Framewood Interiors

Published by Privately printed for Mrs. Sterling Postley by Wm. Bamumgarten & Co., New York, 1916

About this Item

Framewood (later called Fox Hall) is a Long Island Gold Coast mansion in Oyster Bay, built by the socialites Sterling and Jeanne Postley. The publisher of this privately printed book, Wm. Baumgarten and Co., was the interior designer for the house and created this presentation book for the Postleys featuring photos of the interior (Baumgarten also did the interior design for various mansions owned by Vanderbilts, Whitneys, etc.). The Postleys gained notariety through their marital woes. The first Mrs. Postley, born Ethel Cook, was a San Francisco socialite who grew up with and remained lifelong friends with society grand dame Elsa Maxwell and had been called "the most beautiful woman in America" by Grand Duke Boris of Russia. Sterling and Ethel divorced in 1911 in what was referred to as a "marital pentagon" - Sterling's sister Elsie divorced her husband Ross Curran in the same year, Ross married Ethel and Elsie married Ross's brother Guernsey Curran. Sterling also remarried, to Jeanne Buckley Martin, and they moved into Framewood in 1916. Folio (14 1/4 x 10 1/2). Full velum with title on spine and coat of arms on front board in gilt. Front hinge starting, slight soiling to boards including faint wine glass stain on front cover. Ivory silk moire paste-downs and front flies. Rear silk endpaper is unglued and front silk endpaper is partially unglued. Two pages of text, printed on one side only, and 26 full page mounted photographs with printed red border and printed captions on protective interleaves showing interior furnishings of the house completed in the Baumgarten workshops. Laid in are three additional photographs of the interior furnishings, a letter to Clarence S. Postley (Sterling's son) from Blyth & Co. dated January 13, 1930, lamenting his leaving the company's employ. Plus a four-page article from Town & Country magazine from December 10, 1920, "The Residence of Mr. and Mrs. Guernsey Curran" (Postley's sister and brother-in-law), with 4 full page photographs illustrating this 90-acre Upper Brookville, Long Island mansion.

Seller Inventory # 001358

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Framewood Interiors
• Publisher: Privately printed for Mrs. Sterling Postley by Wm. Bamumgarten & Co., New York
• Publication Date: 1916
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Very Good
• Seller catalogs:
  • Photography
  • Architecture