Additional Coverage:
- The glamorous life of Alva Vanderbilt Belmont, the millionaire socialite whose life inspired HBO’s ‘The Gilded Age’ (businessinsider.com)
Alva Vanderbilt Belmont: A Gilded Age Icon and Suffrage Leader
The life of Alva Vanderbilt Belmont, a prominent socialite during the Gilded Age, reads like a script from a period drama. Born Alva Erskine Smith in Mobile, Alabama in 1853, her life was a whirlwind of opulent mansions, high-society balls, and, later, a fervent dedication to the women’s suffrage movement. Even Julian Fellowes, creator of HBO’s “The Gilded Age,” drew inspiration from her dramatic life, particularly her elaborate 1883 masquerade ball.
Alva’s story began with her marriage to William K. Vanderbilt, grandson of railroad tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt.
The couple spared no expense, constructing a French chateau-style mansion on Fifth Avenue’s “Millionaires’ Row” in 1882. Known as “Petit Chateau,” the sprawling residence occupied an entire city block and contained 60 rooms.
However, their “new money” status initially led to their exclusion from the established elite, including the prominent Astor family. Undeterred, Alva orchestrated a legendary masquerade ball in 1883, strategically leveraging an invitation to secure Caroline Astor’s attendance and cement her family’s place in high society.
In 1892, William K. Vanderbilt gifted Alva the extravagant Marble House in Newport, Rhode Island, for her 39th birthday. The mansion, costing $11 million (equivalent to approximately $387 million today), was a testament to their wealth and featured lavish interiors, including a dining room inspired by the Palace of Versailles and a gold-leafed grand salon.
However, Alva’s life was not confined to opulent displays of wealth. She divorced William K.
Vanderbilt in 1895, a rare and scandalous move for a woman of her era, and subsequently married financier Oliver H.P. Belmont.
She maintained custody of her children and ownership of Marble House, receiving a substantial settlement. In a controversial decision, she orchestrated her daughter Consuelo’s marriage to the Duke of Marlborough, a union later annulled after 26 years.
Following Oliver Belmont’s death in 1908, Alva dedicated herself to the women’s suffrage movement. She transformed Marble House into a hub for suffrage activities, hosting gatherings and proudly serving tea from “Votes for Women” china. She even penned the libretto for a suffrage operetta performed at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.
Alva’s commitment extended to acquiring a headquarters for the National Woman’s Party in Washington, D.C. in 1929, a building later named “Alva Belmont House” in her honor. She served as the organization’s president from 1921 to 1933.
This building eventually became the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument. Alva Belmont died in Paris in 1933, her funeral featuring all-female pallbearers and a poignant quote from Susan B.
Anthony on her coffin: “Failure is impossible.” From Gilded Age socialite to a champion of women’s rights, Alva Vanderbilt Belmont’s life remains a captivating blend of ambition, drama, and social impact.