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| The Frick's Garden Court |
The Frick Collection, aka "The Frick", is a Gilded Age legacy - a palatial structure built as an impressive residence on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue to house an equally impressive art collection. Construction was completed in 1914 and twenty-one years later it morphed into the art museum Henry Clay Frick had envisioned. After nine decades of operation, it closed down in 2020 for renovations. This April, it reopened and among its early guests this month: the cast of HBO's "Gilded Age" and the Barb's Tea Service cohort.
Last weekend, I was joined by husband, Chris, daughter, Rachel and our favorite New York couple, son and daughter-in-law, Matt and Jenna, as we walked past the iron gates to the former home of Gilded Age businessman, Henry Clay Frick. The recent updates include access to the second floor, used previously as staff offices, now restored to gallery and living space as the Frick's would have known it, complete with restored wallpaper and period furniture.
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| "George Russell" from Gilded Age |
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| Old and new money, free reign of staircase |
There are a few restrictions for patrons: limited areas for photographs and the grand staircase is one-way - guests can only go up, but not down. However, after seeing a recent post of the cast of the Gilded Age on said staircase and pictures snapped throughout The Frick, their group may have been allowed a few more exceptions. But, whether you play a fictionalized "new money" railroad magnate or are but a humble Gilded Age-obsessed blogger, there's much to enjoy at this museum.
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| For most guests, staircase is only one-way; you can go up, but you cannot go down. |
Henry Clay Frick began his fortune in the late 19th century in coking, essential in steel production. Later, he teamed up with Andrew Carnegie, becoming Chairman of Carnegie Steel. Eventually both enterprises became part of U.S. Steel, one of the companies formed by Gilded Age banker and financial investor, J.P. Morgan. Like Morgan, whose former house is also a museum/library, Frick was a great collector of art, and at times, both were in competition to acquire the same treasured masterpiece..
We visited in March, 2024 (see Tuesday Tea and Tomes: Personal Librarian) and also this month (stay tuned for future blog story!).
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| Favorite NYC couple, Matt & Jenna |
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| With Rachel in Garden Court |
Ian Wardropper, a former director of the Frick Collection, was quoted in the New York Times (April, 2025), stating "[Frick] hated losing a painting he wanted."
Wardropper also explained that Frick had "traditional tastes, favoring landscapes and portraits of famous men and beautiful women, over anything edgy. He typically passed on nudes or religious paintings, except for Giovanni Bellini's "St. Francis in the Desert."
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| Clock collection - a Jack Trotter invention? |
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| A portion of the porcelain collection. |
In addition, Frick bought paintings by Vermeer, Salomon van Ruysdael and Hobbema, as well as Rembrandt, Gainsborough, Reynolds, Manet, Renoir and Degas. There are also collections of clocks, watches (perhaps one from Gilded Age's Jack Trotter?) and ceramics, including early pottery from Meissen and Dresden. The latter includes the Boettger's teapot that we wrote about in 2021 (Bottger's Teapot) and finally got to see personally - it was AMAZING and future blog story to come!)
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| We plan to return for more returns at The Frick! |
Our BTS cohort so enjoyed viewing all the masterpieces in the galleries, and though we may not have had run of the house like "Mr. Russell", we were in awe of all the incredible art in this home-turned-museum.
Frick said that it made sense to keep some of your wealth in art that surrounds you, not just invested in bonds. With the former, he said, "you can draw your dividend daily". We certainly felt we received ample return on our admission investment.
In fact, we plan to return for more returns at The Frick.
