tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post3921607677203528253..comments2024-03-26T16:11:44.515-04:00Comments on All Things Ruffnerian, a Design Blog and More: More of BiltmoreMark D. Ruffnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09241533547309049140noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post-24645356654266232002013-09-10T22:56:04.571-04:002013-09-10T22:56:04.571-04:00Gotcha, didn't I. Keep me posted on what you ...Gotcha, didn't I. Keep me posted on what you find. My vintage postcard (view is from one of the balconies at Biltmore) doesn't show the Rat quite as clearly as some, but I have a great blogspot to recommend that posts an old vintage card that shows both Mt. Pisgah and the Rat in all their glory, as well as pertinent history. :-) JudyMachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04448320253904832677noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post-9085158685076051962013-09-10T16:25:41.567-04:002013-09-10T16:25:41.567-04:00Hello, JudyMac,
You have certainly aroused my cur...Hello, JudyMac,<br /><br />You have certainly aroused my curiosity! I'll have to do a little research now!Mark D. Ruffnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09241533547309049140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post-74526670015952447722013-09-10T10:01:51.392-04:002013-09-10T10:01:51.392-04:00Reminds me I must visit one more time. One of you...Reminds me I must visit one more time. One of your pictures gives a hint of the view of "Mt. Pisgah and the Rat." Although the locals have forever known what this is, and some from far away as well, by all means you must inform your readers and give them a better view. I have a vintage postcard showing a view of Mt. Pisgah and the Rat made from one of the Biltmore balconies, and it is a lovely view indeed, at any time of year. Yes, I must go home again. JudyMachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04448320253904832677noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post-80573529549984203932013-09-08T12:35:38.450-04:002013-09-08T12:35:38.450-04:00Hello, Jim,
The Biltmore is very well cared for. ...Hello, Jim,<br /><br />The Biltmore is very well cared for. There is steady work being done by conservators, and I gathered that they had full-time jobs. One expensive project was the remaking of the red and gold velvet wall coverings of Edith Vanderbilt's bedroom by the same French company that had done the work 100 years earlier.Mark D. Ruffnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09241533547309049140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post-734929939489006832013-09-08T12:29:18.697-04:002013-09-08T12:29:18.697-04:00Hello, Loi,
I didn't get a chance to eat in t...Hello, Loi,<br /><br />I didn't get a chance to eat in the stables, but I think it's a neat idea. I love dining in places that were originally used for a very different purpose. If you ever go to Pittsburgh, there's excellent dining at a converted train station.Mark D. Ruffnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09241533547309049140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post-80335356103727859812013-09-08T06:12:50.584-04:002013-09-08T06:12:50.584-04:00Hello Mark, What I notice from your photos is how...Hello Mark, What I notice from your photos is how beautifully kept the house is--it almost doesn't seem like it could be over a century old. Many historic house museums have a somewhat seedy appearance (although that is a look I can also appreciate), but it is nice to see this shining example.<br />Parnassushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08958901307538141468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post-73139480330395366202013-09-07T22:23:54.788-04:002013-09-07T22:23:54.788-04:00One of my favorite homes from the Gilded Age! The...One of my favorite homes from the Gilded Age! The magnificent conservatory is so civilized and beautiful. I didn't get to see the stables, so glad you shared a photo. Cake and coffee would be delightful there!<br />Cheers,<br />LoiWoodside Parkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13981644571968878448noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post-60262649997320595402013-09-07T16:19:57.287-04:002013-09-07T16:19:57.287-04:00Dear Columnist,
Could be, though from archival ph...Dear Columnist,<br /><br />Could be, though from archival photos, it appears that George usually led the way.<br /><br />Mark D. Ruffnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09241533547309049140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post-88366634052106599292013-09-07T16:13:45.387-04:002013-09-07T16:13:45.387-04:00Hi, Theresa - They're great reference for a Re...Hi, Theresa - They're great reference for a Rex Whistler kind of mural, aren't they?Mark D. Ruffnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09241533547309049140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post-76209140637228763932013-09-07T16:12:34.428-04:002013-09-07T16:12:34.428-04:00Dear Rosemary,
I'll answer your question by q...Dear Rosemary,<br /><br />I'll answer your question by quoting from Wikipedia:<br /><br />"The Great Smoky Mountains are a mountain range rising along the Tennessee–North Carolina border in the southeastern United States. They are a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains, and form part of the Blue Ridge Physiographic Province."<br /><br />So I believe the view from the Vanderbilt terrace is that part of the Blue Ridge that is called the Smokies. Driving out of Asheville, we saw wisps of fog that do indeed look more like smoke than fog.Mark D. Ruffnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09241533547309049140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post-79782173654926876462013-09-07T06:57:05.027-04:002013-09-07T06:57:05.027-04:00Do you suppose that's where the term "go ...Do you suppose that's where the term "go take a hike" comes from?!columnisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03764365428633038329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post-22198761838177532732013-09-06T23:00:15.845-04:002013-09-06T23:00:15.845-04:00I am loving those dolphins!!! Thanks for posting t...I am loving those dolphins!!! Thanks for posting them.Theresa Cheekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11429069123185290732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post-90467985891898868322013-09-06T17:32:57.201-04:002013-09-06T17:32:57.201-04:00Dear Mark - Biltmore sits in beautiful countryside...Dear Mark - Biltmore sits in beautiful countryside which is especially fitting for a property reflecting the Châteaux of the Loire Valley. Are the distant mountains those of the Blue Ridge?<br />You may recall that I had to look up where Asheville was on Google Maps, but within a couple of days of my doing so, two other bloggers that I follow, also made trips there too. Rosemaryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03814070177137076757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post-89798992898767702142013-09-06T14:14:23.760-04:002013-09-06T14:14:23.760-04:00I can see that crown now, and I'm actually ima...I can see that crown now, and I'm actually imagining it as a rather Gothic design, carved out of a stone crest. You must do it!Mark D. Ruffnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09241533547309049140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post-9918082090537023162013-09-06T13:36:55.141-04:002013-09-06T13:36:55.141-04:00I've long loved the Vanderbilt crest of the ac...I've long loved the Vanderbilt crest of the acorns--I've seen it in Newport as well--and considered using acorns as part of a crown as my own personal logo. Eccentric or narcissistic, I'm not sure which.<br /><br />I do love the view of the forest with that little bit of "yard" in between. And I always enjoy a good dolphinfish fountain too.<br /><br />Thank you for the tour! An Urban Cottagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08666212353075804092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post-88538694106619133732013-09-06T11:48:51.737-04:002013-09-06T11:48:51.737-04:00Hi, Stefan - That view really does have the look o...Hi, Stefan - That view really does have the look of a 16th century chateau, doesn't it?Mark D. Ruffnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09241533547309049140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post-52525866578893462062013-09-06T11:47:37.629-04:002013-09-06T11:47:37.629-04:00Thanks, Gina! I only wish that I could have taken ...Thanks, Gina! I only wish that I could have taken photographs of Biltmore's interior. Maybe it's just as well — I would never have gotten out!Mark D. Ruffnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09241533547309049140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post-30684852648284390552013-09-06T09:51:09.335-04:002013-09-06T09:51:09.335-04:00I remember the gardens being extraordinary! I espe...I remember the gardens being extraordinary! I especially love the view that you hint at: behind the house with the rusticated stone base.ArchitectDesign™https://www.blogger.com/profile/01481754380363676771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148647148793397155.post-51337936785957615582013-09-06T08:29:09.865-04:002013-09-06T08:29:09.865-04:00Dear Mark, I noticed that you took all but one of ...Dear Mark, I noticed that you took all but one of the Biltmore photographs. A wonderful mix of images. You photos tell the story well. Ginahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03429484235583035595noreply@blogger.com