Hillwood Estate Jewelry

Last week we went to Hillwood Estates - one of the homes of Marjorie Merriweather Post. We were there five years ago to see the Pret a Papier exhibit, which was lovely. The paper dresses ourshown the mansion, the gardens, and everything in between. While listening to Pandora radio a while back, there was an ad played about the jewelry display at Hillwood Estate, so that was another reason to visit - aside from the delightful autumn weather. After watching the introductory movie about Marjorie Merriweather Post's life, we decided to take a guided tour through the gardens and the mansion. It was all very interesting, but quite detailed. We tend to like to observe things quickly and then move on at our own pace. Without the paper dresses on display, things seemed quite dreary and rather sad to us - especially with all the curtains drawn. After the house tour was concluded, we walked back through the gardens to the adirondack house where the jewels were on display. Everywhere we looked there were armed security staff. Inside were several pieces in the collection that were not only outlandish, but definitely came from another point in time. I'm not much of a jewelry person anyway. The diamond and turquoise studded tiaras, emerald brooch, and all other precious stone earrings, pins, and what not were interesting. I found the whimsical pieces most pleasing - the birds, rabbits, and ballerinas. But it was stuffy and pretentious and dark inside. I found the real beauty in the gardens and the flowers and the surrounding views from the hill top. I guess we just aren't in to museums that much anymore, but I suppose we never were. 

Hillwood Estate Gardens

It's a lovely time of year to walkabout and see the seasons change. Fall is my favorite; my husband prefers spring. We usually walk along the Nationsl Mall every day. But to change it up a bit, we decided to visit Hillwood Estate - home of Marjorie Merriweather Post - to walk the gardens, see the house, and visit the jewelry exhibit. We were at the Estate five years ago for the Pret a Papier exhibit and I loved the paper dresses. We did not take a formal tour last time, so we went with a docent for both the garden and the house tour. It could not have been a better day temperature wise. The varieties of mums were interesting. The cutting garden and green house were huge. In front of the house was a grand entryway. We were then taken to the French Partere, the rose garden, the friendship walk, a putting green, and a Japanese style garden with running water elements and terraces. The grounds have defined seating spaces along the way - complete with a very mid century embellishment of blue plastic ribbed chairs and metal umbrellas. It is hard to imagine that one person not only owned all of this, but at least two other just as extravagant properties. It was nice to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there. 

Hillwood Estate

We were there five years ago mainly to see the Pret a Papier exhibit. I heard about the Marjorie Merriweather Post jewelry collection that was on display now at the Hillwood Estate, so we decided to take a ride and visit there again on a beautiful fall day. My husband doesn't remember anything about the place. The last time we visited we did self guided tours after we watched the intro movie. But the paper gowns were extraordinary and were front and center - so it would be easy to forget everything else. The Estate is made up of three unique sections - the house, the gardens, and the special collection. This blog is about the house. This time we took a guided tour and it lasted about an hour. The docent was very technical and date and year specific, which can be overly boring - or interesting - depending on your level of interest in detail. All I know is by the end of it, the group of ten had dwindled to four. There was a lot of emphasis on the Russian collections of paintings, icons, porcelain, and collectibles that Mrs. Post obviously loved. Neither my husband nor I could stand living in such a home meant to be a future museum. I suppose if you have that much money you need to do something with it - and this was one of three or four places she owned. The house was dark for preservation sake, but the wood paneling and tapestries didn't help. I always find the clothes most interesting, and the second floor was more tolerable, but still quite packed with stuff. I used to find these sorts of adventures more interesting. But now they make me kinda sad. It seems anything in excess is odd. This could be considered over the top.