Auction: Doyle New York: The Estate of Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.
September 12th, 2011 § 1 Comment
Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. in 1938.
December 9, 1909 – May 7, 2000
Over the weekend, I dropped by Doyle New York on the Upper East Side to peruse the estate of Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., due to be sold tomorrow morning, September 13, at 10am. Fairbanks, son of screen legend Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. and his first wife Anna; and stepson to his father’s second wife — screen legend in her own right — Mary Pickford; was Hollywood royalty. Encouraged by his father and stepmother, Fairbanks, Jr. began acting at a young age in silent films, eventually working in “talkies” and on the stage, and became quite the leading man.
During the second World War, Fairbanks, Jr. served as a reserve officer in the US Navy, where he trained with the British Royal Navy through an officer exchange program headed by Lord Mountbatten, a friend of his father, Fairbanks, Sr. Fairbanks, Jr. returned to the states where he was instrumental in the creation of the Beach Jumper program, a special naval unit specializing in misinformation and deception. After the war, he returned to acting.
Fairbanks, Jr. was married three times — once to Joan Crawford! — and had three daughters. He was a rather acquisitive fellow who enjoyed the best of everything. This auction of his estate contains more than 400 lots of jewelry, memorabilia, clothing, furniture and artwork. I was most excited to see the clothing and personal effects and came away quite impressed…and also full of antique lust, but that’s to be expected.
Wearing the platinum, diamond and turquoise set pictured above.
Loved Fairbanks’ Rolodexes.
Decorated war hero, Hollywood star…fan of Lily Pulitzer resort wear?
Brook Club crest and lighter
Patek Philippe Gold Wristwatch
Grouped with below photo of Fairbanks wearing the watch, with Marlene Dietrich
Images via QC, LIFE and Doyle New York
Some of the lots are estimated to go as low as $100 – $200, like these ties pictured above. So if old Hollywood, fine menswear and classic personal accessories appeals to you, you may want to mosey over to Doyle New York tomorrow morning and see what’s what. Or perhaps place a bid from afar. Just don’t you bid on anything that I have my eye on…
The Estate of Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.
Auctioned by Doyle New York
View the full catalog here
About Last Night: Vanity Fair Fashion in Film Festival 2011
September 12th, 2011 § 3 Comments
This weekend I was lucky to receive tickets to the second annual Vanity Fair Fashion in Film Festival at the Museum of Arts and Design, courtesy of Vanity Fair Agenda. The first night, I attended a screening of one of my favorite films, Les Parapluies des Cherbourg (you may recall I blogged about the film and its similarity to Prada S/S 2011, back in March) and the afterparty, complete with a gorgeous view of Columbus Circle, goodies and makeovers from event co-host L’Oreal (quite liked their Voluminous Million Lashes mascara, btw) and copious amounts of bubbly — all the makings of a fabulous New York Fashion Week evening.
Image via VF Agenda.
Image via VF Agenda.
The second day, Anne and I attended a panel on Creative Inspiration from Cinema, moderated by Simon Doonan, Creative Ambassador at Barneys New York. The panelists included fashion designers Jeffrey Costello and Robert Tagliapietra, stylist Freddie Leiba, Dr. Valerie Steele, PhD., of The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, and Vanity Fair’s Matt Tyrnauer. After a lovely discussion of style icons (sidenote: Faye Dunaway and her many incarnations was the runaway winner of that popularity contest), recurring cultural references, favorite films, the distinction between costume design and fashion design, and the godsend that is Google Image, the group retired to the lounge for a bit of refreshment and mingling.
As I frequently find style inspiration in film and am simultaneously obsessed with costume design — have I mentioned my undergraduate degree is in theatre? — the Vanity Fair Fashion in Film Festival was a pure delight to attend. Vanity Fair’s approach to New York Fashion Week is exactly what I would expect from the publication — it is smart, cultured, and more than a little tongue-in-cheek — embodied best by Doonan’s hilarious intro to the festival:
While you have missed the festival, most of the films shown can be hunted down in some way or another. Of course, I must recommend you start with Cherbourg.
Be on the lookout for next year’s festival. Vanity Fair Agenda will keep you in the know. Follow them on Twitter here.
Featured: Quite Continental on Racked NY ~ “Shopping Confidential”
September 7th, 2011 § 2 Comments
Just a short note to let you know I’ve been featured elsewhere on the interwebs. I wrote a brief post for Racked New York’s “Shopping Confidential” series about one of my favorite sources for vintage art in New York City.
To read it, head here.
QC Recommends: Orient Express
July 29th, 2011 § 2 Comments
On a bit of a lark, I found myself at Orient Express last night. Have you been? It was my first time and as someone who enjoys her cocktails with a bit of class and nostalgia, I found myself right at home. Open for almost a year in the West Village, this teeny tiny bar gives you the distinct impression that you’ve somehow slipped down a rabbit hole to a bar car on the famed Orient Express, complete with ceiling-high luggage racks and a curved ceiling, as you might be able to see from my picture above.
The drinks are what you would expect from a high-end, old school mixologist: lots of interesting concoctions with a knowledgeable bar staff ready to make a recommendation based on your inclinations. I had the Agatha II: gin, lemon juice, homemade raspberry soda water — perfect for a warm summer evening. The ambiance was bustling, but not overloud for a Thursday, perfect for a small gathering of friends or a lively date. As I sipped my cocktail listening to Chet Baker, I knew that this was a place I had to share with you.
To get into the mood, revisit the photos I posted
ages ago of this mighty train line in 1950.
Orient Express
325 West 11th Street
New York, NY 10014
(212) 691-8845
Summer in New York: Royal Shakespeare Company at the Park Avenue Armory
July 20th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Taking in the view, opening night.
While summer in New York most definitely means it is time for Shakespeare in the Park, this summer, as part of the Lincoln Center Festival, New York has the honor of an extended visit by the Royal Shakespeare Company, direct from Stratford-upon-Avon. Nearing its 50th birthday, with the Prince of Wales as President and Her Majesty the Queen as Patron, based in the city of Shakespeare’s birth and burial, you know the RSC means business when it comes to the Bard.
Not content to merely take up residence at any old theatre, the RSC has built a smaller replica of the unique thrust stage from their Stratford theatre inside one of my favorite buildings, the Park Avenue Armory — one of the largest unobstructed spaces in New York. Requiring 230 tons of equipment and nearly 100 people working around the clock to construct it, the RSC performs in a truly amazing space with seating on three levels, surrounding three sides of the stage.
“It’s like a huge jigsaw puzzle…things that fit together…”
The entrances to the theatre.
I was fortunate to catch Romeo and Juliet on opening night, which has opened to mixed reviews. I would generally agree with the Times, note that the production value is very high and that Jonjo O’Neill as Mercutio steals the show with his dirty pantomime. Joseph Arkley as Tybalt wasn’t too shabby either. Wait, who am I kidding? I always love Tybalt best of all…
Peace? Peace? I hate the word, as I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee.
If the star crossed lovers aren’t your bag, you can also catch performances of King Lear, As You Like It, Julius Caesar and The Winter’s Tale. The shows run through August 14, and are selling quite briskly. Check the schedule and buy tickets here.
Arrive a bit early to give yourself some time to wander the rooms of the Armory. Aside from the remarkable size of the drill hall, the Armory, completed in 1881, is home to what has been called “the single most important collection of 19th- century interiors to survive intact in one building.” Some rooms are a bit shabby around the edges, but it all adds to the character of the stately building. Each room contains impressive military portraits, plaques and ornamental features that definitely demand a visit on their own. If you like looking at dudes with interesting mustaches, mutton chops and swords, you may feel as though you’ve died and gone to heaven.
Portrait in the Board of Officers Room
“Board of Officers Room: This is one of the few surviving Herter Brothers interiors in the country, but one of five in the Armory. Herter Brothers was a top cabinet-making and interior design firm in the Gilded Age and designed the Fifth Avenue mansion of William H. Vanderbilt (now demolished). This room still retains the original painted ceiling and magnificent mahogany woodwork although the walls were over- painted in a 1932 restoration. Water infiltration in the early 1990s has caused significant damage but the plaster has recently been stabilized.“
Marquis de Lafayette
Edward, Duke of Windsor
George VI
Ceiling of the Veterans Room
“Veterans Room: This and the Library next door are the only fully extant interiors by Louis C. Tiffany, Associated Artists in the world. They were designed in 1880 by Associated Artists, a cooperative firm of artists led by Tiffany working with Samuel Colman, Lockwood de Forest and Candace Wheeler with consulting architect Stanford White and artists George Yewell and Francis D. Millet. The Veterans Room has been described as “Greek, Moresque, and Celtic with a dash of the Egyptian, the Persian and the Japanese.”
Veterans Room. Image via the Park Avenue Armory.
Royal Shakespeare Company at the Park Avenue Armory
643 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10065
(212) 616-3930
Summer in New York: Happy Bastille Day
July 14th, 2011 § 1 Comment
Military planes in formation, 1954 parade
Bastille Day has arrived. This national holiday in France commemorates the storming of the Bastille, considered to be the beginning of the French Revolution. Today, France puts on the world’s oldest and largest military parade (ongoing since 1880, almost without exception), down Avenue des Champs-Élysées.
François de La Rocque, leading the parade in 1935.
While many New York celebrations took place over the last weekend, there are still a few places where you can raise a glass in honor of “liberté, égalité, fraternité” today. Eater has done an excellent round-up, available here. My favorites are the free bottle of Veuve to Marie Antoinette impersonators at Artisanal and the pétanque tournament at Cercle Rouge with big band performances.
How will you celebrate Bastille Day?
Actress Elke Sommer playing pétanque.
Fotos: Scenes from a New York Staycation {aka 4th of July weekend}
July 5th, 2011 § 4 Comments
Brooklyn Bridge.
First off, apologies to those of you that already follow me on Instagram, because these shots will be a bit repetitive. I had a guest from LA visit me for a few days and I took some time off this week to wander around the city and be a tourist too. I also managed to get some beach time, heading out on my first trip to Fort Tilden. Also caught Woody Allen’s latest and greatest. All in all, a welcome and much-needed minibreak.
Father Demo Square
Trinity Church
Stone Street
Washington Square Park
Petrossian restaurant in the Alwyn Court Building
The Chrysler Building
East River Bridges
Getting to Fort Tilden was quite easy. Catch a ferry from Pier 11, enjoy a few drinks on hourlong boat ride (which passes underneath the Verrazano and goes past Coney Island), and get dropped off a block away from the beach. While it’s not the most family-friendly set up (not a lot of bathrooms or concession stands and no lifeguards at all) the beach is beautiful and usually rather deserted. If you’re so inclined, clothing-optional sunbathing is fine. I kept it continental, but I did see a few fully nude gents and ladies — so if that’s not your thing, consider yourself forewarned.
Verrazano Bridge
“The observatory deck on top of Battery Harris East, a historic gun site, offers dramatic views of Jamaica Bay and New York Harbor, and is a great vantage point to spot migrating birds.”
Saturday’s summer storm in SoHo.
On Saturday I popped by the Angelika Theatre to see Midnight in Paris (a must see!) with Marisa, and then did a lovely bit of wandering, culminating with us solidly parking ourselves in the window seat of Mud Coffee in the East Village for a few hours.
Battery Park Marina
Evidently there are tango dancers in Union Square every Sunday…
Picnicking in Central Park
One World Trade Center.
Summer in New York: Movies in the Park
June 21st, 2011 § 2 Comments
Last night in Bryant Park.
One of my absolute favorite things to do in the summer in New York is going to movies in the park. Grab a blanket, a couple of friends and a few bottles (of wine, whiskey, or what-have-you), and you’re all set for a classic New York experience. Last night I attended the opening night of the 2011 HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival and took in a screening of the classic 1975 film One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. As you can see from the picture above, the lawn was quite crowded. We owed our prime screening spot to Sarah, who braved the scrum when the lawn opened at 5pm. And when I say scrum, I mean scrum. Take a look at this video from opening night in 2009:
The secret is to run quickly and carry a large blanket.
Highlights of the evening included: hyper-vigilant blanket boundary defense, a man roving through the crowd offering to trade broccoli for booze, and the spontaneous dance party that started when the 1983 HBO “feature presentation song” was played before the film started. I have to admit, I got excited a bit at the song, too…it’s a cultural touchstone!
If you’d like to attend a few films al fresco this summer, I highly recommend Bryant Park and Brooklyn Bridge Park for two completely different experiences. Bryant Park is an oasis snuggled in between skyscrapers while Brooklyn Bridge Park’s view of Lower Manhattan is second to none. (Added bonus: because I live just over in the Financial District, it’s definitely a treat to walk home over the Brooklyn Bridge after the movie.)
Brooklyn Bridge Park, from last summer. We saw Rear Window!
More photos from this excellent evening can be seen here.
- 2011 HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival (and helpful things to know before you go)
- 2011 Movies with a View at Brooklyn Bridge Park
- River Flicks at Hudson River Park
- Summer on the Hudson: Movies Under the Stars at Riverside Park South
- Epix Movie Free-for-All in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Coney Island and Queens
- Rooftop Films – roving, various locations
This one’s for Grete…
June 13th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
At the start corrals.
This weekend, I got myself up extra early on Saturday morning to run the 40th annual New York Mini 10k in Central Park, my first road race since running the New York Marathon in November. Joined by more than 5,000 women, the experience was not only personally rewarding (I was satisfied with my performance, even though I did not seriously train) but quite unique. I hadn’t ever participated in a women-only race, and running alongside women of all ages, shapes, sizes, colors and running styles on the 6.2 mile course was an amazing feeling. The winner was Linet Masai of Kenya, who finished the course with a time of 31:40. I came in second. Just kidding.
The Mini 10K debuted in 1972, founded by New York running guru Fred Lebow (who also founded the New York Marathon), as the first strictly women-only race. The race was held this year in honor of Norwegian marathon legend and 5-time Mini winner Grete Waitz.
Grete Waitz in 1977
I have to admit that I wasn’t familiar with Grete’s story until after the race, where I noticed many of the runners and supporters wearing shirts that said they were “running this one for Grete.” Grete Waitz was truly a ground-breaking athlete and I am quite in awe of her story. Not only because of her amazing athletic achievements, but mainly because Grete ran at a time when female athletes were not as well-funded and supported as they are today and when female marathon runners were a distinct minority.
A highly decorated runner, Grete won races and broke records all over the world. The first time she ran the New York City Marathon (in 1978), she won it and broke the world record — and then went on to win it 8 more times after that. Grete advanced women’s long distance running through her excellence on the road and her dedication behind the scenes after she retired from competitive running.
Grete died of cancer in April of this year and was given a state funeral in her native Norway, only the sixth Norwegian woman so honored. Her husband, Jack, honored her memory by running the 10k this Saturday (after visiting a deli for breakfast — their tradition when visiting New York).
And so, I ran this one for Grete, too.
Quite Continental Recommends: Tiny’s and the Bar Upstairs
May 24th, 2011 § 1 Comment
Just a short note to notify you of a wonderful little gem that has just opened up in my neighborhood, were you ever in the area (and if you go, I do expect an invite). Tiny’s and the Bar Upstairs is a darling pink Tribeca townhouse that is still in previews for dinner, but has been open for lunch for a few weeks yet. Recently, I managed to secure a last-minute reservation and arrived a bit early to enjoy a drink at the bar.
The space is rustic, with its exposed brick, well-worn furnishings and tin ceilings, and is decorated with an arty Americana sensibility. Brought to you by Matt Abramcyk (Beatrice Inn, Smith and Mills) and Sean Avery and Henrik Lundqvist (both of the NY Rangers hockey team and Warren 77), Tiny’s has a comfortable, unpretentious vibe. There are just a small cluster of tables in each of the three dining areas, and a tiny bar is nestled on the second floor. The small, but varied, preview menu offered basic American fare with an emphasis on comfort (for example, the crab dip comes paired with Ritz crackers, sitting on a paper doily). I thoroughly enjoyed the roast chicken, which was served atop warm croutons and alongside a grilled, lightly dressed romaine heart.
If you are looking for a cozy place for a casual dinner or drink or quiet date, I definitely recommend Tiny’s and the Bar Upstairs. Just don’t be surprised if you see me there. This just might be my new local.
Tiny’s and the Bar Upstairs
135 W Broadway
New York, NY 10013
212-374-1135
