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A warm, intimate portrait of the grand family estate of six generations of Rockefellers.
Built between 1906 and 1913 by architects Delano and Aldrich on a hilltop overlooking the Hudson River, Kykuit -- the country home of John D. Rockefeller, St., John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Nelson Rockefeller, and their families -- has just recently been opened to the public. The guided tour comprises the gardens and two floors of the main house. The still-private sections of the estate, however, such as the vast Tudor-style playhouse and the Japanese teahouse, are not open to the public_ For the past 15 years Mary Louise Pierson, granddaughter of Nelson Rockefeller, has been photographing the main house, its Ogden Codman -- designed interiors, the magnificent gardens by William Welles Bosworth, and the numerous outbuildings.
This evocative book features Pierson's photographs of both the public and the private areas, vintage photographs of the estate and its occupants, and reminiscences by six generations of Rockefeller family members. The text by Ann Rockefeller Roberts, Governor Nelson Rockefeller's daughter, recounts the history of the estate, focusing on how each successive generation left its stamp on the decor, art collections, and vast landscape designs. Complete with a family tree, maps, and visitor information, The Rockefeller Family Home offers a personal, revealing look at the country residence of one of America's most distinguished families.
About the author
Photographer
Mary Louise Pierson is the granddaughter of Nelson A. Rockefeller. A painter, she lives on a farm in Vermont with her husband and children.
Author
Ann Rockefeller Roberts is the daughter of Nelson A. Rockefeller and the mother of Mary Louise Pierson. A graduate of Wellesley College, she has a masters degree in landscape architecture from the University of Virginia. The author of Mr. Rockefellers Roads: The Untold Story of Acadias Carriage Roads and Their Creator, she is founder and president of the Fund of the Four Directions, a private fund with a focus on indigenous peoples. She lives in New York City.
Cynthia Altman, author of the captions and additional text, is the curator of Kykuit.
Summary
A portrait of the principal home of John D Rockefeller and his descendants. The history of the estate is recounted by the daughter of Governor Rockefeller and illustrated with photographs taken by the granddaughter of Nelson Rockefeller. The photographs cover both the public and private areas of the estate along with architectural plans.
