Beauty's Legacy: Gilded Age Portraits in America

Named after a series of charity shows held by the New York social elite during the 1890s, which generated huge press interest, this volume examines the remarkable resurgence of portraiture in the United States in the late 19th century. It features over 50 paintings by leading American and European artists, including John Singer Sargent, James Montgomery Flagg and William- Adolphe Bouguereau, with portraits of the some of the greatest belles of the Gilded Age, including Mrs. William Waldorf Astor and the concert singer, Emma Cecilia Thursby. The book also features 25 miniature portraits from the collection Beauties of New York Society commissioned by contemporary socialite Peter Marie, as well as period photographs and advertisements for fashion and cosmetics. The lives of all of these women generated a level of curiosity similar to that of celebrity and beauty magazines like 'Vanity Fair' and 'Tatler' today.