november11913

"W. Archer Thompson" not Warcher

This appears to have been the scene, on November 1, 1913, of a big auction at the Long Island farm of the late New York Mayor William Jay Gaynor, who had died in September. Items at auction included Gaynor's horses and farm animals, and drew a crowd of 1,000. The New York Times of January 28, 1892, reported the wedding of William Archer Thompson and Louise Schermerhorn Little. [They sound like the names of Edith Wharton characters.] Among the wedding guests was Miss Moller, and her mother, Mrs. Moller. Former (and future) President Grover Cleveland had been invited, but sent regrets. When this photo was taken, Mrs. Butler Duncan had been a widow for over a year. Her husband, William Butler Duncan II, had been a New York banker and president of a railroad before his death on March 30, 1912.

Richard: Thanks for the correction. Will sumit for update to the catalog record.

This appears to have been the scene, on November 1, 1913, of a big auction at the Long Island farm of the late New York Mayor William Jay Gaynor, who had died in September. Items at auction included Gaynor's horses and farm animals, and drew a crowd of 1,000. Wealthier than Croesus, John E. Aldred was a New York banker and power company entrepreneur, who later controlled Gillette razors, Gorham silverware, and the U. S. manufacture of Rolls Royces. He funded a lecture series on Engineering Practice at Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore, where he owned a utility company. The Aldred Building, a skyscraper in downtown Montreal, still bears his name. He owned a 40-room English Gothic mansion on the Long Island "Gold Coast" -- ligoldcoast.com/liprivate.html: "Ormston House, the John E. Aldred estate, was built in 1910. Now used as a monastery, this 40 room mansion is reminiscent of an English country estate. Situated atop a sloping hill, it commands a magnificent view of Long Island Sound. J. E. Aldred constructed this estate at the same time [as], and adjacent to, the former W. D. Guthrie estate, Meudon. Aldred and Guthrie were friends, who together purchased the town of Lattingtown, then demolished all of its homes and businesses to create their estates."