Several weeks ago, I visited Hillwood, the sumptuous, sprawling estate of Marjorie Merriweather Post. Marjorie wasn't just the spectacularly rich heiress to Postum Cereal Company (now General Foods Corporation), but a talented businesswoman, too. During her lifetime, she became the wealthiest broad in America, worth a mindboggling $250 mil.
The mountain of Benjamins she inherited and worked to grow permitted Marjorie to inhabit a world of Marie Antoinette-style extravagance. She erected and revamped palatial homes like Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida and Hillwood in Washington, D.C. She toured the globe on her yacht Sea Cloud, once the largest private ship in the world, and her jet, Merriweather. Even Marjorie’s convoy of limousines was customized to accommodate her fabulously large hats!
Nevertheless, Marjorie’s true passion was her assemblage of glittering artistic treasures, particularly from imperial Russia. During the 1930s, the Soviet Union, needing money to industrialize, had a fire-sale on Romanov-era swag. Marjorie made out like a glamorously-attired bandit. She accumulated a sizable collection of French paintings, textiles, and furnishings, too.
But, Marjorie’s riches weren't meant be squirreled away; after she passed-away in 1973, Hillwood became a decorative arts museum. Check-out my shots of Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens on Facebook; it’s exquisite. Opulence, she has it.
Here’s a short video about Marjorie’s life from Biography Channel.
For more on Marjorie Merriweather Post and Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens, visit:
Hillwood Estate, Museum and Garden: Where Fabulous Lives
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