Biltmore House: The Interiors and Collections of George W. Vanderbilt.

The Society for the History of Collecting is delighted to invite you to its forthcoming online lecture by Dr Laura Jenkins on the topic of her book:

Biltmore House: The Interiors and Collections of George W. Vanderbilt (Published by Rizzoli)

on Thursday 15 October 2026, 1.00pm(EDT); 6.00pm(BST); 7.00pm(CEST). 

George W. Vanderbilt created one of the greatest self-sustaining American country estates of the late nineteenth century—at its center, Richard Morris Hunt’s splendid 250-room French Renaissance château. Beyond the acres of gardens designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and the imposing castle exterior lies one of the most notable private collections of fine and decorative art in the United States.

In Biltmore House: The Interiors and Collections of George W. Vanderbilt (Rizzoli), this Gilded Age masterpiece opens its doors for an in-depth tour of both its grand public spaces and behind-the-scenes rooms—the first comprehensive book on the estate in more than thirty years. A presentation by the coauthor Laura C. Jenkins will examine the historic interiors which inspired Vanderbilt’s extraordinary vision for Biltmore House and the international decorators and dealers who brought it to fruition.

Dr Laura C. Jenkins is an art historian and curator based in London. She holds a PhD from the Courtauld Institute of Art and has previously published on the American market for French decorative art during the Gilded Age.

Registration for this lecture will close the day before the event on Wednesday 14 October 2026.  A link to obtain a Zoom link will be sent to all registrants on the day of the event, 15 October.