Take a comprehensive tour through this Gilded Age Wonder: The Breakers. Dubbed "The Grandest of them All" for good reason, this Italian inspired summer cottage is like no other.
Commodore Vanderbilt made the family fortune and his grandson Cornelius Vanderbilt II, commissioned one of the best architects of his time: Richard Morris Hunt to design a show stopping summer home to replace the original Breakers that burned down in 1892.
After inheriting The Breakers, the Vanderbilt's youngest daughter: Countess (Gladys) Szechenyi sold the palatial estate to The Newport Preservation Society who owns and maintains it to this day.
Gertrude Vanderbilt, the fourth of their seven children, went on to become an acclaimed artist and sculptor. She was a highly influential individual and was known for many things, one of the most notable was founding the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City in 1931.
The bedrooms on the upper floors were designed by Ogden Codman Jr, who also co-wrote a book that went on to become the standard for interior decorators throughout the 20th century. The book, The Decoration of Houses is still in print to this day.
Filming for HBO's hit series: Gilded Age took place in a few of the rooms most notable, The Billiards Room and The Music Room. Comparison footage can be seen.
Photo credit to Wikipedia, The Newport Preservation Society and HBO's Gilded Age