the most interesting sections of the book discusses how little information was kept on anyone who actually worked at The Mount.   Of the cooks, housekeepers, gardeners, and drivers there is only a handful of information on a few; the rest are what Wilson refers to as " the silent backdrop."

 For all the nitty-gritty details there is a wonderful "fact sheet" at The Mount's web site.  Among other things, one will find that the landscaping by Beatrix Jones Farrand cost nearly as much as the construction of the actual house.

Add this one to your Christmas wish list.

4 comments:

  1. I just got the book that is a copy of her letters but also includes a lot of photos of her house and her in it. I already scanned through the photos and can't wait to start!

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  2. You may also want to check out the YA biography of Edith - The Brave Escape of Edith Wharton (Clarion) - by Connie Nordhielm Wooldridge. It's fascinating and full of photos!

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  3. A few months ago, I put up one of those racks in a long narrow closet. It was a claustrophobe's worst nightmare, and involved contortions that no *ahem* slightly overweight upper middle age guy should have to go through. The worst part is the discovery, in said dark space, that one has not installed the shelves on the same rings from one side to the other.

    But enough of that. Can't wait for the Wharton book---The Mount is one of the most compelling restorations undertaken in recent years---I've been several times and am always fascinated. (And although nothing to do with Wharton's design per se, Bunny Williams' decoration of the dining room is dynamic.

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  4. I found you and your other cookbook blog while doing a search for THE WASP COOKBOOK, which has come up on a set of Brooke Astor's cookbooks that's going to get auctioned off at Sotheby's.

    If you really are into Edith Wharton porn, you might want to read Jennie Fields' new novel, THE AGE OF DESIRE, which is about EW's affair with Morton Fullerton. It's light historical fiction and quite enjoyable. Cheers.

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