A Closer Look: The Original Waldorf-Astoria | Cultured Elegance

A Closer Look: The Original Waldorf-Astoria | Cultured Elegance
In this video, we will explore inside the Waldorf-Astoria and the history behind it
Location: Manhattan, New York
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All photos are from Wikimedia Commons and are in the public domain
Copyright disclaimer under section 107 of the copyright act 1976 allowance is made for " fair use" for purposes such as criticisms, comment, news, reporting, teaching, scholarship and research. Fair use is a permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing, non-profit educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[@tedlawrence4189]

If that Hotel had been located in Europe it would still be standing and used.

[@LUIS-ox1bv]

If it had escaped being flattened by bombardment during the two world wars.

[@tedlawrence4189]

Yes,of course. There are also the occasional earthquake and fires. On Sicily there is Mt.Etna. I was there when it did some spewing,belching and farting. Lol.

[@SymphonyBrahms]

Possibly. And possibly not.

[@tedlawrence4189]

Very intelligent comment.

[@punkanelliefonkbush8811]

True

[@SarahGreen523]

What a shame to have torn down such a wonderful palace hotel. Just the architecture alone would have been a site to see! Imagine if it had been kept up and was still in business today? How amazing would it be to stay in such a hotel! A much better attraction than the Empire State Building, imo.

[@CulturedElegance]

I agree!! So sad!!! It would be so incredible to go to today!! Right!!

[@nathieboy1987]

It's also interesting to note that the New York inquiry into the sinking of the Titanic took place in the ballroom of the Waldorf-Astoria. John Jacob Astor IV perished in the sinking.

[@CulturedElegance]

Yes that is correct!!

[@gemstonesparkle7915]

It makes my heart ache how lost is the tradition of having hotels like this, exploring all the different classical decorations as themes. The older structures still existing have now all modern furniture after renovations. I think the Ritz Paris is the one I can remember now that still have gorgeous interiors.

[@CulturedElegance]

I completely agree!! It is very sad. Very true. Yes!!

[@sluzardo5879]

It's amazing and incredibly sad we had such Masterpieces of Architecture that have been torn down.... There will never be buildings like that again....

[@scronx]

A thrilling tour, ending with unspeakable tragedy and waste. All those sumptuous building materials were simply dynamited and hauled to the dump I assume.

[@CulturedElegance]

Thank you!! Yes indeed!!! Pretty much!! Besides a few pieces being auctioned off

[@SrAJones-ns7sx]

The grand chandelier exists and still works! It's in Jersey City

[@CulturedElegance]

I’m so glad!!!!

[@SrAJones-ns7sx]

@@CulturedElegance Are you anywhere on the east coast? Certain days you can walk right in and see it

[@FranciscoCamino]

All the wonderful architecture vanished 😢

[@nicoletanis3703]

Yes, that's very sad. The talented singer Frank Sinatra was a permanent resident at the hotel for a while.

[@jimwiskus8862]

I live in Council Bluffs IA. Across the Missouri River if you head West on Dodge St, there now stands the University of Nebraska Omaha. It would absolutely break your heart if you saw the wonderful old mansions that were torn down for the campus.

[@FranciscoCamino]

@@jimwiskus8862 So sad.

[@brendadrew834]

Thank you! Beautiful old world elegance! One of the first dates, my very romantic husband took me on, a real native New Yorker, born and bred, was a weekend at the newer Waldorf Astoria on Park Ave.! He had a couple of dozen long stem red roses strewn across the king size bed with a silver bucket of champagne! Hard to turn that down! lol Amazingly, millions of people even myself have walked by the iconic Art Deco styled Empire State building and gone to the top without even realizing or remembering what was there before!♥♥

[@huntrrams]

Amazing recommendation from KZbin! I love your detailed explanation of the hotel. I’ll love to see a video on the Palmers, Marshall Fields and gilded age Chicago and maybe gilded age Europe!

[@CulturedElegance]

Thank you so much!!! I would be happy to talk about those places!! Great ideas!!

[@huntrrams]

@@CulturedElegance you’re welcome! Keep it up!

[@jeffreypogash6121]

As a "student" of 19th century New York City restaurants and hotels, I commend you on this excellent in- depth look at one of my favorite institutions of the past. ❤🎉

[@CulturedElegance]

Oh wow!!! That means so much!!! Thank you!!🙌✨💕

[@jeffreypogash6121]

@@CulturedElegance - I would love to speak with you one of these days. My son and I have a podcast called THE COCKTAIL GURU Podcast. The reason for it's existence is to preserve the history of the bar and restaurant industries. I have studied THE WALDORF- ASTORIA bar and their cocktails, and would love to do an episode on the hotel and the influence of Oscar Tschirky. I feel a kinship to Oscar, as I own his personal copy of THE COOK BOOK BY OSCAR OF THE WALDORF and a letter that he typed and signed on WALDORF-ASTORIA letterhead, written just before the closing of the hotel.

[@SymphonyBrahms]

They built a new Waldorf-Astoria near Central Park. It is taller and larger than the original building. And it is a beautiful structure in the Art Deco style.

[@pattiwinn5217]

Nothing more magical then the Waldorf at Christmas…Thanks T.D.

[@michellecherry2898]

I really enjoy your KZbin channel. I love learning about the past. I live in a home built in 1929, in a historic borough. It's nice to be a caretaker of the past. Your time and preparation on these videos are appreciated!

[@CulturedElegance]

Thank you so so much! Wow that is amazing! I can imagine!

[@AlexS-oj8qf]

To think that a lot of Antiques just tossed into the garbage because taste shift during the 20’s and 60’s, and those that remains today become highly coveted items. Sad.

[@CulturedElegance]

Very very true!!!

[@chocolatesouljah]

Thanks for this video. You remind me of a great baker. Hard-working and unstinting in the details, with a dash of inspiration, and made with love. A "recipe" for success!

[@CulturedElegance]

Gosh how kind!!! Thank you!!!

[@MrPh30]

And a little bit of orange juice in the salad dressing to give it more depth,as in the original recipe.

[@pmn2821]

So sad to have lost them...

[@CulturedElegance]

Isn’t it!!

[@myliamag.6512]

You probably get alot of request, but eventually, it would be really nice if you could analyze the style, costumes & dresses from the movie ''Ever After'', especially now that it turned 25 this year! Oh and also, keep up the good work, your videos are interesting and fun without being over the top, too much!!!

[@CulturedElegance]

Thank you so so so much!!! I so appreciate your kind words! Also I would love to make a video on that topic! And I always appreciate suggestions and requests!!

[@divox9pqr]

I think tearing down the hotel to build the monstrous Empire State Building is another example of disrespect for the true beauty of the gilded age.

[@CulturedElegance]

I completely agree!!!!🙌🙌🙌

[@michaelr3583]

could you afford a stay at the W.A? Otherwise, what do you care, The Empire State building is just as important of a landmark

[@gemstonesparkle7915]

@@michaelr3583 Invalidating someone’s opinion by questioning his social class is extremely disgusting. He, me, and many other architecture lovers, may not have the income to enjoy a hotel like this, but surely to have it existing brings a huge impact on culture and must be protected for inspiring future generations to keep doing it right. The Empire State Building is an iconic landmark, but it didn’t necessarily had to be on the site of other iconic landmark, there’s always less important spaces and, specially at that time, vacant space even. What would you think if the same ESB was torn down for leaving space for a modern tower?

[@michaelr3583]

@@gemstonesparkle7915 What good is archetiecture tou can't afford to see? The ESB is a more ambitious and useful building in its utility. I personally would have had no problem at all with them tearing it down as long as they replaced it with a project just as ambitious futuristic and useful to all

[@maticbukovac6966]

​@@michaelr3583well, thank God noone is asking you for your opinion on anything and I doubt this will change in the future. Your comprehension of the world (or lack of) is all over the place and this is not a kindergarten...

[@brushfuse]

Very interesting.

[@stephaniechambell1493]

It’s so sad they don’t make buildings like these anymore. 😢

[@Robert-cy3qx]

This is amazing! Thank you so much. So inspirational

[@CulturedElegance]

Aw thank you!!! So glad you enjoyed

[@MensagemVirtualpro]

Muito bom esse conteúdo

[@jonathanlee4511]

While the original WA Hotel was certainly beautiful and it’s demolition is a loss of one of NYC’s best examples of Gilded Age architecture (along with the Vanderbilt Mansion being replaced by Bergdorf Goodman) I cannot say that the Empire Stare building or the WA on Park are bad replacements. Both are beautiful examples of the gorgeous art deco style and are also a product of the times they were built. In plus, it would have been extremely hard and extraordinarily expensive to renovate and retrofit the old Waldorf for modern/contemporary use today. Seeing how the Frick Collection (one of NYC’s last gilded age mansions) is undergoing a massive renovation today, I can only imagine how daunting a renovation for the original Waldorf could be. Looking at the Plaza Hotel (which thankfully still stands) renovation and constant upkeep it definitely would have been a very heavy task.

[@user-qm7nw7vd5s]

Well done! Definitely worth a subscribe, like and share! Worth noting: today in 2023 they are tearing down the great Pennsylvania Hotel, in New York, designed by the legendary McKim, Mead & White to make way for, you guessed it, an office tower…

[@rbsmith3365]

On 5th avenue used to be Vanderbilt mansion. Until the widow who cannot afford taxes. Sold and torn down about 1926 and added Bergdorf Goodman department store. Now, I believe that New York History Society is very strict about old buildings.

[@farmyardflavours]

Fantastic history . Thank you 🙏🏼

[@CulturedElegance]

Thank you for watching!!

[@shebamaree9026]

:08 William displaying the mason hidden hand

[@brokenglass849]

Hard to believe that such a magnificent hotel would be replaced by a hideous and hulking pile of concrete and steel, that was only fit for a giant ape to climb. It figures this eyesore would be the one to stand the test of time.

[@CulturedElegance]

Well said!!!

[@mv2175]

to be honest, both buildings are magnificent pieces of their times, just stood the test of time and american capitalism..

[@brokenglass849]

@@mv2175 The very sad thing is that American capitalism has zero respect for its heritage. Paris remains beautiful only because they don't share our lust for money. America would have had the Palace of Versailles buried under an office tower long ago.

[@louKushh]

the empire state building is a beautiful period piece of architecture.

[@SymphonyBrahms]

The Empire State Building is a magnificent and beautiful Art Deco masterpiece. And a great attraction for thousands of tourists every year. It's certainly better than some musty old pile of bricks like that Victorian hotel monstrosity.

[@jimwiskus8862]

I imagine if they had to do over, they may have chosen a different site for the ESB.

[@georgewilliams9543]

Wonder what happened to the fittings and furniture

[@CulturedElegance]

They held a sale. One of the chandeliers was bought by John Ringling and he put it in his winter home, which still stands today!

[@ingvarhallstrom2306]

Everything that wasn't loose furniture was scrapped. They literally dumped it in the ocean because they didn't have the time take it down carefully enough to reuse or sell it. They just razed the entire building with all the fittings still intact. That's the real scandal. The developers of the Empire State Building just couldn't wait.

[@energyasylum997]

The street walker of 5th Ave, ME.

[@biggerock]

I really enjoyed this video. The picture at 7:55 is the Chatsworth greenhouse not the Waldorf-Astoria roof.

[@lordvord2535]

The words to describe the beauty and luxury of this hotel haven't been invented yet..... And they destroyed it for the E. S. B????🤯🤯🤯🤯🥴

[@CulturedElegance]

Completely true!!!!

[@bethbartlett5692]

Merely my perspective: 1) ... cause German Architecture was so appealing ... 😶 Greek clearly the more appealing, until Modern was revealed by Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright. 2) Victorian Decor was overwhelming in it's "busy, thick, fabrics, dark, cluttered, causing a dizziness of confinement..." Light, clean, clear, smooth walls, open areas, skylights, and the clean lines of Greek and/or Modern are the Prescription to soothe the ailment caused by Victorian.

[@jrgnc1]

What a loss of a gorgeous, historical hotel.

[@CulturedElegance]

Right!!! So incredible!! I can’t imagine what the roof top garden looked like!!

[@divineangelic2727]

Money is truly everything everything everything 💵💵💵🎉🥂🍾💕

[@Thefrmgallery]

🥇

[@JeremySRRT]

I wonder if they tore it down bc it was actually Tartarian architecture

[@lindac6919]

Ha-Ha! Good for nephew.

[@rotterdan59]

Were the interior fittings auctioned off prior to demolition?

[@CulturedElegance]

Yes they were

[@shirleybalinski4535]

So I'm confused. Were the two hotels constructed side by side or was one hotel down the street from the other?

[@CulturedElegance]

Yes side by side

[@williammacdonnell6965]

What about George Boldt who managed the hotel?

[@WhirledPublishing]

Let's turn our home into a hotel ...

[@grayb7420]

The beds seem so short but I guess people were generally smaller then.

[@divineangelic2727]

Hi what really made the aunt powerful ? And stay on top ? 🥂💵💕

[@josephbrown8662]

qui sont les criminel qui ont autoriser la démolition de ces 2 hotel pour les remplacer par cet horreur sans non appeler Empire State building ?????? et qu,est t,il arriver de tout le contenus intérieur ?

[@ronaldschultenover8137]

Too bad it is gone

[@CulturedElegance]

It sure is😭😭😭

[@bumfluffmcregor3730]

Is Waldorf one of the old men on the balcony in the muppets

[@saulstar5203]

Damn Shame 😢

[@urbexandbrokenthings4806]

They were a rich family because they invented the Asterisk

[@SarahJeanisme]

Was today years old when I realized that "Astor" makes up the first part of the word "Astoria." 🫣