The opening night reception on Thursday, August 29, 2024 kicked off the new exhibit of Wild Imagination at the Newport Mansions. Attendees included patrons, benefactors, sponsors and invited guests. Moreover, the bar staff and catering was provided by Blackstone. Food offerings included a delectable mix of cheese crudités, with tray passed hors d’oeuvres and canapés.
Love for the Animals
Wild Imagination at the Newport Mansions is an exhibition with a few notable distinctions. Additionally, domesticated animals were much adored by the society of the Gilded Age. Furthermore, portraits of beloved pets were as common as those of their human counterparts.
On the flip side, furs and feathers adorned hats and clothing. The ostrich plumes were very fashionable. Removing the feathers did not harm the bird. This was quite different than pheasants, hunted for both meat and feathers. Additionally, milliners used whole birds as adornments on top of hats.
The increasing destruction of the bird population led some of the Gilded Age socialites to become activists. For instance, Harriet Lawrence Hemenway and her cousin Minna B. Hall founded the Massachusetts Audubon Society.
Horses were both a means of travel and used for “high stakes” entertainment. Leisure activities included polo which led to the founding of the first polo club in Newport in 1876. These magnificent animals were also “work horses” moving people, supplies and cargo. Abuse and overwork led to anticruelty legislation.
The most unique piece in the exhibit is the tortoise shell crib. Human exploration, such as safari and game hunting devastated the wild. Some of the Gilded Age furnishings reflected such pursuits.
The coat rack made from Walrus tusks stands next to the tortoise shell crib.
Wild Imagination at the Newport Mansions
The installation of this latest exhibit at Rosecliff began in July. The public had the opportunity to visit Rosecliff for free, limited to the first floor, during this exhibit changeover. This new exhibition opens on Friday, August 30th. Animal welfare is at the heart of this exhibit. Activism for the protection of animals started during the Gilded Age. Whilst the circus was a form of entertainment. Today, they are less so.
This exhibit celebrates the wild as much as it does our beloved pets. The exhibit is viewable until January 12, 2025. Rosecliff is open from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.