Newport Rhode Island Photo Tour – Travel Photography – The Breakers Edition

(If you are interested in purchasing any of the prints shown here, please contact us.)

The Preservation Society of Newport County owns and cares for this beautiful mansion named The Breakers for the waves that break into the cliff it is built on.  The Breakers is renown for being the most opulent mansion in Newport’s History.  The public can take tours here and it is so worth touring.  Even if you snub your nose at over-the -top wealth in it’s showiest form, the art, detail and work going into every square inch of this architectural masterpiece is undeniably mind boggling and awe inspiring.  And as impressive as the exterior of this mansion is, it is really quite modest compared to the decadence that lies inside.  Unfortunately no interior photos were allowed which burst my bubble.  However I respected that, they sell books inside that have beautiful photos of the stunning interior and maybe the rule was set in place so that those sales were not harmed.  That and their fear of the millions of fabric fading flashes of light that would over time take it’s toll.  I can only imagine a fortune must be had to keep such a piece of art restored to it’s full glory.

If you look closely you can see the tiny grooves that texture & shape the rock walls.

Front views of the Mansion.  The front entrance is boarded up, unsure if that is temporary or permanent.  It does seem that great effort was taken to reduce the amount of fabric fading sunlight that enters.

Side view of the Mansion which faces a modest garden.

Rear view of the mansion which faces the water.  The rich blue sky was created with a circular polarizing filter on the camera lens.

 And a shot by my Scott of us girls.

And a small history lesson (I really hated History in school but I love it now!  Especially from this era.).

The Breakers as it is now is actually the 2nd mansion built, the 1st which was made of wood burned down due to a fire.  No expense was spared to make sure the new Breakers was fireproof and instead of wood, the building was made of stone.  Cornelius Vanderbilt II (a wealthy industrialist) hired Architect Richard Morris Hunt to create this grand 70 room summer home for his family.  (Imagine this just being your SUMMER home?)  It was designed to resemble an Italian Seaside Palace with Beaux Arts & Victorian elements and decorated in French & Italian styles.  The rooms were actually designed and assembled in Europe then shipped here to be reassembled in the mansion.  High society modular homes right?  =)

If you ever visit with me, I will gladly show you the photo book we picked up that showcases the rooms inside.

For More on The Breakers.

Newport Rhode Island Travel Photographer – Harrisburg Photographer – Grace Lightner Photography