480 Park Avenue: Before and After

The Entrance Hall of an apartment at
480 Park Avenue, New York City,
after improvements by John Tackett Design
and furnishings by Bunny Williams.

During my tenure at Parish-Hadley during the 1980s, there were many dozens of projects decorated by Bunny Williams where we worked as a team and I supplied the architectural services.  Such was the case for this project after we had each gone out on our own.


The old padding of the wall-to-wall carpet
that had previously covered the terrazzo
floor in the Entrance Hall.
Photo:  Billy Cunningham for Architectural Digest.

John Tackett Design has the greatest appreciation for interior designers who understand and value good architecture, and there is no one today that excels in that category more than Bunny Williams.  She understands that a total package of good design requires more in her profession than just selling things.


The Living Room 'Before' improvements
at 480 Park Avenue, New York City.
Photo:  Billy Cunningham for Architectural Digest.

There was a construction boom in Manhattan during the second half of the 1920s with high-rise residential buildings making up the bulk of the activity.  Since profits could be higher in luxury construction, real estate investors sank their money into apartments and apartment-hotels that contributed to the trend that turned Manhattan into an enclave for the rich.  Park Avenue, with the railroad tracks sunk out of sight, became a prime area for these apartment buildings as new technology allowed relief from the vibration of the trains.


The Living Room 'After' renovation by
John Tackett Design
and furnishing by Bunny Williams.
Photo:  Billy Cunningham for Architectural Digest.

Real estate developer Sam Minskoff had completed several projects with Emery Roth before commissioning him to design the luxury building at 480 Park Avenue.  Constructed 1928 to 1929 with an exterior skin of buff brick and limestone with cast terra-cotta ornament, the building is a prime example of the Renaissance Revival style so popular at the time.  The upper floors step back to allow light and air in addition to creating opportunities for terraces high above Park Avenue as well as East 58th Street.  Wood-burning fireplaces and relatively high ceilings were also featured.  The water tower is concealed in the form of a small but picturesque palazzo.  Although the larger apartments contain rooms for live-in staff, maid and butler services were originally available to all tenants, and meals could be taken in an elegant restaurant for the tenants.


Architect's rendering of 480 Park Avenue.
Image from MANSIONS IN THE CLOUDS.

480 Park Avenue is a nineteen-story building with original apartment sizes ranging from three to thirteen rooms in both simplex and duplex plans.  Lucrative rental income from the ground floor and first floor allow relatively low maintenance rates for the apartments, now a co-operative building.


Another view of the Living Room 'After' improvements
by John Tackett Design
and furnishings by Bunny Williams.
Photo:  Billy Cunningham for Architectural Digest.

For a Florida-based couple with two young daughters, the apartment at the southeast corner with two terraces, three bedrooms, and two maid's rooms that could be combined to create a guest room fit the bill.  But little had changed in terms of decoration in more than thirty years.


The original Dining Room was the largest room
in the apartment, but it was featureless
other than a pair of French doors to a small terrace.
Photo:  Billy Cunningham for Architectural Digest.

Limited investigation by the owners before purchase revealed wood floors in bad shape under the old wall-to-wall carpet.  The Entrance Hall and Foyer (not shown in these photographs) had not been checked, however, and imagine the surprise when I pulled back a corner to reveal the terrazzo floor inlaid with a classic design with brass strips.  There was some damage around the perimeter where the "tackless" strips had been nailed into the floor, but that was repaired by a craftsman brought out of retirement by the general contractor for the project, Ron Metell. 


A bookcase cabinet that holds a TV
was added to the original dining room along
with pine paneling to create a Library.
Architectural detailing by John Tackett Design,
furnishings by Bunny Williams.
Photo by Billy Cunningham for Architectural Digest.



The long blank wall of the original dining room
is shown 'in progress' as the paneling by
John Tackett Design is being installed.
Fabrication by Craz Woodworking Associates, Inc.
Photo by Billy Cunningham for Architectural Digest.



That same view of the original dining room
'After'.  Architectural detailing by John Tackett
Design.  Furnishings by Bunny Williams.
Photo by Billy Cunningham for Architectural Digest.

Most of the architectural improvements by John Tackett Design are not really evident in these photos published in the February, 1994, issue of Architectural Digest magazine.  An exception is the transformation of the original dining room, the largest room in the apartment.  The new out-of-town owners were looking forward to sampling the New York City restaurants when they visited and did not need a formal dining room, so this space was reinvented as a cozy Library with the addition of custom made pine paneling, expertly fabricated to my design by Peter Craz.  The true beauty of the wood and the excellent execution of the millwork are not fully evident in the photos, I must add.


The Master Bedroom 'Before'.
Photo:  Billy Cunningham for Architectural Digest.

The Master Bedroom 'After'.
Photo:  Billy Cunningham for Architectural Digest.

While all the bedrooms received improvements such as air-conditioning that allowed the window units to be removed, all the bathrooms were given a complete make-over (not shown in the published photographs).


The third bedroom 'Before'.
Photo:  Billy Cunningham for Architectural Digest.



The third bedroom 'After'.
Photo:  Billy Cunningham for Architectural Digest.

In the third bedroom, a pair of bookcases that had flanked a niche for the bed were removed, but the pair flanking the door (from the Entrance Hall) were retained and given some detailing.

In addition to the combining of staff rooms to create a Guest Room and bathroom, the old servant's hall was completely renovated to serve as a Breakfast Room (not shown in the published photographs) for the family and finished with custom glass-door cabinetry in the style of a 1920s pantry.  Also, improvements were made to update the kitchen.

To read more about the work of the building's original architect, see MANSIONS IN THE CLOUDS: THE SKYSCRAPER PALAZZI OF EMERY ROTH by Steven Ruttenbaum.  The archives of the firm were donated to Columbia University's Avery Library and the holdings of the files for this building may be viewed there by appointment.

To see more of the wonderful interior design by Bunny Williams, her charming store Treillage, Ltd., and her inspiring lines of furniture and home furnishings at Bunny Williams Home, click on her website bunnywilliams.com.

More examples of my work featured on earlier blog posts by be seen by clicking on John Tackett Design Portfolio under LABELS in the right hand margin of the web version of The Devoted Classicist.

Scorpios: Sold

An era came to an end a few weeks ago for the private island of Scorpios (or Skorpios), the former retreat of Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis.  His grand-daughter Athina Onassis Roussel, who inherited it after the 1988 death of her mother, sold the 74 acre island in the Ionian Sea to Russian fertilizer billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev via a foundation in the name of his 24 year old daughter Ekaterina Rybolovlev.


Ekaterina Rybolovlev.
Photo via New York Social Diary.

The sale, which also included the adjacent island of Sparti, was reportedly in excess of US $150 million.  When Aristotle bought Scorpios in 1962 (or 1963 according to some sources) for the equivalent of US $15,000 (or $20,000 as some sources said), it was barren of vegetation and unoccupied.  Onassis built roads, a heliport and eventually a small villa and other auxiliary buildings in addition to planting over 200 varieties of trees.


The island of Scorpios.
Photo via New York Social Diary.

The most important improvement to the island was the dock for the famous Onassis yacht "Christina", named in honor of his daughter, born in 1950. (Christina's mother was Athina 'Tina' Livanos who divorced the womanizing Onassis [having an affair with Maria Callas and others] and married twice more, first to John Spencer-Churchill, Marquess of Blandford, and later to multi-billionaire Stavros Niarchos, widower of her older sister Eugenia and Onassis's rival). Originally a WWII Canadian anti-submarine frigate, it was bought for the scrap value of US $34,000 and overhauled at an expense reported to be US $4 million. 


A recent view of the yacht "Christina" and tender.
Photo via Wikipedia.

At a length of 325 feet, the "Christina" has 18 passenger staterooms in addition to a master suite, accommodating as many as 34 passengers served by a crew of 39.  Guests included the most famous names of the day in politics and entertainment.


Plans of the yacht "Christina".

The bottom surface of the swimming pool
on "Christina" is decorated with a mosaic
Minotaur pattern and can be raised at the
touch of a button to become a dance floor.
Photo via marin.ru.

Mrs. Onassis at the shipboard reception
following her wedding.  In the main saloon,
a portrait of step-daughter Christina can be
seen over the fireplace in the background.
Photo via Bunky Cushing blog.

The island was in international news in 1968 when the little chapel on Scorpios became the site of the wedding of Onassis to the former first lady, Jacqueline Kennedy.  Said to be the most famous woman in the world at the time, she became known in the headlines as Jackie O. from then on.


The bride in a white lace dress by Valentino
is led by the groom through the crush of
photographers following the wedding as
Caroline stays close to her mother.
Photos via HOLA magazine.

The ultimate trophy wife, Mrs. Onassis immediately brought in her decorator, which by that time was Billy Baldwin.  Although first in contact with Jacqueline Kennedy in 1963 by way of their mutual friend Mrs. Paul "Bunny" Mellon for a weekend house in Upperville, Virginia, Baldwin was called in after the assassination to pull together the house in Georgetown using their personal furnishings taken from the White House.  That project, too, was cancelled when Jacqueline Kennedy moved to New York City instead.


Jacqueline Kennedy (left) and her sister
Lee Radziwill (right) leaving the Georgetown
house on December 18, 1963 with
Billy Baldwin carrying what appears to be
a roll of renderings, accompanied by a
Secret Service agent.
Image:Bettman/CORBIS.

In his book, BILLY BALDWIN REMEMBERS, his recollections jump to October, 1968, and receiving a call from the yacht "Christina", again asking to meet right away.  Baldwin was in Athens as soon as possible, just three days after the wedding, to be taken to Scorpios to discuss decorating the new house.


Jacqueline Onassis and Billy Baldwin
in the helicopter to depart for Scorpios, 1968.
Photo from BILLY BALDWIN REMEMBERS.

The project, to be completed in less than two months, was to have a comfortable house on the island so her children would not have to stay on the yacht when they came at Christmas.  Additions were being built to an existing structure that became known as the Pink House.  It was near the sea but away from the harbor.  A big room that was to serve as both a living and dining room was constructed and the existing long building with a cloister served as the bedroom wing.


The villa on Scorpios known as the Pink House.
Photo via NYSD.

 Baldwin writes that as each piece of furnish was completed it was sent to Athens on the nightly jet of Olympic Airways which Onassis founded.  Baldwin never saw the finished house but received a cable just after Christmas. "Happy New Year, and congratulations on the Erectheum of Billy, which we are now enjoying.  Love, Ari, Jackie."


Jackie and Ari.
Image via NYSD.

Sand was brought in from other islands to create some small beaches, one of which was given a hut-sized cottage in the traditional Greek style.  But even this isolation did not allow privacy from the paparazzi who caused international outrage when telephoto lens shots of Mrs. Onassis sunbathing nude were published.  Both of Onassis's children, Alexander and Christina, are buried on the island.  Mrs. Onassis was given a cash settlement (undisclosed but widely reported to be around US $20 million) after Ari's death in Paris and Christina inherited the bulk of her billionaire father's estate.  After Christina's early death, ownership of the island passed to her only child Athina, who has visited Scorpios only twice in her 28 years.


The beach cottage in the traditional Greek style.
Photo:  Hello magazine.

Ekaterina Rybolovlev is no stranger to high-priced real estate.  Her father has a house in Hawaii that he bought from actor Will Smith in 2011, and a residence in Paris with his full-time home being a duplex penthouse in Monaco.  (The house in Geneva was demolished to be rebuilt in a royal French style, but the site has just been just a hole for several years).  Located atop the exclusive La Belle Epoque, news reports state he paid US $300 million (or $308 according to some) for the rebuilt apartment that had been the site of a devastating fire started by an employee hoping to win his rich boss' favor by saving his life.  (The scheme did not work).


The duplex penthouse at La Belle Epoque, Monaco,
was bought from the widow of billionaire Edmund Safra,
after the fire intentionally started by a male nurse
using a Slakin candle, and renovated
on speculation by the Candy brothers (inset).

Dmitry Rybolovlev made news in 2008 when he bought the Palm Beach, Florida estate Maison de L'Amitie from Donald Trump for $95 million (or $100 million as there was a $5 million allowance).  First listed at $125 million, it was the most expensive house in the country at the time.  Located at 315 North County Road, it was built on the site of the famous Bythedunes estate, razed by Leslie Wexner.  (My former project, Montsorrel, is next door and the post about that notable house may be read here).  After studying the benefits of various divorce venues, Ekaterina's mother Elena filed for divorce in Palm Beach in 2009, asking for Maison de L'Amitie and half of Dmitry's fortune, estimated by Forbes in March, 2013, to be $9.1 billion.  Despite the high price of the house, it was bought as a 'tear down' and deemed in 'unlivable' condition at the time of purchase.  Ekaterina has visited twice and stayed in the pool house, but no one has spent the night in the main house which has been maintained but not improved because of the pending litigation. 


A birds eye view of Maison de L'Amitie, Palm Beach,
with part of Montsorrel seen in the foreground.
Photo via forbes.com

In December, 2011, Ekaterina's father bought her a Manhattan apartment via a trust in her name for her residence while in school.  Located at 15 Central Park West, it is an $88 million penthouse designed by architect Robert A.M. Stern.  The seller was Joan Weill, whose husband Sandy was formerly chief executive and chairman of Citigroup.  Decorated by Mica Ertegun, it was featured in the April, 2010, issue of Architectural Digest.  The furniture did not come with the sale of the apartment, however.


The floor plan of the penthouse apartment
at 15 Central Park West, New York City.
It serves as 'student housing' for Ekaterina Rybolovlev.

Private island retreats have increased in popularity among rich celebrities such as actor Johnny Depp, illusionist David Copperfield, Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, and British business magnate Richard Branson.  There is speculation that Scorpios could be developed as a resort, but the chances are just as likely that it could remain private.

The Paris Apartment of Antiquarian Akko van Acker

Bavarian painted terra-cotta and carved wood deer heads
decorate an alcove in the Dining Room of the Paris apartment of
 Akko van Acker.  An 18th-century painted wall covering
provides a beautiful background for an Italian console
with a vase painted in the style of Imari, terra-cotta mandarin
figures and 18th century English treen.  The painted wood
mountain goats are also Bavarian.

Speaking with a John Tackett Design client over the phone this morning from her second home in the south of France about shopping for a few antiques that were needed for her new home here in the States, I was reminded of the wonderful dealers in Paris who provide the most personable continental furnishings.  One of the antiquarians at the top of the list is Akko van Acker who had a shop on the rue du l'Université (perhaps now closed?).   

The 18th century Italian faux-marbre door is one of a pair
owned by Akko van Acker before he had the apartment.
Photo by Marina Faust for Architectural Digest.

Dutch-born van Acker's Right Bank pied-à-terre, decorated with the help of designer Ricardo Wilhelmsen and the Paris-based firm Interiors, was memorably featured in the March, 1992, issue of Architectural Digest.  The 18th century doors from an Italian palazzo inspired an Italian theme for the shell of the apartment which was gutted and completely rebuilt with all new interior partitions, moldings, and other architectural details.


18th century books are arranged on and around a games
table with an open top in the Living Room.
Photo by Marina Faust for Architectural Digest.

The walls in the Living Room are a burnished gold Venetian plaster and the floor is Italian terra-cotta tile.  When a wall was removed to enlarge the Living Room, it was determined that a beam and supports would be required for structural needs;  the solution was classical columns that separate the two areas of the room.


A sitting area of the Living Room
with a glimpse into the Dining Room beyond.
Photo by Marina Faust for Architectural Digest.

Characteristic of the interesting mix, a pair of circa 1830 English chinoiserie snowscapes are placed between pilasters above a tabletop arrangement with a rare bronze Pekingese flanked by a pair of 18th century Japanese Ho-Ho figures.  An antique wood armature model sits in one of a pair of 19th century Italian cane-back chairs with carved frames in simulation of rope.


A view of the Living Room showing parts of the
two areas separated by columns.
Photo by Marina Faust for Architectural Digest.

A painted Bavarian console displays a collection of porphyry obelisks and tazzas flanked by a pair of Venetian jars with lids, overlooked by a portrait of a West Indian governor.  The sofa table displays a flock of late-18th century carved and painted wood parrots.


The sitting area in front of the fireplace
in the Living Room.
Photo by Marina Faust for Architectural Digest.

The faux-marbre painted chimneypiece dates from 18th century Florence.  A late-18th century Dutch page's chair is placed nearby with an antique japanned cabinet adjacent, along with a large 18th century Italian 18th century terra-cotta vase painted in the Chinese Imari style.  A Giacometti bronze and glass low table sits on an antique Persian rug.


Painted boiserie was added to the Dining Room.
Photo by Marina Faust for Architectural Digest.

In the Dining Room, the casement window is flanked by a pair of Venetian wall brackets, each supporting a Burmese carved wood deer.  Painted marquises with their original tapestry are placed on angles in the corners.  The Waterford chandelier dates from the 18th century, as do the Dutch chairs around the table.


Silk fabric in a wood grain pattern is used to great effect
in the Master Bedroom.
Photo by Marina Faust for Architectural Digest.

The 18th century English cabinet in the Master Bedroom was bought from David Hicks, from the collection of Lady Mountbatten at Wardour Castle.  A circa 1570s Dutch painting hangs from a rod display system above a Dutch side chair.  A 17th century Dutch marine painting hangs over the bed with classical fragments of feet on a wicker bedside chest and a brass-lined peat bucket serving as a trash can.


Antiques dealer Akko van Acker.
Photo by Marina Faust for Architectural Digest.

In the article by Judith Thurman, it states that his first shop was opened in St.-Tropez in 1967 with the Paris shop following in 1975.  Clients have included Rudolph Nureyev, Yves Saint Laurent, and Ralph Lauren.  A few months of the year are spent at his villa in the south of France, in the charming village of Ramatuelle, the article goes on to say, and most of his entertaining is done there. 

Mr. Selfridge Had An Interest In Architecture

Actor Jeremy Piven as Harry Gordon Selfridge.
From the PBS television series "Masterpiece Classics".
Image:  list.co.uk

Fans of British period dramas are currently enjoying the PBS series Mr. Selfridge starring Jeremy Piven as the American-born retail pioneer.  Harry Gordon Selfridge, 1864 to 1947, worked his way up from stock boy to head the department store that became Marshall Field in Chicago.  When Field refused to make him a partner, he struck out on his own.


Harry Gordon Selfridge
as he appeared about 1910.
Image:  Wikipedia.

117 (now 1430) Lake Shore Drive, Chicago.
Photo via Glessner House blog.

The Selfridges had shared a house on Rush Street with her sister and brother-in-law until purchasing a city house on Lake Shore Drive for $100,000 in 1898.  It had been built in 1890 by architect Francis Whitehouse for his widowed mother-in-law.


Harrose Hall, Lake Geneva.
Completed 1899.  Now demolished.
Photo via Glessner House blog.

A summer home at Lake Geneva was completed in 1899.  Named Harrose Hall, combining the names of Harry and Rose, it was a substantial Arts & Crafts house of stone and half-timbered stucco.  More about the Selfridges' Chicago years may be found here.


Architect Louis H. Sullivan's store for Schlesinger & Meyer
was H.G. Selfridge & Co. before becoming
Carson, Pirie, Scott & Co.  It is now a Target store.
Image via intralld.com

With business partners, Selfridge bought the Chicago department store Schlesinger & Meyer and changed the name to H.G. Selfridge & Co.  The landmark building designed by Louis H. Sullivan was included in the deal.  However, within a year, it was all sold at a great profit to Carson, Pirie, Scott & Co.


Selfridge's Department Store
designed by architect Daniel Burnham.
Photo via RIBA.

The lure of London retail beckoned after a 1906 visit and a magnificent new Classical Revival store was opened in 1909 designed by Chicago architect Daniel Burnham.  The influence of the Beaux Arts ideals of the 1893 Chicago World's Exposition, largely designed by Burnham, is apparent in the store, and the matching expansion completed in 1929.  Several designs for a 450 ft tower were submitted by Burnham as well as British architects Sir John Burnet and Philip Tilden, but it was never built.


Highcliffe Castle, Dorset.
South Court as published in 1942.
Photo:  Country Life Library

London gentlemen of social standing had a country house for weekend entertaining, and Harry Gordon Selfridge leased Highcliffe Castle in Dorset from 1916 to 1922.  During World War I, Rose had a therapeutic charitable tent retreat on the grounds called the Mrs. Gordon Selfridge Convalescent Camp for American Soldiers.


Highcliffe Castle entrance.
Photo:  Country Life Library.

Constructed in the romantic Gothic Revival style mainly from 1831 to 1836 by architect William Donthorne, it was home to the diplomat Lord Stuart de Rothesay.


Highcliffe Castle Great Hall staircase.
Photo:  Country Life Library. 

Salvaged stone work and colored glass windows from across the channel in France were incorporated into the house, making it appear older than it actually was.


Highcliffe Castle Great Hall.
Photo:  Country Life Library.

In contrast with the exterior, the interiors past the Great Hall were largely finished in the French taste of the 18th and early 19th centuries.  Although the house was only leased by Mr. Selfridge, he installed central steam heat and a modern kitchen and bathrooms.


Highcliffe Castle, Salon.
As it appeared in 1942.
Photo:  Country Life Library.



Highcliffe Castle, Octagon Room.
As it appeared in 1942.
Photo:  Country Life Library.



Highcliffe Castle, Dining Room.
As it appeared in 1942.
Photo:  Country Life Library.

Highcliffe Castle, Library.
As it appeared in 1942.
Photo:  Country Life Library.

Although Highcliffe Castle holds Grade 1 status, the interiors were lost in two fires in the 1960s.  In 1977, it was purchased by Christchurch Borough Council and is used today as community space, tourist attraction and popular wedding venue.  A 1990s restoration was partly funded by a grant from the Heritage Lottery fund.



A proposal for the Selfridge Castle
at Hengistbury Head by Philip Tilden.
Image:  RIBA.

Selfridge thought big, of course, and Highcliffe Castle was only a temporary residence.  He bought a mile-long stretch of cliffs nearby and commissioned architect Philip Tilden, who had been involved in the competition of sorts for the tower above the store in London, to design 'the largest castle in the world.'  Despite Selfridge's preference for classicism, he wanted the castle to have a mix with the concept of a medieval fortress being the primary goal.  

A proposed terrace for the Selfridge Castle
at Hengistbury Head by Philip Tilden.
Image:  RIBA

Within four miles of ramparts with towers, there was to be a Gothic hall, a 300 ft tower, a theatre, a Hall of Mirrors copied from Versailles, a winter garden, a covered lake, long galleries for pictures & tapestries and at least 250 suites for guests.  The intent was to have a 'small castle' completed first, and then the 'large castle'.  Plans for construction were impeded by - Spoiler Alert - his wife's death from the influenza pandemic in 1918, and finally the impact of the Wall Street Crash in 1929.  In 1930, 300 acres were sold to the local council and no part of the design was ever realized.


Landsdowne House, London,
as seen in an 1811 engraving.
ACKERMANN'S REPOSITORY OF ARTS,
LITERATURE, COMMERCE, FASHIONS,
AND POLITICS.

Selfridge leased one of London's finest houses, Landsdowne House, for his city residence from 1921 to 1929.  Begun for the third earl of Bute, Prime Minister John Stuart, it was sold unfinished about 1765 to William Petty-Fitzmaurice, the earl of Shelburne, later first marquess of Landsdowne, and finished to plans by Robert Adam in 1768.


A detail from Greenwood's Map of London, 1830,
showing Landsdowne House facing its own front garden
between Berkeley Square and the rear garden of
Devonshire House.

A great asset of the house was that it faced a front garden, unique for London.  (This allowed Devonshire House a view all the way to Berkeley Square.  To read the story of the now-demolished mansion that was the center of life for the Cavendish family from the October 18, 2011, post of The Devoted Classicist, click here).


The plan of the principal story of Shelbourne House
as Landsdowne House was first known,
as published by Robert Adam, 1765.

A widening of the road in 1930 required a removal of the flanking pavilions and the front rooms of the main block.  A somewhat similar façade provided a replacement and two of the grand rooms were purchased by museums in the United States.  The building is now Landsdowne Club.


The exterior of Landsdowne House
as photographed for Arthur Bolton's
THE ARCHITECTURE OF ROBERT AND JAMES ADAM,
published 1922.  Country Life Picture Library.

The Organ Drawing Room has been restored and can now be seen in the Philadelphia Museum of Art.


The Drawing Room of Landsdowne House
showing the niche originally intended for
Lord Bute's vastly expensive mechanical organ.
Philadelphia Museum of Art.

The Eating-room, as it is labeled on the Adam floor plan, has also been restored and is on view in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  In addition to the plaster work, the millwork, and the marble chimneypiece, even the original flooring is installed in the New York City location.  Plaster copies of the statues now occupy the niches, as the antique sculpture was dispersed in the 1930 Landsdowne sale.  The original furniture designed by Robert Adam and executed by John Linnell no longer survives.


The Dining Room of Landsdowne House
showing the niches that originally held
nine ancient marble statues.
Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Landsdowne House, known as a center for political entertaining in earlier times, was a noted Jazz Age party mansion for Selfridge.  It was leased furnished and came with twenty servants.


Mr. Selfridge's Room at Landsdowne House
as it appeared in 1921.
Photo:  English Heritage.

Numerous liaisons included both of the dancing Hungarian twins known as the Dolly Sisters.


The Dolly Sisters.
Photo:  Wikipedia.

And there was reportedly an affair with the divorcee, Syrie Barnardo Wellcome, later to be known as the famous Lady Decorator, Syrie Maugham.


Syrie Maugham.
Photo:  Tumblr.

Forced into retirement from Selfridge's in 1939, he was essentially penniless in his later years after spending his fortune on extravagant living and an addiction to gambling, not to mention the succession of mistresses who were essentially refused nothing.  But H.G. Selfridge's showmanship and admiration of architecture has left a legacy in retail history.