On Monday, May 12, Roslyn Landmark Society's Howard Kroplick, Jaime Karbowiak, and Jennifer Lister joined former congressman John LeBoutillier as he hosted a private tour of his home, the Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney Studio in Old Westbury. LeBoutillier, a descendant of the Vanderbilt Whitney family, led a group of Nassau County Museum of Art's docents and Roslyn Landmark Society members on a guided tour of this extraordinary building, originally built in 1913 to serve as Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney's art studio.
Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney was born in 1875 to shipping and railroad tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt II. In 1896, she married Harry Payne Whitney, a member of the prominent Whitney family.
Passionate about art, Whitney was a noted sculptor whose works include the Titanic Memorial in Washington, D.C. and Christopher Columbus memorial in Huelva, Spain. As a patron of the arts, she founded the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1930 after an offer to donate her collection of artwork created by American artists was declined by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
We would like to extend our extreme gratitude to John LeBoutillier for once again opening his home to members of the Roslyn Landmark Society for an informative and fascinating look into the life and workspace of his great-grandmother, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney. This rare opportunity was enjoyed by all!
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