Wednesday, August 31, 2011

'The Creeks'

'The Creeks', the Albert Herter estate designed by Grosvenor Atterbury c. 1899 in East Hampton. Click HERE and HERE for more on 'The Creeks'. Click HERE to see 'The Creeks' on google earth and HERE on bing.



Images from Country Life, 1917.

8 comments:

magnus said...

I have always loved those old, hand colored photographs. And wondered how "true to life" the colors were. Did the artist attempt to reproduce the actual colors or was there a fair amount of "artistic license" taken?

I know that the Herter interiors were considered quite cutting edge in their hayday. It is interesting how "La Maison Chinoise" curio shoppe they appear to today's eyes.

The Down East Dilettante said...

Magnus, actually these are not artist colored photos, but rather autochromes, an early color photo process--taken by Frances Benjamin Johnston. The color in autochromes, in my experience, tends to be a bit romantically diffused, but more or less true. Having seen the surviving Albert Herter interiors in the Christian Herter House at Seal Harbor also designed by Atterbury, a very similar spirit is employed, also with liberal use of Chinese red.

magnus said...

DED- fascinating. many thanks.

The Ancient said...

I look at all these pictures of The Creeks and I say to myself, "Ancient, you'd have been much better off raping and pillaging hapless corporations. Look what it gets you!"

(But then a little voice whispers in my ear, "You know perfectly well that Patricia Duff would have been a deal breaker, and Ellen Barkin would have left bite marks. So count your blessings!")

The Down East Dilettante said...

Ancient, tears of laughter are literally rolling down my cheeks...my side hurts...

which reminds me, I must look through the attic to see if I still have the Town & Country spread of the place when Ossorio, the interim owner, who painted it black and purple, was still in residence, before Perelman came in and hardened the place's arteries..

The Down East Dilettante said...

Hey everybody, check out The Creeks as Alfonso Ossorio here:

http://www.coenosium.com/text699/thecreeks.htm

I was taken there by a friend in East Hampton back in the day, and it was, as we said back then, mind blowing.

Gary Lawrance said...

Speaking of East Hampton, I just found a great blog, " Hooked on Houses", where Grey Gardens and many of the mansions and houses we all know from the movies and favorite TV shows are shown.

http://hookedonhouses.net/houses-onscreen/

Anonymous said...

"Ellen Barkin would have left bite marks." Holy Mother of...I have missed the bright minds of this forum! So glad to see Zach show up on Reggie Darling's blogroll today. Now back to The Creeks....

-Flo