Inside Henry Marquand’s Manhattan Mansion: Art, Wealth & the Birth of the MET

[@lindabaker667]

I am always saddened when you speak about these magnificent structures being torn or burned down. So much beauty and history lost. Thank you for another glimpse into the past.

[@ronaldproctor1776]

Fabulous mansion!! A generous collector. 👏

[@garryferrington811]

The man's mansions are gone, but his influence lives on. I liked his NY mansion more than most of the gilded age constructions.

[@flashflame4952]

I really wish that ALL these amazing mansions would have not been torn down...So much character and amazing craftsmanship

[@searchingfortruth619]

It's literally insane. So much money and was spent building mansions in Manhattan in this time (1880-1920) and theyve all been ripped down.

[@mixrousefamily687]

Unbelievable that house was torn down, it is just heartbreaking to see how many beautiful homes have been lost to history and the wrecking Ball

[@maxbear215]

It continues to disappoint me that so many of these beautiful mansions have been torn down. This is where the Europeans take a different approach and embrace their history. Currently there is a renaissance in France to restore many of the great chateaux that dot the countryside, bringing back to life history and enhancing their national pride.

[@smpeljas]

I grew up inside MMA…about 1960, wandering the Great Rooms…I spent hours there… every week! In about 1985, I wore clothing I designed. Very familiar with the Costume Institute. I bought the Stain Glass Windows , the Little reproductions… I went to Dominican Academy on East 68th Street, graduated in about 1971. Thank you very much

[@Robin-g7q5d]

Always so full of information that I so enjoy! Ken, you do it every time! Thanks, again.

[@lauriekeikkala9937]

Very interesting story. Thank you for finding us the best!

[@pavelow235]

5:08 The The Marquand apartments look well maintained and distinguished even by Upper East Side standards. That is a win in my book.

[@randolphsrants]

AWESOME Job.....Thanks Ken!

[@lesal.1373]

Lovely house, absolutely gorgeous piano. I actually like the summer cottage better.

[@newyardleysinclair9960]

What An impressive looking home

[@TigerDominic-uh1dv]

Beautiful I ❤ The Styling 😊

[@robinhumphrey2692]

Oooo that piano!!

[@sharonthomas865]

Thank you for sharing your Video.

[@BusyBob6971]

Well. At Least this is something new. Broken up into apartments and later burned down. I do so apercheate your videos and showing us these wonderful glimpses into the past.

[@jefflawrentz1624]

Wow! I always learn so much from your channel. How I would like to time travel to tour Marquand’s homes and see the collections. I wonder how much of his collection ended up in JP Morgan’s collection ?

[@forestgreen435]

Who were the builders in those days? I'm in awe. Thank you. Great knowledge too.❤

[@TheRtmac]

Hadn’t heard of this guy, very interesting video!

[@andrewbrendan1579]

Over and over: a beautiful house gone in a few decades when it could have stood and been used for centuries. I'm sure it's another example of the land being more valuable than the house. I hope a lot of the fittings and fixtures were saved though I suppose that's unlikely. I wonder if Mr. Marquand and others who commissioned mansions here in the U.S. knew that the houses were not likely to exist for very long. Marquand is a rather unusual name. I wonder if Henry Marquand is related to the author John P. Marquand the novelist who some time after Henry Marquand's lifetime wrote "The Late George Apley" which is about upper-class Bostonians rather than New Yorkers. John Marquand wrote a number of other novels that I believe are about wealthy people and he wrote stories about the character Mr. Moto who I think was a spy or detective. I know of the author's work, but so far have read only one of his books!

[@h.a.harris7423]

Since Sir Frederic Leighton was a collaborator for the Marquand House, his own house might also be of interest. The Leighton House Museum in the Kensington borough of west London has amazing interiors filled with works of art.

[@SKF358]

I never heard of him. I think it's a shame that grand work of art mansions are destroyed.

[@brokenglass849]

Yikes, this place was demolished before any dust had a chance to collect on its furnishings. The master pieces are gone, but the hideous replacements endure the test of time.

[@vulpo]

It would have been great to see a side-by-side of the view of 5th Avenue in 1881 (at 1:27 in the video) and the same section of 5th Avenue as it appears today.

[@ElbowShouldersen]

I noticed something interesting... If you compare the architectural plan of the house (2:15) to the photo (0:00), it doesn't make sense... until you realize that the big mansion we see in the photo is really a smaller mansion, up at the corner, with two large Hunt-designed townhouses attached and directly behind it... or at least I think that's what's going on here... ?

[@verumpraevaleat8177]

can you please elaborate on how this incredible and amazingly detailed structure was completed in three years ? after watching this video over and over in amazement , I am finding that time frame very hard to fathom and believe. excellent video otherwise, thanks.

[@mbrawthen]

Hello This House Guy! How’s it going!

[@stevenlester2606]

All the art should have been willed to his museum. not just auctioned away.

[@jill-ti7oe]

👍

[@Superiormotorsport]

The Madison Ave mansion was amazing from the outside, rivaling that of the Petite Chateau, but yo me that's where it ends. The interiors were so chocked full of "things", the house couldn't be appreciated. Maybe if the photos were colorized it would make a difference? The main staircase was a huge disappointment also, at least from the quick shots shown, and to be, that starts to dazzle of these palaces, and is the heart of it all. A bad staircase can ruin it all, imo.

[@trangho5317]

Why another beautiful mansion lost again

[@blakewilliams5627]

Progress.

[@dmd5645]

"progress".....no. Rather, "profit"..!!

[@davidlarson226]

The stairway and what you can see in that room

[@lindacrowe8428]

Beautiful, but minimal natural light.

[@fredricclack7137]

Ostentatious?! 🦚🫤

[@js2clevr]

What I take away from all of these stories. All the wealth and possessions in the world are fleeting, mere illusions of permanence. True riches lie in generosity, kindness, and the legacy of selfless giving. While material things fade, the impact of compassion and philanthropy endures, resonating across time and touching countless lives.

[@cmecre8629]

would like to read your definition of clutter

[@jrgnc1]

And again an architectural gem is torn down for capitalism.

[@krazmokramer]

Clutter, clutter, clutter.

[@veronicaroach3667]

I loat6he all Victorian designed things - all so lumpy & over-the-top in fussiness. when you compare this era to the Georgian era preceding it there is no comparison to the elegance & beautiful graceful designs of the early 19th century.. Such a contrast that I find it very hard to understand where the Victorian design came from in the first place - didn't they recognize they were making ugly stuff compared to what went before ? I think their problem was their urge to show off - so they made bigger, heavier, more elaborate furniture & rooms to try & impress their peers. Yuck ! There is still so much of that ugly stuff around us everywhere too. Just my opinion of course, if you love this stuff, have at it, but it's not for me !

[@vulpo]

I suspect that they or their children did eventually come around to that view and I suspect that is why so few of them have survived.