Lesley Klingner, Curator of Interpretation, Biltmore Estate

At Christmas of 1895, America’s most eligible bachelor opened America’s largest home welcoming his family and friends and beginning a tradition of grand entertaining that has lasted more than 125 years.  The lecture will draw from photos, letters, and journals held in the estate’s private archives to piece together the experience of Gilded Age holiday fetes including the staff and family preparations, the notable set who attended, the food, the fashion, the decorations, and the amusements enjoyed by all.  Celebrations on this scale continue at Biltmore today.  Details about Biltmore House, the Vanderbilt’s original collection, decorating the vast estate and holiday traditions more than 125 years in the making will be shared.

Photos courtesey of the Biltmore Estate

Banquet Hall Fireplace

Billiard at Christmas

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Banquet Hall Tree

Leslie Klingner is a design historian specializing in fine art, decorative art and the material culture of the 19th and 20th centuries.  In 2006, Leslie became the Curator of Interpretation for Biltmore, the family home of the late George W. Vanderbilt.  In this role, she shares in the curation and preservation of America’s largest home and aids in creating historical tours, products, programming and exhibitions across the estate.  Leslie works with Biltmore’s archival material and the vast collection to better understand and interpret the story of the Vanderbilt family and those who lived and worked on the estate.

 Recent c-curated exhibitions at Biltmore include A Vanderbilt House Party: The Gilded Age; Glamour on Board: Fashion from the Titanic the Movie;  Fashionable Romance: Wedding Gowns in Film; Dressing Dowton: Changing Fashions for Changing Times; and the Vanderbilts at Home and Abroad.

 Prior to Biltmore, Leslie served as a Lecturer at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (2001-2009) and as Senior Educator and Academic Programs Coordinator for the Brooklyn Museum.

Leslie Klinger