Inside the Mind of MRS. ASTOR

She was a born leader, a most unbearable snob, and a self-appointed gatekeeper.

They called her Mrs. Astor. THE Mrs. Astor. And she would banish you out of her existence, if you were deemed unfit for New York Society.

Oh, how sweet it is to brazenly declare who was and who wasn’t worthy of your presence. Well, before exclusive country clubs and private VIP clubs became all the rage, there was Mrs. Astor.

And she was a force to be reckoned with.

As one of the most notorious gatekeepers in New York history, have you ever asked yourself just how she saw the world? What is it that made this famous doyenne of the gilded age the way she was?

Well today, we are zooming in to do just that.

So without further ado, let’s get into the mind of Mrs. Astor.

*********

SCHMANCY merch is here! Click on the links below to shop all of our new designs!

*********

INSIDE THE MIND OF MRS. ASTOR

[dhowe]

You should’ve discussed the ultimate downfall of Caroline Astor’s snobbishness when she was forced to leave a calling card at the home of Alva Vanderbilt so her daughter would be invited to Alva’s costume ball. Oh the humiliation

[Shakespearelover]

Mrs. Astor nearly lost her dignity to Alva Vanderbilt, who was hosting a huge ball in honor of a European noble. She only assumed she was going to be invited, but Mrs. Astor was caught in her own rules—that no one could attend a social function without first calling upon the prospective hostess! Mrs. Astor had looked down on all the Vanderbilts, refusing to ever call on them or have anything to do with them, particularly the Commodore, who regularly chewed tobacco and spit on the floor. But she wanted to attend the party so bad she called on Alva and finally allowed them “in.” She deserved every bit of the crow she ate!

[NorthSouthEast]

"The grueling job of snobbery." What a line.

[vickilindberg]

A great phrase, "A woman of purpose." Can you image what she could have accomplished if she could have used her energies outside her home?

[HH-tekm]

My mom used to refer to anything or anyone pretentious, “They think they’re Mrs. Astor’s pet horse.” Not sure where the saying came from. Her family was Scottish but she was raised just outside New York.🤷🏻‍♀️

[Heather-ehdu]

Taking notes of Mrs aster
Not talking about private matters with no one
And never letting your weakness be known

[roximusmaximus]

I read that she went crazy in the end and would wander the empty halls and ballroom, talking to imaginary guests and reliving the former glorious days.

[kimberlyfamoly]

This just seems like a sad, shallow, shell of a person and life, void of any real meaning.

[giovannirastrelli]

Her son JJ Astor died on the Titanic, along with his valet and pet dog.

[desstanbridge]

It seems her private life with her husband was out of control..that's why she exercised so much control in her public life.

[redappleproductions...]

What Mrs Vanderbilt did to put Mrs Aster in her place.
Oh snap!

[lasouthbay]

The Astor home in Newport looks like section 8 compared to the marble house that Alva Vanderbilt had. 😂 not saying either family was ‘classy’ but we should all remember that someone can always come along and do something more grand than we have so no need to turn it into a competition

[caronstout]

Shades of HBO's " The Gilded Age"; in one episode a robber baron bought out a Ladies Charity sale because his wife was slighted by the Old Moneyed ladies...

[margaretpalmer]

She was a snob……these people should simply feel fortunate, not privileged

[catdaddy]

My 5th great grandfather, Colonel Jacob Blackwell, was one of their contemporaries. He owned Blackwell Island, later Roosevelt Island, and he had a home at the corner of Broadway and (?). Funny how his family declined too. 😮

[wednesdayschild]

She was pretty, but a narcissist. Andrew Carnegie left no money to his decendants. Carnegie saw how worthless the aristrocrats were, and didn't want that for his kids. Moral of the story, make your kids go to regular school, do not hand your kids jobs. Teach your children to survive on their own. She could have used her money for good, as Andrew Carnegie did. She could have championed education for girls.

[tx-sweet-pjg]

What an exciting and privileged life she had, I wonder how she’s spending eternity

[anneneville]

I thought vanderbilds were the OG old money. I was surprised that they were considered new money for that time

[lynhewlett]

She was really silly as new money will always become the old money, and she would have become even more the matriarch of the old money ❤ lyn from England ❤❤❤

[MDiStefano]

My mom always said there was nothing worse than new money as evidenced by my sister in law :)