Inside Whitehall Fall 2024 by Flagler Museum

Inside WhitehallTM

History is much more than a study of the past, it is an explanation of the present, and a guide to the future. SM

Inside Whitehall

fall 2024 • volume 31, number 4

mission

The mission of the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum is to preserve and interpret Whitehall, Henry Flagler’s legacy, and America’s Gilded Age, in ways that inspire every generation to perpetuate and emulate the traditions and values that have made America the most prosperous and generous nation in history.

board of directors

Kelly M. Hopkins, President

G. F. Robert Hanke, Vice President

William M. Matthews, Treasurer

Thomas S. Kenan, III, Secretary

Ted A. Gardner, Trustee

Barry G. Hoyt, Trustee

Richard M. Krasno, Trustee

George G. Matthews, Trustee

leadership staff

John Blades, Executive Director

Christina Bernstein, Director of Finance

David Carson, Public Affairs Director

Ben Hillman, Director of External Affairs

Janice Lamb, Store & Tea Room Manager

Campbell Mobley, Curator

opposite: The wallpaper design in the Green Room of the Flagler Museum incorporates a lattice and rose pattern with a predominantly green color scheme.

cover: Guests arriving by train to the Hotel Royal Poinciana, including members of the Vanderbilt Family, 1896. Flagler Museum Archives

2 In the Golden Dreamland of Winter

4 Upcoming Programs

6 Fine Dining at Flagler’s Hotels

8 Flagler Yellow

10 Tales From The Gilded Age

12 Members, Contributors, Sponsors, Grantors

henry morrison flagler museum

One Whitehall Way

Palm Beach, FL 33480

561-655-2833

Tuesday - Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm Sunday, 12 to 5 pm

Closed Mondays, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day

Henry Morrison Flagler Museum, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation National Historic Landmark Accredited since 1973 by the American Alliance of Museums

In the Golden Dreamland of Winter:

Henry Flagler’s FEC Hotel Company

The title of the Museum’s Fall Exhibition, In the Golden Dreamland of Winter, comes from a New York Herald headline dated February 2, 1902. The phrase captures the seductive promise of Henry Flagler’s Florida resorts, which invites us to explore the intricate tapestry of ambition, innovation, and fantasy that Flagler wove into the very fabric of the Florida coastline. It was a dreamland where the austere chill of the northern winter gave way to an opulent paradise, a utopia crafted from the imagination of one man who, late in life, became an architect of escapism.

Flagler’s journey into the realm of luxury hospitality was a bold detour for an extremely successful oilman. Yet, this new chapter in his life was not merely an entrepreneurial endeavor; it was a grand narrative of transformation. With almost imperial ambition, Flagler sought to convert Florida’s wild, untamed beauty into a sophisticated Eden—a playground for America’s wealthy. The route of his Florida East Coast Railway became a gilded thread connecting the urbanity of the North with the untapped potential of the Florida frontier, each stop along the way marked by hotels that were as much monuments to modernity and technology as they were to the exotic nature of Florida’s subtropical environs.

These were not mere hotels, but microcosms of a world that Flagler and his contemporaries longed to inhabit—a world where technological innovation met the exotic natural world. In these carefully curated environments, Flagler transplanted the tastes of the elite, infusing the exotic landscape with a sense of grandeur that had previously been reserved for the great capitals of Europe. His resorts were laboratories of luxury, where modern conveniences such as plumbing, electricity, and transportation were not just functional necessities but symbols of a new era of American ingenuity and affluence.

The impact of Flagler’s vision extended far beyond the gilded halls of his hotels. His resorts were catalysts, transforming transient visitors into settlers, dreamers into pioneers. The Florida that Flagler conjured—a place where the exotic met modern luxury, where the line between fantasy and reality blurred—proved so compelling that it inspired a migration. Visitors became residents, buying land, establishing businesses, and fueling a population boom that reshaped the state’s economic landscape. Real estate values soared, jobs multiplied, and Florida began its metamorphosis from a sparsely populated frontier to a thriving hub of culture and commerce.

By the time of Flagler’s death in 1913, his legacy was infused in the iron and steam of his railway, which stretched from Jacksonville to Key West, connecting a series of luxury enclaves that offered the well-heeled an escape from the mundane. The retrospective presented in this exhibition is not just a celebration of Flagler’s achievements; it is an exploration of the man’s relentless pursuit of perfection, his ability to see potential where others saw wilderness, and his determination to create a paradise that would endure long after his own time.

In the Golden Dreamland of Winter is a tribute to a man who redefined Florida, turning a wilderness into a utopian destination that continues to captivate the imagination of millions. Today, Florida remains an escapist paradise—a testament to the enduring power of one man’s dream.

Upcoming Museum Programs

ORGAN AND PIANO DEMONSTRATIONS

Select Sundays

September 1 - November 24

On select Sundays in September, October and November, visitors may delight in the sounds of the 1902 J. H. & C. S. Odell & Co. organ in the Music Room and the 1901 Steinway and Sons model B art case piano commissioned specifically for the Drawing Room.

IN THE GOLDEN DREAMLAND OF WINTER: HENRY FLAGLER’S FEC HOTEL COMPANY

On View During Museum Hours

October 15 - December 29

The fall exhibition showcases Henry Flagler’s remarkable impact on Florida’s economy, focusing on his development of the Florida East Coast Hotel Company while vividly narrating the story of Flagler’s pioneering spirit and his essential role in transforming Florida into a premier travel destination.

RAILCAR No. 91® TEA ROOM

Visit the Museum’s website for seating information November 29, 2024 - May 11, 2025

Each day the Flagler Museum offers a Gilded Age style lunch which features an array of delicacies and refreshments reminiscent of the elegance of the the Gilded Age. Visitors will enjoy a selection of gourmet tea sandwiches, traditional scones, and sweets complemented by the Flagler Museum’s own Whitehall Special Blend® tea, and served on exquisite Whitehall Collection® china. The Railcar No. 91® Tea Room is located in the beautiful Flagler Kenan Pavilion, and provides guests with spectacular panoramic views of scenic Lake Worth and the West Palm Beach skyline. Henry Flagler’s private Railcar No. 91® completes the sophisticated Gilded Age ambiance. Guests are encouraged to pre-purchase to ensure space is available.

HOUSE AND HOTEL TOURS

Select Dates

April 4 - November 19, 2024

December 3, 2024 - April 17, 2025

The combined tour of the Flagler Museum and The Breakers Hotel emphasizes the shared history between two of Palm Beach’s most important landmarks. The tour program provides Museum visitors and Hotel guests with a comprehensive understanding of Henry Flagler’s legacy in Palm Beach and the state of Florida.

Celebrate the Holidays at Whitehall

CHRISTMAS

TREE

LIGHTING FESTIVITIES

12 PM - 5 PM

December 1

The 16-foot-tall Grand Hall Christmas Tree, with its historically accurate trimmings, is the center of Whitehall’s holiday celebrations. The Tree Lighting festivities include holiday music played on Whitehall’s original 1,249-pipe Odell organ and the 1902 Steinway art-case grand piano.

Special choir performances, Ballet Palm Beach, refreshments and a visit from Santa Claus complete the afternoon’s activities. The event culminates with Henry Flagler’s youngest descendants lighting the Grand Hall Christmas Tree

HOLIDAY LECTURE: O. HENRY’S

THE GIFT OF THE MAGI

2:30 PM

December 1

The origins of many beloved American Christmas traditions can be traced back to the Gilded Age. This year’s Christmas at Whitehall program features a lecture by Patrick Sauer, history correspondent for Smithsonian Magazine, about O. Henry’s story, The Gift of the Magi, first published in 1905. The story with a timeless, ironic twist, a common feature of O. Henry’s work, reminds readers of the true meaning of Christmas.

HOLIDAY EVENING TOURS OF WHITEHALL

Select Times

December 19 - December 23

During this beloved annual event, families tour Whitehall after hours and discover the origins of American Christmas traditions. Guests will have a rare opportunity to see Whitehall by the glow of the original 1902 light fixtures. Every visitor will receive a traditional Christmas cracker following the tour. A choral group will sing carols and holiday refreshments will be served.

The H. M. Flagler & Co.® Museum Store will remain open for holiday shopping.

Fine Dining at Flagler’s Hotels

Dinner is Served at Hotel Ponce de Leon

After a day of beachside relaxation, tennis, golf, or afternoon tea, guests at Flagler’s opulent resort hotels could extend their luxurious experience by indulging in world-class dining. The culinary offerings at these establishments were meticulously crafted to cater to the refined palates of Northern elite, featuring an exquisite blend of American, European, and distinctly Floridian flavors.

The inaugural dinner menu at the Hotel Ponce de Leon, dated January 1888, exemplifies this culinary sophistication with its extensive array of over thirty items. The menu is organized into thirteen distinct sections, each corresponding to a different course. Prominently featured at the top is Blue Point Oysters—an esteemed delicacy that, despite being a popular choice in coastal eateries, required transportation from the Long Island or Connecticut regions to St. Augustine. The challenges associated with preserving these oysters during their lengthy journey underscored their status as a coveted starter.

Other menus from the hotels showcased dishes with tropical influences, such as Clear Green Turtle aux Quenelles, Cocoanut Pie, and Palm Beach Poinciana Cake. Accompanied by fresh, locally-sourced fruits, these offerings enhanced guests’ perception of Florida as an idyllic American paradise.

Flagler strategically relied on local communities for the supply of fresh produce. For the Hotel Ponce de Leon, the town of Hastings, Florida was designated as a source of fresh fruits and vegetables. Meanwhile, the Royal Poinciana Hotel and The Breakers in Palm Beach drew from the Yamato farms in Boca Raton for locally grown pineapples, tomatoes, and other produce.

Interestingly, each menu also included seemingly simple items such as ‘lettuce and tomatoes.’ These unpretentious choices played a crucial role in perpetuating the illusion of effortless abundance that Flagler’s resorts aimed to convey. The availability of fruits, nuts, cheeses, and coffee at any time further contributed to the guests’ fantasy of a bountiful paradise offering endless choices and continuous entertainment.

While some of the dishes might appear unusual by contemporary standards, these historical menus offer valuable insight into the culinary preferences of upper-class guests at the turn of the 19th century. Each menu vividly illustrates how gourmet dining was employed to amplify the sense of European elegance and tropical splendor that characterized Flagler’s hotels.

above: The Dining Room of Hotel Ponce de Leon, ca. 1890. Flagler Museum Archives

above: The menu from the first dinner served at the Hotel Ponce de Leon, January 10, 1888. Flagler College Archives

above: Postcards featuring Flagler’s Hotels painted in the iconic “Flagler Yellow”. Flagler Museum Archives

Flagler Yellow: The Iconic Hue of Florida’s Railway Visionary

Throughout history, a multitude of distinguished individuals have lent their names to a range of vivid colors—encompassing brilliant blues, striking purples, lush greens, earthy browns, and beyond. While many of these eponymous colors are linked to artists celebrated for their use or creation of these hues, others honor scientists who discovered them or notable figures known for their affinity for such colors.

Take, for instance, Alice Roosevelt Longworth (1884–1980), the daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt, who is credited with popularizing a delicate shade of azure, blue known as “Alice Blue.” Renowned for her penchant for wearing gowns of this icy blue hue, Longworth catalyzed a fashion trend that immortalized the color in the public consciousness.

Another notable example is Brewster Green, a paint featuring a rich, dark green tint that exhibits a greenish tone in sunlight but appears nearly black in the dark. This innovative two-tone effect was pioneered by Percy Douglas Brewster (1883–1971), whose advancements in paint technology left a lasting impact on color application.

Similarly, Mountbatten Pink, introduced by Lord Louis Mountbatten (1900–1979) during World War II, represents a soft rose hue used on Royal British Navy hulls. Mountbatten believed that this shade would blend into the background at dawn and dusk, a tactical choice that highlights his strategic foresight.

The color ‘Flagler Yellow’ pays tribute to Henry Flagler, the visionary founder of Florida’s Eastern coast. This radiant hue not only reflects the brilliance of Flagler’s ambitious undertakings but also symbolizes his profound influence

on the Sunshine State. Flagler’s establishment of the Florida East Coast Railroad, along with his development of iconic hotels and meticulous urban planning, significantly shaped Florida’s landscape and culture.

Flagler Yellow originated from a combination of aesthetic preference and practical necessity. Through extensive experimentation with various paints by his team of chemists, Flagler selected this distinctive yellow hue, which proved advantageous in concealing dust and stains from the railcars’ extensive travel. The color’s ease of application and cost-effectiveness further solidified its practicality for Flagler’s projects.

Flagler Yellow thus emerged not merely as a color but as an emblem of efficiency and innovation within Flagler’s enterprise. Referred to as “lemon yellow,” it became a hallmark of his practical approach to design and branding. Flagler incorporated this unique shade into his railroad cars, train depots, and the residences of his railroad foremen along the construction sites of the Florida East Coast Railway. Moreover, he applied this color scheme to his wooden Colonial Revival-style hotels across the East Coast, including The Continental in Jacksonville, The Ormond Hotel in Ormond Beach, The Royal Poinciana, The Breakers in Palm Beach, The Royal Palm in Miami, and The Royal Victoria in Nassau.

Far from being merely a design choice, Flagler Yellow embodied Flagler’s vision of luxury and sophistication, cementing his enduring legacy in Florida’s architectural landscape. Despite its decline in popularity, Flagler Yellow’s influence on Florida’s aesthetics persisted for over seventy-five years, serving as a testament to Henry Flagler’s visionary contributions and the historical significance of this iconic color.

Tales From The Gilded Age

The Bone Wars

During the Gilded Age, interest in paleontology flourished and fierce rivalries fueled the rapid expansion of the field. Wealthy benefactors and institutions eagerly funded expeditions, leading to significant fossil discoveries across the American West, laying the foundation for modern paleontological methods that greatly improved our understanding of prehistoric life, particularly dinosaurs.

At the center of this surge in interest was the “Bone Wars,” the intense rivalry between two prominent American paleontologists, Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh. Their personal animosity and professional ambition drove an intense competition to discover, name, and study dinosaur fossils, with many of the most important finds occurring in the American West.

Edward Drinker Cope was born into a wealthy Philadelphia Quaker family, allowing him the financial freedom to pursue his interests in natural history. As a child, Cope was fascinated by fossils. Despite lacking a formal education, his passion for paleontology grew as he apprenticed under Joseph Leidy, a leading American paleontologist at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia.

Othniel Charles Marsh, by contrast, came from a farming background. His rise in the field of paleontology was largely due to his uncle, George Peabody, a wealthy banker and philanthropist who funded Marsh's education. Marsh graduated from Yale, where he later secured a professorship in paleontology, the first professorship in paleontology in North America. Both Cope and Marsh traveled to Europe to study, where the future rivals likely crossed paths.

The feud between the two scientists began in the late 1860s, when Marsh visited Cope at his excavation sites in New Jersey. When Marsh secretly arranged for fossils from

the sites to be shipped to him instead of Cope, decades of animosity ensued. From then on, Cope and Marsh constantly sought to undermine one another, scientifically and personally.

The rivalry became increasingly vicious as Marsh ordered his excavation sites be dynamited to prevent Cope from acquiring fossils. Cope, in return, visited Marsh's sites to recruit workers and gather information. Rumors of other kinds of sabotage, such as Marsh planting unrelated fossils at Cope’s sites, flew and their confrontations became public spectacles, with accusations flying between them in academic journals and the general press.

Despite the pettiness of their rivalry, both men made substantial contributions to paleontology. Marsh ultimately named 86 new dinosaur species and Cope published more than 1,200 scientific papers, records that still stand today. Marsh, a staunch supporter of Darwin’s theories, was influential in advancing the theory that birds evolved from dinosaurs. Cope, on the other hand, championed Lamarckian evolutionary theory, which was for more than a century discredited, but is currently being reconsidered. However, Cope is still remembered for "Cope's Rule," the idea that animal lineages tend to increase in body size over time.

In the end, while the “Bone Wars” damaged both men personally and professionally, it resulted in a great many of the most significant fossil discoveries and laid the foundation of modern paleontology.

top: Holotype of Triceratops prorsus. 1896.

bottom left: Othniel Charles Marsh, ca.1865-1880. bottom right: Edward Drinker Cope, ca. 1895

New and Renewing Members

June 5 - August 31, 2024

LEGACY MEMBERS ($15,000)

Miss Caroline Armstrong & Mr. Jimmy Germi

Mr. Charles Horter & Ms. Britt Willis

Mr. & Mrs. Steven Kaitz

Mr. Jason Lamoureux & Mrs. Heather Lamoureux

Dr. & Mrs. Vincent Lanteri

Mr. Michael F. Lospinuso & Mrs. Ellen Lospinuso

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS ($5,000)

Mr. Gilbert C. Maurer

Mr. Henry J. Singer & Ms. Susan Singer

PATRON MEMBERS ($1,000)

Mr. & Mrs. Jay Axelrod

Mrs. Deborah Hale & Mr. Charles Hagy

Mr. & Mrs. Joe Johnson

Mr. David Gregg McIntosh & Mrs. Lisa Harrison

Mr. Leo S. Schwartz & Mrs. Marla Schwartz

Mrs. Heather Tumlin & Mr. Johnny Tumlin

Mr. & Mrs. Richard L. Winter

SPONSOR MEMBERS ($500)

Mr. & Mrs. Warren Aplin

Ms. Karen C. Brounstein & Mr. Jacob Kadosh

Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Bruce

Mr. Wayne H. Calabrese & Mrs. Rhonda E. Calabrese

Mr. & Mrs. I. Kemuel Cesani

Mr. & Mrs. William M. Feldman

Mr. Lou Hughes & Mrs. Kathryn Hughes

Mrs. Allison Ridder Johnstone

Mr. John N. Kandara

Mr. & Mrs. Robert Mackle

Ms. Rose Maria Papadopoulos & Ms. Katharine Decker

Ms. Paula Peterson & Mr. Bill Forness

FAMILY MEMBERS ($300)

Mr. Donald Alducin & Dr. Sharada Alducin

Mr. & Mrs. Bryan J. Belliveau

Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey A. Cole

Mrs. Katherine Drew & Mr. Andrew Strecker

Mr. Robert Forbes & Mrs. Lydia Forbes

Mr. & Mrs. Renard S. Iarussi

Mr. & Mrs. Robert Kaye

Mr. & Mrs. Terrence Murray

Mr. James Ricotta &

Mrs. Bethany Taylor

Ms. Henrietta Schwartz & Dr. Robert Schwartz, MD

Mr. Paul Shaviv &

Ms. Michelle Stein

Dr. Patricia M. Sperano & Mr. Ronald Sperano

Mrs. Rita Sullivan & Mr. David Sullivan

Mr. & Mrs. Erik C. Wagner

Mr. & Mrs. Charles S. Weiss

Mr. Roy Wiley

INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS ($150)

Ms. LaToyia Bryant

Dr. Bunny J. Bucho

Mr. Thomas I. Davis, Jr.

Ms. Samantha Macrae Foerster

Mr. Kevin Hoch

Mr. Paul Massey

Mr. Ronald Risner

Mr. Larry Sapp

Dr. Ildiko M. Sipos

EDUCATOR MEMBERS ($75)

Ms. Lina Busby, Esq.

Dr. Joseph Cunha

WHITEHALL SOCIETY MEMBERS

Mr. James S. Lansing

CORPORATE CHAIRMAN

The Palm Event

CORPORATE CEO

DEX Imaging

Global Liberty Institute

CONTRIBUTORS, SPONSORS, & GRANTORS

$125,000 AND ABOVE

Palm Beach County

Board of County Commissioners, Palm Beach County

Tourist Development Council, Cultural Council for Palm Beach County

$25,000 AND ABOVE

State of Florida Division of Arts & Culture

The Wise Foundation

$10,000 AND ABOVE

Eliasberg Family Foundation

Mr. & Mrs. Benjamin Macfarland

$1,000 AND ABOVE

The Good Shepherd Fund

Mr. & Mrs. Fredrick E. Hopkins, III

Mrs. Betsy K. Matthews

UP TO $500

Dr. Bunny J. Bucho

Florida Bankers Association

Mr. & Mrs. Haynes G. Griffin

Paciocco Giving Fund

Mr. James B. Watson

Afternoon tea dance in the Cocoanut Grove of the Hotel Royal Poinciana, ca. 1920. Flagler Museum Archives

FL AGLER MUSEUM

Upcoming Programs

RAILCAR No. 91® TEA ROOM