GRAND AND GRACIOUS: Swan House, built in 1928 and featured in two of “The Hunger Games” films, is among the mansions to be profiled as part of Morven’s annual Grand Homes & Gardens series.
By Anne Levin
It has been four years since Morven Museum & Garden launched its “Grand Homes & Gardens Distinguished Speaker Series,” taking viewers through the ornate doors and garden gates of palatial estates up and down the East Coast and beyond.
Designed to provide relief from the bleakest part of winter, and ultimately, the pandemic, the popular “armchair travel” series has visited mansions from Maine to Florida. The theme of this year’s talks is “The Roaring Twenties,” and the series is available both virtually and at small watch parties being held in Morven’s Stockton Education Center.
The first, “Innisfree: An American Garden,” is Thursday, February 10 at 6:30 p.m. “Swan House: A Collaboration in Classicism” is February 17, “Ca’ d’Zan: A Glamourous Icon of the Roaring Twenties” is February 24, and “Vizcaya: A Most Unusual American House” is March 3.
“We’re taking the best of what we learned in the pandemic with our tried-and-true favorite lecture series,” said Morven Executive Director Jill Barry. “Last year, we were totally virtual. Because we haven’t totally turned the corner, we are marrying both ideas. So this year, people can choose to watch from home or, for those who are ready to be together, come to a watch party here.”
Each week’s presenter will speak from their respective locations. There will be virtual viewing options and recordings for all ticket-holders. Tickets are available for the entire series or individual talks, and range from $20 for one in-person event (Morven members) to $90 for all four events (in-person general admission). The watch parties will have limited capacity.
“Innisfree: An American Garden” takes viewers to Millbrook, New York, where the nonprofit public garden influenced by Chinese style was established between 1930 and 1960 by Walter and Marion Beck. Walter Beck was a painter; his wife was an avid gardener and heiress.
The Edward Inman Swan House was designed by Philip T. Shutze, and built for Edward and Emily Inman. Inman was an Atlanta businessman with interests in real estate, transportation, and banking. The property is currently part of the Atlanta History Center.
The third stop in the
series is Sarasota, Florida, adjacent to Sarasota Bay. Ca’ d’Zan is a Mediterranean revival style mansion that was home to circus mogul and art collector John Ringling and his wife, Mable, who loved Venice. The house was completed in 1926. According to the property’s website, Ca’ d’ Zan is translated into “House of John,” “in the dialect of their beloved Venice.”
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, previously known as Villa Vizcaya, was home to businessman James Deering of the Deering McCormick-International Harvester fortune. It is located on Biscayne Bay in the neighborhood of Miami known today as Coconut Grove.
“We’re going into the lap of luxury,” said Barry. “We’ll learn about these wonderful moments and these wonderful families, creating these lives that don’t exist anymore. It’s fun to dip into this romantic period and hear the stories of the people behind them. Each house is such a jewel in its own right. Putting them together creates a beautiful necklace of lectures.”
For details and registration, visit Morven.org.