From the Jewish library: Waddeson Manor

 

By Sheila Orysiek

Sheila Orysiek
Sheila Orysiek

WADDESON MANORSAN DIEGO — Once upon a time a man with endless buckets of money decided to build a big house;  he wanted  it look like a French Renaissance chateau.  It would be filled with rare art treasures of every kind, but especially French art.

He wanted to set this jewel of a house in miles of green lawns and gardens.  In addition, it would have an aviary, fish ponds, a zoo of exotic animals, stables with splendid horses, prize winning orchids, a dairy, mature trees filled with wild birds and anything else his heart might desire.  Unfortunately, the only piece of land he could find which was suitable (for various reasons) was a barren hilltop not far from London.  However, if your name is “Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild” – all the above is no problem.

One of the things that I find fascinating about the Rothschild family is how the founder, Amschel Rothschild (born in 1744), overcame the onerous impediments to which the Jews of Frankfurt, Germany, were subjected.  Kept from participating in many areas of the city’s commercial and social life, locked into a crowded reeking ghetto every night, where others saw lemons – he saw lemonade.  That characteristic was passed down to subsequent generations of the family.

So, if one wants a park of mature trees with wild birds nesting in the branches – but the original land is barren – what to do?  The problem was solved by buying fully grown trees (no need to wait for saplings) and building special wagons capable of transporting the trees.  Then, Percheron mares (more reliable than stallions) were shipped from Europe  – sixteen horses per wagon.  Next, capture wild birds, put them in cages until they are acclimated and then set them free.  Voila! A park with big trees and singing birds!

Waddesdon Manor, built in 1874,  is one of the most exquisite of the forty plus Rothschild residences and the only one open to the public.  It was bequeathed (with a hefty endowment) to the British National Trust but is still under the supervision and financial support of the present Lord Rothschild.

This is all detailed in a wonderful book Waddesdon Manor; the Heritage of a Rothschild House by Michael Hall, (Scala Arts Publishing, 2010) including a foreword by Lord Rothschild.  The coffee table size book is filled with full size gorgeous color plates covering every aspect of this fairyland palace, the grounds surrounding it and the art within it.  There are both full room views as well as close-ups of the fabrics, silks, paintings, carpets, tapestries, statuary, carvings, furniture, paneling, ceramics, books, etc.  It is not a haphazard collection – Ferdinand put as much thought and knowledge of art into assembling the décor as in the construction of the house.

The results were not just the creation of a palatial home.  This huge building project and its maintenance rejuvenated the desperate economy of what had been an impoverished English village.  It has taught skills and provided life time employment to generations of villagers.  Gathering the thousands of art objects from Europe and bringing it to England in many cases saved the art from the ravages and destruction of two world wars.

Besides the facts of the building and history of the Manor, the book includes the story of the inhabitants and the daily life which took place within its boundaries.  Just looking at the stunning pictures is a pleasure to the eye but it also is a reminder of the beauty of which human beings are capable.

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Orysiek is a freelance writer who focuses on the art and literature.  She may be contacted via sheila.orysiek@sdjewishworld.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

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