On these pages, you'll get a glimpse into some of the exhibits, research and collections of The Preservation Society of Newport County, compiled by our curators and academic researchers.
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In 1999, The Preservation Society of Newport County initiated an oral history project, “Keeping House.” It began as a community effort appealing to locals who knew of individuals that worked at the Newport mansions. Information and leads came forth from people who were domestics at the mansions and relatives of former domestics. Documenting their stories opened a fascinating personal perspective on behind the scenes life in Newport’s great houses of the Gilded Age and encapsulated a unique social and cultural group in Newport.
Following are several brief profiles of servants who worked in Newport’s houses, some of whose stories can be heard in the new audio tour of The Breakers. We thank everyone who shared their stories and photographs for this important research project.
Read the Domestic Profiles
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In the late 1940s the Preservation Society of Newport County commissioned Robert Meservey to capture images of Newport's Colonial to Edwardian architectural heritage. These photographs were to accompany the ground breaking study by Antoinette Downing and Vincent Scully, The Architectural Heritage of Newport Rhode Island: 1640 - 1915. Many of these photographs were not included in the 1952 publication.
See the Meservey photos
This collection of photographs highlights the perils facing Newport's architectural heritage in the years between 1945 and 1973, when more than 30 estates of national historical significance vanished in favor of residential and commercial subdivision.
Learn more about the Lost Houses of Newport
What's a traditional Victorian mother to do when her precocious little girl grows into a young woman with modern ideas? Find out in this engaging exploration of the relationship between Gwendolen King Armstrong and her mother in an exhibition of fashions, accessories and letters.
Learn more about the Portrait of a Newport Lady
The Preservation Society has acquired a rich collection of photographs produced by the Ernst Studio during the first half of the 20th century, depicting Newport's buildings, scenery and citizens.
Learn more about the Ernst Studio and see some of the photographs
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