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HEARSV_130725_008.JPG: William Randolph Hearst (1863-1951)
HEARSV_130725_011.JPG: Childhood and Early Education:
William Randolph Hearst was born on April 29, 1863, in San Francisco's Stevenson Hotel. His parents were indulgent, buying him a playhouse filled with toys, a pony and cart, and a Punch and Judy show. His pets included two black dogs, rabbits, and white mice.
Young William received a thorough education, closely supervised by his mother. She hired tutors, taught him herself, and enrolled him in various private and public schools. At the same time, she took him to art galleries and concerts and introduced him to exceptional people at her parties.
William Randolph Hearst as an infant with his mother.
HEARSV_130725_015.JPG: Travels:
William Randolph Hearst's parents loved to travel. By the time their son was six years old, they had taken him to Missouri and Mexico. His father, who was often away on business, sometimes let him come along on visits to their various properties.
In 1873, when William was ten, his mother took him to Europe. They stayed for a year and a half, studying with a tutor. By the time they returned home, William Randolph Hearst had developed his lifelong love of art, architecture and history.
A trip to the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition of 1876 and another trip to Europe followed. By the time he was twenty, he had traveled extensively in Europe and the United States.
William Randolph Hearst as a young boy
HEARSV_130725_019.JPG: Launching his career:
In 1882, William Randolph Hearst enrolled at Harvard. He began to call himself WR and involved himself in activities that interested him. He collected rare books, acted in Hasty Pudding shows, and accepted the post of business manager for the Lampoon. In this capacity, he increased circulation and advertising until the publication showed a profit. Despite these activities, he was often unhappy at Harvard and was asked to leave without receiving his degree.
George Hearst owned San Francisco's Daily Examiner, a paper that had always lost money, WR decided that he wanted to make it profitable, as he had done with the Lampoon. George Hearst initially opposed letting his son run the paper. However, on March 4, 1887, the same day he took his seat in the Senate, he turned over control of the paper to his son, agreeing to back him for two years.
In those years, the Examiner's circulation doubled. In 1895, WR Hearst bought the New York Morning Journal, challenging Joseph Pulitzer for control of New York's working class readership.
William Randolph Hearst as a youth
HEARSV_130725_023.JPG: Marriage and Family:
After succeeding in his circulation war with Joseph Pulitzer, WR Hearst expanded his chain of newspapers and entered politics. On April 28, 1903, just after he took his seat i Congress, he married Millicent Veronica Willson, a twenty-two year one dancer whom he had known for six years.
After a honeymoon trip to Europe, England, Mexico, and California, the Hearsts moved into WR's Lexington Avenue house in New York City. Their life was fast-paced and glamorous. On April 10, 1904, their first son, George Randolph, was born.
Needing space for their growing family and art collection, the Hearst moved to the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth floors of the Clarendon Apartments at 137 Riverside Drive. Maids, governesses, and bodyguards, as well as Millicent's family, lived with them. Their second son, William Randolph Jr. was born in 1908, followed by John Randolph in 1909 and the twins, David Whitmire (born Elbert Willson) and Randolph Apperson, in 1915.
WR Hearst, c 1890, three years after assuming proprietorship of San Francisco's Daily Examiner
HEARSV_130725_026.JPG: Mr. and Mrs. W.R. Hearst with three of their sons, (oldest to youngest) George, William Randolph Jr., and John Randolph.
HEARSV_130725_029.JPG: Visits to grandmother:
The birth of the Hearsts' first son in 1904 marked the beginning of a long friendship between Phoebe and Millicent Hearst. Phoebe introduced Millicent to society. By 1908, Millicent and the boys made regular visits to Phoebe's estate at Pleasanton. Phoebe Hearst delighted in her grandchildren, who stayed part of each year at Pleasanton and Wyntoon, benefitting from their grandmother's interest and involvement in their lives.
Millicent Willson Hearst
HEARSV_130725_033.JPG: Millicent Willson Hearst, philanthropist
Millicent Willson preferred New York to California: beginning in the late 1920s, she spent most of her time at "St. Joan," the Hearsts' antique-filled Sands Point, Long Island, estate. Devoting herself to philanthropy, she founded the Free Milk Fund for Babies and organized a clothing center for New York's needy families. In addition to supporting the Millicent W. Hearst Foundation and the New York Infirmary for Women and Children, she sponsored prize fights, tennis tournaments, and indoor rodeos to raise funds for other charities.
Millicent Hearst at a rally
HEARSV_130725_046.JPG: Millicent Willson Hearst
by Ben Ali Haggin
HEARSV_130725_052.JPG: Early History:
Under Spanish rule, the land around San Simeon was attached to the missions. After Mexico won its independence in 1822, the new government secularized the missions and divided the property into ranchos under the control of Mexican dons. Descendants of the dons still lived on the land when George Hearst arrived in the area. Beginning in 1865, he bought over 66,000 acres of land, including Rancho Piedra Blanca, Rancho San Simeon, and Rancho Santa Rosa.
HEARSV_130725_055.JPG: George Hearst's Ranch:
George Hearst hired the descendants of the earlier owners to work his land. Cattle, hogs, sheep, and horses were raised on his ranch.
In the 1860s San Simeon grew to be a flourishing town that served the area's successful ranches, cinnabar mines, and whaling industry. The remand for shipping facilities grew. In 1869 George Hearst built a commercial wharf, which he improved in 1878.
George Hearst brought his friends and, occasionally, his son to Camp Hill to hunt and fish. In 1878, he replaced his cabin with an eighteen-room Italianate Victorian house. After the wharf and house were completed, Phoebe Hearst visited San Simeon for the first time.
HEARSV_130725_058.JPG: Finding an architect to realize the dream:
Through his mother, WR Hearst met architect Julia Morgan. In 1919 he asked her to design a simple home for him on Camp Hill. Within a month, plans for a simple home had become plans for a mansion. Construction began within a year.
Julia Morgan was ideally suited for the commission. A perfectionist with a passion for quality and detail, she ran an efficient office. Her civil engineering background and experience with reinforced concrete enabled her to cope with the technical difficulties of the undertaking. Her training in Paris gave her the experience she needed to incorporate antiquities in the modern buildings. She was a versatile architect comfortable with different styles and mediums, qualified and willing to work with WR Hearst to give forma nd structure to his visions.
HEARSV_130725_062.JPG: User comment: W.R. Hearst at Camp Hill:
After his marriage in 1903, WR Hearst often vacationed at the ranch with his family. They camped in canvas tents that had four rooms and wooden doors. Domestic help had smaller quarters nearby. A large tent was up for dining, music, games and movies.
Following his defeat for governor of New York in 1906, Hearst began to dream of building on Camp Hill. In 1919, when he inherited the land from his mother, he began to acquire adjacent property and prepared to start construction.
This photo was from the Hearst Collection of Ron Chinitz, it was one of many objects either donated in original form or as a copy to the State of California Hearst Monument in the early 1980s. This one photo was displayed for a limited time then removed and along with the other donated memorabilia never to be seen again.
Signed;
Ron Chinitz
HEARSV_130725_065.JPG: Never finished but furnished:
Mr. Hearst furnished and occupied the guest houses and Casa Grande as soon as possible, even though construction was still underway. Beginning with A House in 1921, Miss Morgan combined antique furnishings and artwork with contemporary pieces to create comfortable, liveable spaces.
Mr. Hearst continued to expand and perfect La Cuesta Encantada until 1947, when ill health forced him to move to Beverly Hills. Works stopped shortly after he left. The hilltop today is as he left it, with some structures still unfinished.
HEARSV_130725_070.JPG: Residences:
Phoebe Hearst had several elaborate, art-filled homes, among which were Wyntoon and the Hacienda del Pozo de Verona.
In 1902 Mrs. Hearst became interested in building a home on land along the McCloud River near Mt. Shasta. She hired Bernard Maybeck, architect and University of California instructor, who developed the five-level, stone manor house called Wyntoon. Furnished with tapestries and other antiques, Wyntoon resembled a medieval castle and was used as a retreat by the Hearst family.
Soon after construction began at Wyntoon, Phoebe Hearst decided to remodel the Pleasanton ranch house bought by her husband and improved by her son. She hired architect Julia Morgan to supervise the renovation. The rambling house, named the "Hacienda del Pozo de Verona" after an Italian wellhead on the grounds, had balconies, patios, towers, bronze Spanish grille-work doors, and a music room that would hold 250 people. It was originally designed by AC Schweinfurth in the 1890s.
HEARSV_130725_076.JPG: Benefactor of the University of California:
The first female regent of the University of California, Phoebe Hearst was a generous contributor to its Berkeley campus. Her gifts included the George Hearst Memorial Mining Building and Hearst Hall, a social and athletic center for women. She subsidized archaeological expeditions, funded the establishment of a museum and a department of anthropology and sponsored an international competition to develop a comprehensive architectural plan for the university. She persuaded her son to give the university of Greek theater. When Hearst Hall burned in 1922, William Randolph Hearst funded construction of a new building and named it the Phoebe A. Hearst Memorial Gymnasium.
HEARSV_130725_079.JPG: Career:
After receiving her certificate in architecture and working as a draftsman for her instructor Bernard Chaussemiche, Julia Morgan returned to San Francisco. Hired by architect John Galen Howard, she worked on Hearst commissions for the Berkeley Campus' Mining Building and Greek Theater. By 1904 she had opened her own office in San Francisco.
As a result of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire, Julia Morgan's practice grew and she increased her staff. In addition to residential work, she designed institutional projects, often commissioned by women's groups. She remained active through the 1940s, designing houses and touring foreign countries. In the early 1950s she closed her San Francisco office and retired. She died in February 1957, at the age of eighty-five.
HEARSV_130725_081.JPG: Childhood and Education:
Born in San Francisco on January 20, 1872, Julia Morgan was the second of five children. Raised in Oakland, she studied civil engineering at the University of California, receiving her degree in 1894. Morgan became acquainted with architect Bernard Maybeck during her days at Berkeley. He was teaching descriptive geometry at the university and an informal class in architectural design at his home. Julia Morgan was one of Maybeck's students both on and off campus. At his suggestion, she went to France to study at the Ecole Nationale et Speciale des Beaux Arts. Within the year after admission, she advanced to the top class. In 1902, she became the first woman to receive a certificate in architecture from the Ecole.
HEARSV_130725_085.JPG: Julia Morgan, Architect:
In 1902, architect John Galen Howard was designing the George Hearst Memorial Mining Building at the University of California, Berkeley, for Phoebe Hearst. He assigned young architect Julia Morgan the task of preparing decorative details and elevations for the building. This began Julia Morgan's career, which included forty years of projects for the Hearst family.
HEARSV_130725_088.JPG: Philanthropist and hostess:
One of the great ladies of California, Phoebe Apperson Hearst used her enormous resources to benefit others. She was dedicated to environmental and educational philanthropy. Concentrating her efforts on charities that helped the immigrant poor and the working class better themselves, she supported free kindergartens, libraries, and universities. She funded the National Cathedral School for Girls in Washington DC, and was co-founder of the organization now known as the PTA. Her generosity extended from building schools in mining camps to contributing to the restoration of George Washington's home in Mount Vernon, Virginia. She gave money for the YWCA Asilmar conference grounds and buildings.
Phoebe Hearst combined her philanthropic efforts with lavish entertaining in her art-filled homes. She entertained Berkeley's entire senior class each spring and held frequent gatherings of dignitaries and talented people . In addition, she often held concerts, receptions, teas, and dinners at Hearst Hall on the Berkeley campus.
HEARSV_130725_092.JPG: Phoebe Apperson Hearst (1842-1919)
Phoebe Apperson was born in Missouri, the only child of a prosperous farm family. Educated at home and in private schools, she had a great zest for learning. At 19, after teaching school for a short time, she eloped to marry George Hearst, who at 41 had just struck it rich on the Comstock Lode. George and Phoebe Hearst left Missouri for California in September, 1862. Their only child, William Randolph, was born in San Francisco on April 29, 1863. Often left alone while her husband pursued his mining ventures and investments, Phoebe occupied herself with her son, his education, and her own self-improvement. She loved to travel. In 1873, she took her ten-year-old son to Europe. During their stay, she bought art and antiques, instilling in the boy a love of art and a passion for collecting.
As her son grew older, Phoebe Hearst turned her attention to art collecting, entertaining, and philanthropy. When her husband entered the United States Senate, she accompanied him to Washington. In 1891 at the age of 48, she inherited her husband's fortune, approximately 18 million dollars, and eventually moved back to California to administer the family estate. She continued to give generously of her time and money until she died in 1919, a victim of the worldwide influenza epidemic.
HEARSV_130725_098.JPG: Real estate holdings and mines:
Blesses with excellent judgment and incredible luck, George Hearst, along with his partners, James B. Haggin and Lloyd Tevis, built a mining empire that stretched from the western United States, through Mexico, to Peru. His holdings included controlling interests in the Ontario, Ruby Consolidated, Homestake, and Anaconda mines. As his fortune grew he invested in land, acquiring thousands of acres in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.
George Hearst's business practices served him well. He never paid more for a mine than the value of the known ore. He treated his employees well, but took advantage of his competitors' financial troubles to obtain property and claims. His son, William Randolph, used similar tactics to build his publishing empire.
The Gould and Curry mine on the Comstock Lode. George Hearst bought into this claim in 1860 with profits he realized from the Orphir, the first great silver discovery on the Comstock Lode.
HEARSV_130725_103.JPG: George Hearst (1820-1891)
George Hearst was born in Franklin County, Missouri, to a successful farm family. When he was young, he learned the fundamentals of geology and mining, then began to develop lead and copper claims. He pursued these profitable mining ventures until 1850, when he headed for California in search of gold.
Ten years after arriving on the West Coast, George Hearst struck silver on the Comstock Lode and returned to Missouri a rich man. While there, he became reacquainted with his neighbor Phoebe Apperson and married her on June 15, 1862. He and his wife then moved to San Francisco where their son William Randolph was born.
George Hearst's businesses and investments prospered. A reserved, rough, amiable man, he turned his attention to politics and public affairs. He contributed heavily to the Democratic Party and was elected to the California State Assembly in 1865. In 1880, he acquired San Francisco's Daily Examiner, the city's Democratic voice. He was defeated in his bid for the governorship of California in 1882. Four years later he was appointed by Governor George Stoneman to fill a vacancy in the United States Senate. He was elected for a full term in 1887 and served until his death at age 71.
HEARSV_130725_108.JPG: Mr. Hearst and Miss Morgan:
In 1919, William Randolph Hearst and Julia Morgan embarked on a remarkable collaboration that would last over thirty years and result in the design and construction of La Cuesta Encantada. Throughout this time they addressed each other formally as Mr. Hearst and Miss Morgan.
A demanding client, Mr. Hearst involved himself with every aspect of the work, from selecting the style of the buildings to directing the landscaping and resolving labor difficulties. Miss Morgan worked both at her office and on-site, consulting Mr. Hearst regularly in person or by mail, suggesting options for his consideration, and carrying out his directives.
Mr. Hearst made suggestions, Miss Morgan drew up plans, Mr. Hearst commented and suggested changes, Miss Morgan redrew the plans. This process continued until Mr. Hearst approved the scheme and building started. If, during or after construction, he had a better idea or changed his mind, he ordered Miss Morgan to demolish and rebuild. In this manner, his changing plans took shape.
HEARSV_130725_117.JPG: Influences:
Throughout design and construction, Mr. Hearst modified and adjusted his vision of what he wanted. His initial inspiration came from the Spanish-colonial architecture of the buildings erected for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco and the 1915-1916 Panama California Exposition in San Diego. In selecting materials, he directed Miss Morgan to consider resistance to damage by earthquake and fire.
Books, magazines, photographs, European trips, and the impressions of his guests provided fresh insights and new ideas as the project progressed. The tapestries furniture, sculpture, art, fireplace mantels, ceilings, and other architectural elements that he bought suggested new approaches and forms for the buildings and their decoration.
HEARSV_130725_120.JPG: Miss Morgan's responsibilities:
As architect, Miss Morgan supervised the entire project, from building design and construction to landscaping and garden architecture to interior decoration. She handled the funds and keep track of the details of the project. Frequently on-site, she examined plans, climbed scaffolding, checked craftsmanship, and resolved problems. Miss Morgan hired contractors, construction crews, and household staff and coordinated supplies, laborers, and jobs. She even advised Mr. Hearst on the purchase and use of antiques, both as furnishings and as architectural components.
HEARSV_130725_144.JPG: Woodcutting tools, including a variety of gouges, a wooden mallet, and a whetstone. Used by Arthur Kefed during construction at San Simeon.
HEARSV_130725_150.JPG: Commissioned pieces:
Mr. Hearst commissioned the production of objects specifically for use at La Cuesta Encantada. For example, he commissioned French sculptor Charles Cassou to carve the Carrara marble sculptures located around the Neptune Pool. In another instance, he directed Miss Morgan to design lamp standards and globes, which were produced from Italian marble and alabaster.
HEARSV_130725_154.JPG: Charles Cassou standing with his sculptures from the Birth of Venus grouping
HEARSV_130725_156.JPG: Model of Charles Cassou's Neptune grouping. The statues were intended for an alcove in the Neptune Pool. Shipped from Paris, they were stored for a time in Mr. Hearst's New York warehouses but never installed at San Simeon.
HEARSV_130725_159.JPG: Cast concrete and plaster reproductions:
During construction, the molding shop on the hill supplied cast concrete and plaster items for use on the buildings and grounds. Workers made molds from both antiquities and contemporary models sculpted by craftsmen such as Theodore and John Van der Loo. The molds were then used to turn out multiple copies of lions, Hermes heads, balustrades, ceiling elements, arches, and other decorative and architectural details.
HEARSV_130725_166.JPG: Cast concrete lions and Hermes heads lined up in the molding shop
HEARSV_130725_168.JPG: Moving large live oak trees:
Mr. Hearst decreed that none of the large live oak trees on the property were to be destroyed. If they interfered with construction, they were moved.
Workers dug a trench around the tree roots and filled it with concrete, enclosing the roots. They then dug underneath, freeing the tree so they could jack it up, place it on rollers, and move it to the new site. After repositioning, they broke away the concrete and replanted the tree. One tree, moved in October 1926, required a concrete wall ten inches thick, eight feet deep, and thirty feet in diameter. The wall, tree, and dirt that were moved weighed approximately six hundred tons.
HEARSV_130725_172.JPG: Gardens and plantings
Mr. Hearst was knowledgeable about plants and keenly interested in the landscaping of the barren, rocky hillside. He and Miss Morgan designed informal gardens to complement the buildings, then arranged for topsoil and water to be hauled up the hill and put in place. Not willing to wait for small trees to grow, Mr. Hearst ordered that the largest ones available be transported and planted,
After the basic scheme was in place, Mr. Hearst directed the selection and placement of the plants. The gardens and adjourning hills soon bloomed with rose bushes, fruit trees, nut trees, grapes, and berry vines. Not yet content, Mr. Hearst expanded the landscaping efforts, adding forests of conifers above the garages, on Reservoir Hill, and along the winding road to the hilltop.
Photograph of early construction. The landscape design and structures were planned and executed simultaneously. This photograph shows the large palm trees in place before the facade of Casa Grande was finished.
HEARSV_130725_175.JPG: Zoo and game preserve:
Mr. Hearst created one of the largest private zoos and game preserves in the world. The hilltop zoo housed thirty species of carnivores and jungle animals. Seventy species of grazing animals roamed two thousand acres, enclosed by an eight-foot high, ten-mile long fence. Within this area, the animals had the right of way when crossing the road. Rustic log shelters and feeding stations, located next to the roadway, were designed by Miss Morgan for the care of the animals and the delight of Mr. Hearst's visitors.
HEARSV_130725_180.JPG: Zoo
HEARSV_130725_183.JPG: While WR Hearst was at Harvard, he began to buy rare books. Over the years, his desire to acquire possessions grew. He became a sophisticated, enthusiastic collector, purchasing art and antiquities through dealers, agents, auctions, and catalogs. He had definite ideas about what he wanted and did not mind overpaying to get it.
By the time he was thirty, his diverse collecting interests included British and Continental ceramics; furniture; English period panel rooms; English silver; Egyptian mummies and other antiquities; and paintings by Rembrandt, Hals, Van Dyck, and Reynolds. He furnished his home with his treasures and filled two five-story New York warehouses with the surplus.
After 1919, he became more engrosses in his project at San Simeon. The focus of his collecting shifted to Spanish and Italian objects of the Gothic and Renaissance periods, which he used to furnish his castle on the hill.
HEARSV_130725_186.JPG: W.R. Hearst had his mother's love for history, art, and fine craftsmanship. She introduced him to Europe and antiques during a trip in 1873, when he was ten years old. It was on this trip that he bought his first porcelains and assembled collections of stamps, coins, pictures of actors and actresses, beer steins, and comic pictures from Germany.
HEARSV_130725_192.JPG: Construction techniques:
Mr. Hearst and Miss Morgan planned and created the buildings and their surroundings simultaneously, forming a harmonious whole. The gardens, zoo, and game preserve complemented the structures, turning the rocky hilltop into a verdant retreat.
Reinforced concrete:
The buildings on the hill were constructed of reinforced concrete, often faced with wood, stone, or plaster. An ideal building material for the project, reinforced concrete consists of concrete poured around steel reinforcing bars (rebar). Developed by the French, it had been used in California since the 1890s. Valued for its ability to withstand earthquake and fire, it was especially suitable for the popular Mediterranean Revival style architecture.
Sand and gravel from the site were used to make the concrete. Once it was mixed, laborers loaded it into wheelbarrows, hauled it along the scaffolding, and dumped it between form boards around reinforcing rods. Completing a wall by this method was a long and arduous process that was sometimes interrupted by bad weather.
Camille C. Rossi, superintendent of construction from 1922 to 1932. Rossi is credited with many of the improvements at the hilltop, including the moving of two oak trees and the construction of Casa Grande and the first two outdoor pools.
HEARSV_130725_195.JPG: The unfinished back section of Casa Grande.
Note the form board impressions and wire left from the building construction.
Pouring concrete
Positioning rebar
HEARSV_130725_198.JPG: Earthmoving:
Steam shovel and truck grading the hill for the walks and terraces. Steam shovels, dynamite, picks and shovels, and horse-drawn Fresno scrapers were used to terrace and grade the hill.
HEARSV_130725_202.JPG: Fitting in antiquities:
Ceilings, fireplaces, door frames, window frames, tile work, columns, and other architectural antiquities were acquired by Mr. Hearst and fitted into the structures by Miss Morgan. This was a formidable challenge as the pieces were often quite heavy and not of standard size.
HEARSV_130725_205.JPG: Ceilings:
Photograph of cable from Mr. Hearst to Miss Morgan, July 11, 1930
Can you use advantageously fifteenth century Gothic ceiling seven meters long five meters wide?
Many antique ceilings were used throughout the buildings. Either cut or expanded to fit the rooms, the ceilings were usually suspended with twelve gauge wire wrapped in plaster-soaked hemp. This was looped over cross-beams that were part of the building structure.
Pediment of the Neptune Pool Temple and statue of Neptune and his Nereids.
Mr. Hearst did not hesitate to alter antiques to fit his needs. In this example, he added antique Italian statues of Neptune and his Nereids to the pediment of the third or fourth century Roman Temple to create the desired effect.
HEARSV_130725_207.JPG: Antique Italian statues before installation in the Temple pediment
HEARSV_130725_210.JPG: Venetian marble balcony fitted into the mezzanine level of Casa Grande. It is the centerpiece of the Doge's Suite, named for its similarity to the Doge's Palace in Venice.
HEARSV_130725_215.JPG: Summary of design and construction:
Construction on Camp Hill began in 1919 and continued until William Randolph Hearst left San Simeon in 1947. Working with his architect, Julia Morgan, Mr. Hearst constantly changed and expanded the project. Never entirely satisfied, he reworked completed areas to bring them closer to his ever-changing vision. Under his direction, the design, construction, and revisions of the main building (Casa Grande), the guest houses (A, B, and C Houses), the Neptune and Roman pools, the grounds (esplanade, terraces, plantings, zoo, and game preserve), and the auxiliary structures proceeded simultaneously, resulting in the transformation of Camp Hill to La Cuesta Encantada (The Enchanted Hill).
HEARSV_130725_219.JPG: Tile:
Antique and contemporary tiles were incorporated into the buildings, terraces, walkways, and fountains. Sixteenth and seventeenth century Persian tiles grace the Billiard Room. New designs were conceived by Miss Morgan's employees and produced under her direction.
HEARSV_130725_226.JPG: Metalworking:
Decorative metalwork is found throughout La Cuesta Encantada. Craftsmen such as Edward P. Trinkeller and Valentine Georges produced railings, door grilles, door pulls, and screens to Miss Morgan's specifications.
HEARSV_130725_230.JPG: Woodcarving:
Miss Morgan hired master woodcarvers to produce elaborate ornamental details for the buildings. One of these was Jules Suppo, who worked in his San Francisco studio to produce the carved exterior panels surrounding the eaves of Casa Grande.
HEARSV_130725_234.JPG: Disposition of the Collections:
WR Hearst spent money freely on his art collection and properties. If he needed money, his holding companies borrowed it. By June of 1937, the worldwide Depression had caught up to him. His corporations were $126 million in debt. To avoid bankruptcy, he gave financial control of his holdings to Manhattan attorney Clarence Shearn and a board of trustees.
In order to raise cash, Shearn began to sell some of Hearst's huge collections. Much of the art, including the silver from St. Donat's castle, was auctioned or sold privately. In 1941, items from the Hearst collections went on sale on the fifth floor of Gimbel Brothers department store in Manhattan, while Sakes Fifth Avenue handled the paintings. The sale was a sensation.
Shearn also disposed of much of Hearst's unprofitable property, including Hidden Valley Ranch, most of the Manhattan real estate, and 164,000 acres of the San Simeon ranch.
By 1945 the crisis was over and the enterprises were profitable again. Hearst continued to reduce his holdings and made several donations to museums. After his death, the remaining items in the warehouses were either sold, donates, or kept by the family.
HEARSV_130725_237.JPG: Paintings:
Although the paintings at San Simeon are only a portion of the collection Hearst amasses, they represent the range of his painting collection. Most are European and date from the Renaissance period. Since much of the art produced during that time was for the church, many of the works have religious or allegorical themes.
HEARSV_130725_240.JPG: Furniture:
Hearst collected antique furniture for use in his homes. The rooms at San Simeon featured many small pieces, such as lecterns, chairs, and cupboards. Church choir stalls were used to panel the walls of the Refectory. Beside these southern European Renaissance pieces, Hearst collected portable writing chests and other items in the Mudejar style of Moorish Spain.
HEARSV_130725_244.JPG: Silver:
Hearst's extensive collection of silver objects originated from England, Spain, Italy, Germany, and France. Much of the silver collection was used at another Hearst estate, St. Donat's in Wales, but many decorative pieces were used and displayed at San Simeon.
HEARSV_130725_249.JPG: Collecting for San Simeon:
Purchase:
WR Hearst enjoyed discovering and selecting items for purchase. He browsed through advertisements and catalogs and considered photographs of available items sent to him by dealers. He dealt with agents in Europe, such as Arthur Byne and Mildred Stapley Byne, for the purchase of ceilings and other large-scale pieces.
Once Hearst decided to acquire an item, he often sent an agent to make the purchase. Julia Morgan, his architect, or Joseph Willicombe, his secretary, assisted with these transactions. They also had the job of interceding with him on behalf of the dealers for money to pay the bills, as Hearst's accounts were chronically overdue.
HEARSV_130725_253.JPG: Shipping and Storage:
Furniture, architectural elements, animals, and art objects of all kinds arrived on the west coast by ship and train. Most shipments made an interim stop in New York; others came directly. Hearst warehouses in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco and at the Pleasanton estate stored the collections. Items requested for La Cuesta Encantada were shipped to the San Simeon Village warehouses, cataloged, and stored until needed on the hill.
HEARSV_130725_255.JPG: Packing crates and furniture in a San Simeon
HEARSV_130725_262.JPG: Animals:
Hearst amassed one of the largest private zoos and game preserves in the world. Bison, musk oxen, elk, antelope, giraffes, and camels roamed freely over the ranch lands. The elephant Marianne lived on the grounds near Casa Grande. The grottos held polar bears, lions, tigers, leopards, chimpanzees, and other wild animals.
HEARSV_130725_265.JPG: Sculpture:
The sculpture collection at San Simeon dates from 3500 BC to the twentieth century. In the gardens, antiquities from Egypt and the Roman Empire stand next to nineteenth century reproductions. Inside, Gothic and Renaissance wood sculptures are used throughout, especially in the Gothic Suite. Nineteenth century, neoclassic pieces by Gerome, Thorvaldsen, and Canova are located in the Assembly Room.
HEARSV_130725_268.JPG: Architectural elements:
Hearst and Morgan liked to use authentic architectural details whenever possible, incorporating antique columns, doorways, fireplace mantels, and ceilings in the buildings. They imported many Gothic and Renaissance ceilings from Spain, working through art dealer Arthur Byne.
Hearst acquired whole buildings when they were available, such as the monasteries of Sacramenia and Santa Maria de Ovila.
HEARSV_130725_276.JPG: Ceramics:
Once numbering more than four hundred, Greek pots constituted one of Hearst's most important collections. One hundred fifty-five pots decorate the Main Library. Renaissance ceramics include majolica and works from the della Robbia family workshop. Persian tiles and ceramics from the twelfth to seventeenth centuries were also collected, as were eighteenth century British Staffordshire and French Sevres. The collection also includes Art Deco pieces of the 1920s and 1930s.
HEARSV_130725_279.JPG: Tapestries and other textiles:
Hearst collected many types of textiles for use in the interiors of his homes. He was particularly found of tapestries. They are well represented at San Simeon, spanning the development of tapestry making, from the Gothic period to the eighteenth century.
Many other kinds of textiles decorate the rooms. Religious banners and vestments hang on walls or are draped across chests of drawers. The rug collection represents all of the major rug producing regions of the Middle East.
HEARSV_130725_288.JPG: Private chapels were a showcase for devotional art in many great houses.
Although there is no chapel at Hearst Castle, there is a wealth of religious art.
* Rosary altar triptych, Italian, 14th century.
* Prie-dieu, or kneeling cabinet, Italian, 16th century.
* Brass candlesticks, Italian, 16th century.
* Persian carpet, Bokhara, c 1871.
HEARSV_130725_290.JPG: Roman mosaic panel, 3rd century, AD. This marble and glass piece was excavated in 1897 in Hadrumetum (Tunisia).
HEARSV_130725_296.JPG: Hearst Publications building, New York
HEARSV_130725_297.JPG: St. Donat's, Wales, 1935
HEARSV_130725_299.JPG: Milpitas Hacienda, Jolon, California
HEARSV_130725_303.JPG: Angel House and Fairy House at Wyntoon
HEARSV_130725_304.JPG: Estate at Sands Point, Long Island
HEARSV_130725_307.JPG: Property:
Hearst inherited his appetite for real estate from his father, who began purchasing land in California as early as 1865. WR Hearst once owned personal property in at least seven states: California, New York, Texas, Florida, New Mexico, Arizona, and South Dakota. He also possessed more than 1.5 million acres in Mexico and a castle, St. Donat's in Wales. Through the Hearst Corporation, he controlled many commercial properties throughout the United States.
His native state of California continued to be his primary residence. While in California, he spent most of the time at either Wyntoon and his San Simeon ranch.
HEARSV_130725_314.JPG: "The Chief Says..."
W.R. Hearst's Management Style:
WR Hearst took great interest in the day-to-day operation of all his enterprises, from his newspapers to his film productions. His employees referred to him as "The Chief," a good description of his involvement. He often issued orders through his secretary, Col. Joseph Willicombe, who let the staff know that "The Chief says..." or "The Chief thinks..." or "The Chief would like you to..."
The Chief hired talented people, luring them away from his competitors with fantastic salaries. He provided them with the best, most up-to-date equipment and treated them well. In return, he insisted that their work satisfy him and support his ideals, opinions, and other ventures.
Command Center at San Simeon:
From 1925 until 1947, WR Hearst frequently ran his communications empire from his headquarters at San Simeon. Using telephones, teletypes, shortwave radios, telegrams, and the mail, he kept track of his enterprises and sent instructions to his employees and agents. Many of his famous editorials were written in the Gothic Study and transmitted to his papers for simultaneous publication. Some of his employees were frequent visitors. By 1927 he had an airfield built to facilitate transportation into and out of San Simeon and improve his contact with the outside world.
HEARSV_130725_317.JPG: W.R. Hearst's Communications Empire
Starting with one newspaper in 1887, WR Hearst expanded his holdings until he commanded the country's largest publishing operation. By 1935, the Hearst empire encompassed twenty-six daily newspapers, a features syndicate, thirteen magazines, eight radio stations, several news services, and newsreel and motion picture production companies. This empire afforded Hearst a forum he used to promote his beliefs, crusade for reform, and influence the country's policies.
1887-1899:
In 1887, WR Hearst assumed control of San Francisco's Daily Examiner. He transformed the content and appearance of the paper; circulation doubled in two years. From the beginning he used his paper as a forum to express his views and fight injustice. In 1895, he moved to New York, bought the Morning Journal, and entered into a circulation war with Joseph Pulitzer's New York World. By 1899, the Journal's circulation reached 1,250,000. WR Hearst was ready to expand his empire.
HEARSV_130725_322.JPG: 1900-1937:
In 1900, WR Hearst started a newspaper in Chicago. In the years that followed, he added papers in cities such as Los Angeles, Boston, Atlanta, Washington, Detroit, and Baltimore. Not satisfied with a chain of newspapers, he acquired or established magazines, radio stations, King Features Syndicate, International News Service, Metrotone News, and Cosmopolitan Productions. He entered politics, initially serving as a candidate and later working behind the scenes. In 1935, the power of his empire was at its peak; Hearst used it to publicize his causes and make known his beliefs.
HEARSV_130725_325.JPG: 1937-1945:
The worldwide Depression caught up to WR Hearst in 1937. His corporations were $126 million in debt; he was on the verge of bankruptcy. He turned over control of his empire to Manhattan attorney Clarence Shearn and a board of trustees, allowing them to do whatever was necessary to save his newspapers. Shearn reduced the empire forty percent by selling radio stations, ranch lands, New York real estate, and Cosmopolitan Productions. He managed to save all but a few of the newspapers.
HEARSV_130725_327.JPG: 1945-1951:
By 1945, the crisis was over and the enterprises were profitable again. The Hearst empire still boasted sixteen major city newspapers, as well as radio stations, magazines, King Features Syndicate, the International News Service, and Metrotone News. WR Hearst regained a measure of control, using his editorial power to speak out on the issues. At his death in 1951, his $160 million empire was still the largest publishing operation in the United States.
HEARSV_130725_335.JPG: Hearst's International, January 1924
Hearst's International merged with Cosmopolitan in 1925.
HEARSV_130725_337.JPG: Good Housekeeping
June 1937
HEARSV_130725_342.JPG: Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse
Movie Makers
HEARSV_130725_345.JPG: Canyon Kiddies
by James Swinnerton
HEARSV_130725_347.JPG: Hearst Enterprises Entertain the Nation:
From his earliest days as publisher of the San Francisco Daily Examiner, WR Hearst appreciated the value of entertainment in his enterprises. With his magazines, serials, and feature films, he could concentrate his full energy on providing entertainment for the masses.
Hearst Magazines Read by Millions:
WR Hearst published his first magazine. The American Weekly, in 1896 during his circulation battle with Joseph Pulitzer. A Sunday supplement, the magazine was included in Hearst-owned and other newspapers. It became the most profitable and widely distributed of his magazines.
Motor, started in 1903, was Hearst's first magazine to be independently distributed. He modeled it on a British car magazine he saw on one of his European tours. Other magazines he acquired aimed at specific audiences included Motor Boating, for power boat enthusiasts; Connoisseur, dealing with antiques; Orchard and Farm, concerned with agriculture; and American Druggist.
Hearst bought several well-known publications, including Harper's Bazaar, Good Housekeeping, and Cosmopolitan, which he operated profitable. The features, directed primarily at women, included serial stories, short stories, and articles about movie stars. He acquired two failing magazines, Pictorial Review and Puck, which he sold after unsuccessful attempts to revive them.
HEARSV_130725_351.JPG: Hearst's Magazine, July 1913
Hearts's Magazine eventually became Hearst's International
Cosmopolitan, July 1932
HEARSV_130725_353.JPG: Cosmopolitan, November 1922
HEARSV_130725_357.JPG: Serial stories a hit with the public:
In the early 20th century, newspapers and magazines printed serial stories with a new episode in every issue. In 1913, in response to competition by Hearst's American, the Chicago Tribune produced a film serial based on a serial story it carried. W.R. Hearst seized the idea. In March 1914, his The Perils of Pauline opened in New York City. Starring Pearl White in a story much like the ones in the Hearst Sunday supplements, Pauline enjoyed immediate popularity. The plot involved romance, intrigue, an inheritance, pirates, gypsies, racing cars, an airship race, and other equally daring adventures.
Encouraged by the success of his first venture, WR Hearst produced The Exploits of Elaine, based on a story in his Cosmopolitan magazine. At 36 episodes, it was the longest serial ever made. The Mysteries of Myra, The Seven Pearls, The Goddess, Beatrice Fairfax, and Patria followed. By 1917, as the public lost interest in serials, WR Hearst turned his attention to feature films.
HEARSV_130725_359.JPG: W.R. Hearst Produces Feature Films:
When WR Hearst decided to make full-length motion pictures, he started his own production company. He called it International Films, renaming it Cosmopolitan Productions in 1918.
As with his other enterprises, Hearst took charge of his new venture personally and spared no expense. He bought the Harlem River Park Casino and filled it with movie-making equipment. After recruiting some of the best directors, set designers, and photographers with generous salary offers, he irritated them by getting involved with the details of production. He tried his hand at everything -- directing, designing, editing, and script rewriting. As his ideas changed, he changed the direction of his films, resulting in many financial hardships.
As work at San Simeon progressed, Hearst spent more and more time in California. In 1925, he had moved Cosmopolitan Productions from New York to Hollywood. He entered into an agreement with Louis B Mayer, head of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, whereby MGM would finance Cosmopolitan Productions and the Hearst newspapers would publicize MGM's films. The arrangement lasted for ten years. Cosmopolitan Productions then moved to Warner Brothers and Twentieth Century Fox before making its last film in 1939.
Hearst's New York City film studios at 127th Street and 2nd Avenue. The building is identified as both International Film Studios and Cosmopolitan Productions.
HEARSV_130725_362.JPG: MGM executive Nicholas Schenck, director Sidney Franklin, Marion Davies, and WR Hearst
HEARSV_130725_365.JPG: Virtue Triumphs in Hearst Films -- Box Office Results Mixed:
WR Hearst's movies always received rave notices and plenty of publicity from his newspapers. Critical reviews and box office results were less consistent.
The pictures themselves were realistic and at the forefront of technology. Hearst was one of the first to use technicolor and to do a musical. Historically accurate costume epics were his particular favorites. These had elaborate sets adorned with antique art and furniture drawn from his massive collections.
Hearst saw to it that his films, unlike his newspapers, had high moral standards: some of them were almost puritanical. The themes often portrayed his own beliefs. Honesty and virtue triumphed in his films.
HEARSV_130725_368.JPG: When Knighthood Was In Flower, 1922. Marion Davies (center), Lyn Harding (right)
HEARSV_130725_370.JPG: When Knighthood Was In Flower, 1922
Theater marquee
HEARSV_130725_377.JPG: The American Weekly, Feb 17, 1935
HEARSV_130725_381.JPG: Harper's Bazaar, February 1941
HEARSV_130725_383.JPG: Motor, March 1931
HEARSV_130725_386.JPG: Motor, June 1931
HEARSV_130725_389.JPG: Good Housekeeping, February 1951
HEARSV_130725_393.JPG: Cosmopolitan, February 1951
HEARSV_130725_396.JPG: Motor Boating, May 1930
HEARSV_130725_399.JPG: Motor Boating, February 1933
HEARSV_130725_402.JPG: The Hollywood Revue of 1929
Director Reisner and the Mawbry sisters
The Hollywood Revue of 1929
HEARSV_130725_405.JPG: Cain and Mabel, 1936. Marion Davies, Clark Gable
HEARSV_130725_408.JPG: Cecilia of the Pink Roses, 1918.
This was Marion Davies' first film for Cosmopolitan Productions
HEARSV_130725_411.JPG: The Patsy, 1928
Left to right: Jane Winton, Marion Davies, Marie Stessler, Dell Henderson
HEARSV_130725_415.JPG: The Hollywood Revue of 1929.
In front, left to right, Jack Benny, Karl Dane, George K. Arthur
HEARSV_130725_418.JPG: Blondie of the Follies, 1932
Billie Dove learning on car, Marion Davies on steps
HEARSV_130725_422.JPG: Blondie of the Follies, 1932.
Marion Davies (left), Billie Dove (right)
HEARSV_130725_424.JPG: W.R. Hearst Pro-American Supports Freedom for the Individual:
WR Hearst loved America. All his life, he used the full power of his empire to influence public policy according to his beliefs.
Individual freedom: WR Hearst believed in Jeffersonian democracy, opportunity for all, popular education, and freedom of religion. He supported establishment of an 8-hour work day and creation of a Department of Labor.
Control of monopolies: WR Hearst fought for the working people against trusts and big businesses. In San Francisco, he forced cable car companies to put fenders over dangerous equipment. He called for lower water rates and rail fares. He criticized President William McKinley as a tool of the trusts.
Government reform: WR Hearst crusaded against Tammany Hall and Boss Murphy in New York City. He opposed corrupt municipal franchises in San Francisco and supported federal operation of parcel post, telegraph, and railroads. He wanted popular elections of United States Senators and a limit placed on the use of money in campaigns.
"America First": In foreign affairs, WR Hearst was pro-American; his views of other countries were shaped by his ideas of America's best interest. He advocated preparedness and the strengthening of the Navy. After the Spanish-American war, he became a pacifist; but once wars were declared, he supported the country.
HEARSV_130725_426.JPG: W.R. Hearst uses the power of his presses to influence public policy:
From his earliest days as a publisher, WR Hearst used his newspapers as a forum to express his views and crusade against corruption.
He first took on the trusts at the San Francisco Daily Examiner. The paper printed cartoons, editorials, and news articles condemning the practices of the Southern Pacific Railroad. When he went to New York, he used these weapons to promote the Spanish-American War and speak out against Tammany Hall and President McKinley.
As his publishing empire grew, Hearst wrote editorials that often appeared simultaneously in several papers. These editorials, combined with articles and cartoons, gave him the power to support candidates, oppose the trusts, speak out on foreign affairs, and propose remedies for the Depression.
HEARSV_130725_429.JPG: W.R. Hearst Enters Politics, Runs for Office and Works Behind-the-Scenes
WR Hearst was not satisfied to try to influence public policy through the power of his presses. He entered politics directly, both as a candidate and as an advisor.
Hearst ran for office several times. Backed by the Democratic Party, he was elected to Congress (1902-1906) as a Representative from New York City.
He also worked behind-the-scenes, influencing the nominees and platforms of the Democratic and Republican parties. When he became dissatisfied with both parties, he formed his own, the Independence League.
He used every means at his disposal to support his political causes. In 1900, he established a paper in Chicago to support the Democratic candidate for president, William Jennings Bryan. In 1906, he started Farm and Home in New York to promote his campaign for governor.
HEARSV_130725_432.JPG: Politician:
Tape recording of W.R. Hearst speaking over the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) radio from Los Angeles, California, February 18, 1939.
In this speech, "What is America's Foreign Policy," Hearst refers to President Franklin Roosevelt and Secretary of State Cordell Hull. In the growing climate of worldwide hostility that preceded World War II, Hearst advocated nonintervention into the affairs of foreign nations. He believed that American would not come under attack so long as the government maintained a policy of neutrality and isolation.
HEARSV_130725_435.JPG: W.R. Hearst speaks to the nation, puts his ideals on the screen:
Later in his life, WR Hearst used every opportunity to counsel the country he loved. He overcame his dislike of public speaking and made radio addresses on issues of importance.
He portrayed his ideals on the screen with several films that had military and political themes. In the serial Patria in 1917, Hearst warned America to be careful of Japan and Mexico. The film sparked quite a furor, prompting Hearst to honor a request of President Wilson to edit out some of the more offensive scenes.
In 1933 the film Gabriel Over the White House showed Hearst's beliefs put into effect by a sympathetic president; Oil for the Lamps of China portrayed his anti-trust sentiments. Four films produced in the late 1930s (Devil Dogs on the Air, Shipmates Forever, Submarine D-1, and Wings of the Navy) advocated preparedness and were pro-American and pro-military. Young Mr. Lincoln, made in 1939, starred Henry Fonda and was Cosmopolitan Productions' last film.
HEARSV_130725_441.JPG: Examiner, Sunday, December 6, 1896
HEARSV_130725_444.JPG: W.R. Hearst Runs Again:
Representing the Democratic Party or his own Independence League, WR Hearst was an active candidate for the following:
* the House of Representatives from New York City's 11th Congressional District, 1902. Elected
* the Democratic nomination for President, 1904
* the House of Representatives from New York City's 11th Congressional District, 1904. Elected
* Mayor of New York City, 1905
* Governor of New York, 1906
* Mayor of New York City, 1909
After 1909, Hearst continued to give serious consideration to becoming a candidate for various offices.
HEARSV_130725_449.JPG: W.R. Hearst Hires Talented Actors, Actresses, Producers, and Directors:
Actors: Lionel Barrymore, Johnny Mack Brown, Harrison Ford, Norman Kerry, Matt Moore, Conrad Nagel, Forrest Stanley, Dick Powell, WC Fields, Clark Gable, Leslie Howard, Robert Montgomery, Errol Flynn, James Cagney, William Powell, Pat O'Brien, Gary Cooper, Paul Muni, Henry Fonda, Bing Crosby, James Stewart
Actresses: Pearl White, Irene Castle, Patsy Kelly, Polly Moran, Seena Owen, Alma Rubens, Marion Davies, Marie Dressler, Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Myrna Loy, Jean Harlow
Producers: Robert Z. Leonard, Frank Borzage
Directors: King Vidor, Lloyd Bacon, John Ford, Howard Hawks
HEARSV_130725_455.JPG: Men in White, 1934
Clark Gable and Myrna Loy
HEARSV_130725_458.JPG: Young Mr. Lincoln, 1939
Henry Fonda
HEARSV_130725_460.JPG: Our Dancing Daughters
Anita Page, Joan Crawford, and Dorothy Sebastian posing during filming
HEARSV_130725_463.JPG: Peg O' My Heart
Marion Davies
HEARSV_130725_466.JPG: Going Hollywood, 1934
Bing Crosby, Marion Davies
HEARSV_130725_469.JPG: Show People, 1929
Left to right: Dell Henderson, Marion Davies, director King Vidor
HEARSV_130725_471.JPG: Little Old New York, 1923
Marion Davies, JM Kerrigan
HEARSV_130725_475.JPG: Tillie the Toiler:
WR Hearst used his comic strip characters to full advantage. "Tillie the Toiler" first caught the public's fancy as a comic strip. By 1924, the Hearst papers used its characters to provide favorable review of Hearst motion picture productions. In 1927, "Tillie" itself became a movie, starring Marion Davies in the title role.
HEARSV_130725_478.JPG: "Tillie the Toiler", by Russ Westover, June 26, 1927
HEARSV_130725_484.JPG: Tillie the Toiler, 1927
Marion Davies (left), cartoon character "Mac" (right)
HEARSV_130725_491.JPG: W.R. Hearst Delivers the News:
WR Hearst was first and foremost a newspaper man. Starting with one paper, he built a powerful publishing empire and influenced the content and appearance of the reported news in ways that are still felt today. He was quick to adopt new technologies to get the news to the people. One of the first to use color presses, he lead in the establishment of news services and newsreels.
HEARSV_130725_495.JPG: The Daily Examiner, March 4, 1887
First issue with W.R. Hearst as proprietor
HEARSV_130725_497.JPG: Yellow journalism takes New York by storm, W.R. Hearst perfects techniques developed by Pulitzer and others:
* Emphasize the sensational
* Elaborate on the facts
* Manufacture the news
* Use games and contests to sell papers
Eventually, the tone of Hearst's papers tempered and the sensational style for which he was known faded.
"The Yellow Kid" declared a sensation appeared in both Journal and World:
The Yellow Kid first appeared in 1894 as the "Kid," a character in the black-and-white comic "Hogan's Alley" created by Richard F. Outcault for Joseph Pulitzer's New York World. When the World bought a color press in 1896, it printed the "Kid" character in yellow for emphasis. W.R. Hearst would not be outdone. He bought a color press and gave Outcault a generous salary increase to produce the Yellow Kid for the Journal. Since Pulitzer still had the legal right to use the character, he hired George Luks to draw the strip for the World. For a time the Yellow Kid appeared in both papers simultaneously, becoming a symbol of the battle between the two publishers.
HEARSV_130725_500.JPG: Yellow Kid and his New Phonograph
October 25, 1896
HEARSV_130725_503.JPG: W.R. Hearst Assumes Control of Examiner:
On March 4, 1887, WR Hearst received control of San Francisco's Daily Examiner from his father, Senator George Hearst. Based on techniques he learned from working on Joseph Pulitzer's New York World, he widened the columns, enlarged the headlines, increased the number of pages, and put the sporting news on page one. The stories grew bigger and more sensational; if reporters lacked news, they created it. The Examiner led crusades on behalf of the working people who became its readers. In two years the Examiner's circulation more than doubled. By 1889, W.R. Hearst was a successful publisher.
HEARSV_130725_505.JPG: W.R. Hearst arrives in New York, challenges Pulitzer for news supremacy:
In 1895, WR Hearst bought the New York Morning Journal with money borrowed from his mother. From offices leased in Joseph Pulitzer's own building, he challenged his rival for New York's working class readers. Writers, artists, and editors, lured by handsome salaries, left Pulitzer's World to work for Hearst's Journal. The Journal attacked corporations and led crusades on behalf of workers. Sensationalism and stunts proliferated as Hearst and Pulitzer tried to outdo each other. Sunday supplements grew, and color comic sections expanded.
HEARSV_130725_508.JPG: Spanish-American War declared; W.R. Hearst Triumphant:
By 1898, the Journal and World were tied in circulation. When a revolution broke out in Cuba, Hearst and Pulitzer seized the opportunity to resolve their own conflict. Hearst sent his reporters into the fray. They freed a Cuban nationalist, stole documents, and offered a reward for information about the sinking of the USS Maine. When war was declared in April 1898, Hearst himself went to the front, sending back dispatches and photographs. As a result of the war coverage, the Journal's circulation reached 1,250,000.
W.R. Hearst, aboard a ship off the coast of Santiago, Cuba, photographing a wrecked Spanish warship for his paper.
HEARSV_130725_512.JPG: Hearst Style of Journalism Sells Papers:
Get it all in a Hearst paper!
* Banner headlines
* Eye-catching layout
* Sex and violence
* Human interest stories
* Crusades against corruption
* Sensational events
* Gossip columns
* Up to the minute photographs
* Great writers
* Science for the masses
* Color comics
* Editorials
* Advice columns
HEARSV_130725_515.JPG: New, all-color, comic supplement! The funnies amuse and entertain:
From his early days at the San Francisco Daily Examiner, WR Hearst used cartoons in his papers. James Swinnerton, his first full-time cartoonist, created the black-and-white "Baby Monarch" and "Little Jimmy". In the 1890s, Hearst eagerly adopted the innovations of the comic strip form and the Sunday color comic supplement, using them to advantage in his circulation battle with Joseph Pulitzer. By the 1900s, WR Hearst was printing comic strips on weekdays as well as Sundays. Publishing "Buster Brown," "Mutt and Jeff," "Krazy Kat," and many others, he did much to establish the comics as we know them today.
In 1914, WR Hearst started King Features, the first major comic strip syndicate. Its strips specialized in fantasy, burlesque, and humor, including such favorites as "Barney Google," "Popeye the Sailor," "Blondie," "Prince Valiant," and "Beetle Bailey," the last strip to be approved by Hearst before his death.
HEARSV_130725_524.JPG: Telephone without dial. The switchboard operator placed the calls.
HEARSV_130725_526.JPG: "Bunky"
HEARSV_130725_529.JPG: "Barney Google"
HEARSV_130725_533.JPG: "Jungle Jim"
HEARSV_130725_538.JPG: "Flash Gordon"
HEARSV_130725_542.JPG: "Dot and Dash"
HEARSV_130725_550.JPG: "Polly and Her Pals"
HEARSV_130725_556.JPG: "Rosie's Beau"
HEARSV_130725_563.JPG: "Bringing Up Father"
HEARSV_130725_566.JPG: Work for a Hearst Paper, Earn Good Pay and Support "The Chief":
W.R. Hearst was known to his employees as "The Chief." He hired talented people, paid large salaries, and expected hard work and dedication. Although his employees rarely saw him, he involved himself with many details of publication, phrasing his orders as questions or suggestions. His papers supported his ventures and opinions; his employees often worked in his campaigns, promoted his political and social ideals, and praised his movie productions.
Adela Rogers St. Johns:
Proud to be called a sob sister, Adela Rogers St. Johns went to work for Hearst at the age of eighteen. During her career, she worked undercover to expose mismanagement of public agencies, went to England to report on King Edward VIII's romance, and was one of the first female sports writers.
Frederick Opper (left) with Arthur Brisbane:
Frederick Opper, creator of "Happy Hooligan" and "And Her Name Was Maud" was one of many talented cartoonists hired by WR Hearst. Others included Thomas Nast, James Swinnerton, Tad Dorgan, George Herriman, and Nell Brinkley.
Ambrose Bierce:
WR Hearst hired prominent and talented writers and paid them well. Ambrose Bierce, known for his caustic wit, was one of the first. Others included Mark Twain, Joaquin Miller, Rudyard Kipling, Jack London, Stephen Crane, and Kathleen Norris. E.L. Thayer wrote "Casey at the Bay" while working for a Hearst paper.
HEARSV_130725_572.JPG: Ambrose Bierce:
WR Hearst hired prominent and talented writers and paid them well. Ambrose Bierce, known for his caustic wit, was one of the first. Others included Mark Twain, Joaquin Miller, Rudyard Kipling, Jack London, Stephen Crane, and Kathleen Norris. E.L. Thayer wrote "Casey at the Bay" while working for a Hearst paper.
HEARSV_130725_575.JPG: Frederick Opper (left) with Arthur Brisbane:
Frederick Opper, creator of "Happy Hooligan" and "And Her Name Was Maud" was one of many talented cartoonists hired by WR Hearst. Others included Thomas Nast, James Swinnerton, Tad Dorgan, George Herriman, and Nell Brinkley.
HEARSV_130725_583.JPG: Adela Rogers St. Johns:
Proud to be called a sob sister, Adela Rogers St. Johns went to work for Hearst at the age of eighteen. During her career, she worked undercover to expose mismanagement of public agencies, went to England to report on King Edward VIII's romance, and was one of the first female sports writers.
HEARSV_130725_588.JPG: Cissy Patterson and W.R. Hearst:
W.R. Hearst hired Eleanor Medill "Cissy" Patterson, a society celebrity with no newspaper experience, to be editor of the Washington Herald. She rejuvenated the paper, making it Washington;s best source of information about local news and issues.
HEARSV_130725_592.JPG: W.R. Hearst establishes International News Service:
In 1906, WR Hearst established the International News Service (INS), placing correspondents in US cities and in Europe. Although the INS was not as well staffed as other wire services, it increased the Hearst papers' coverage of European events. However, several incidents early in its life cast doubts on its accuracy. Never as popular as Associated Press or United Press Service, it declined further in 1945 when a Supreme Court ruling outlawed the granting of exclusive franchises. In 1958 it merged with United Press to form United Press International.
HEARSV_130725_595.JPG: W.R. Hearst brings the news to the screen:
In 1913 movie theaters sometimes ran short subjects before the feature films, but none had up-to-the-minute news. Acting on an employee's suggestion, WR Hearst filmed President Wilson's March 4 inauguration and showed it on Broadway on March 5. The Hearst-Selig News Pictorial began in 1914, producing one newsreel a week in newspaper format. Going through several name changes, the newsreel was first produced in sound in 1929. A travelogue was added in 1931.
WR Hearst's newsreels covered all the major news events, from the explosion of the Hindenburg to the Japanese bombing of South Station in Canton. In the 1950s they entered the television news market. Unable to compete in the new media, Hearst newsreels ceased production on January 1, 1968.
HEARSV_130725_598.JPG: Hearst Metrotone News studio, New York
HEARSV_130725_600.JPG: The first picture sent cross-country over telephone wires. Louis B. Mayer, in charge of production at MGM, presents a make-up box to Marion Davies, MGM star.
HEARSV_130725_611.JPG: The Grand Tour:
Each summer for about eight years, Hearst invited twelve to twenty guests for an all-expenses-paid, educational tour of Europe. They left in May or June or an ocean liner to London then stopped in France, Germany, and at times Italy, concluding the tour at St. Donat's, Hearst's estate in Wales.
HEARSV_130725_614.JPG: W.R. Hearst and friends during a European tour
HEARSV_130725_617.JPG: Parties:
Hearst loved parties and hosted many of them at his various residences. Some of the most magnificent were elaborate costume parties given to celebrate his birthdays in the 1930s. The circus theme party held in Santa Monica in 1937 was the largest, with five hundred guests, sideshows, and a birthday cake shaped like a circus tent. A carousel was brought inside by removing an entire wall.
When costume parties were held at San Simeon, Hearst ordered costumes, costumers, and makeup people from Los Angeles. Guests then chose the costumes they wore to the party.
HEARSV_130725_620.JPG: Guests pose for the camera. W.R. Hearst and Marion Davies are in center. Others include Gary and Rocky Cooper, Joel and Frances Dee McCrea, Louella Parsons, William Randolph Hearst Jr., Connie Talmadge, Raoul Walsh, Mary Carlisle, Dorothy Mackaill, Norma Shearer, Irving Thalberg, and Leslie Howard.
HEARSV_130725_632.JPG: Guests at the Civil War party
HEARSV_130725_634.JPG: Guests pose in front of a pioneer wagon. WR Hearst and Marion Davies are in the back row, to the right of center. Guests include George Hearst, William Powell, Harold Lloyd, and Louella Parsons.
HEARSV_130725_639.JPG: W.R. Hearst poses with three guests in Civil War costumes.
HEARSV_130725_642.JPG: W.R. Hearst and Marion Davies
HEARSV_130725_648.JPG: A generous host, William Randolph Hearst furnished his home with art for his guests to look at and use.
* Paintings from a cassone (marriage chest), "Story of the Girl Without Hands," Italian, attributed to Niccolo Soggi, c 1480-1552
* Cuenca Carpet, Spanish, c 1900
* Sgabello chairs, Italian, 15th-16th century
* Candlestands, carved wood, Italian, 16th century
* Balustrade, replica of Casa del Mar's balcony railing
HEARSV_130725_660.JPG: Behind the Scenes:
The Enchanted Hill's daily house staff:
* Head chef
* Assistant chef
* French pastry chef
* Four cooks
* Head butler
* Second butler
* Dishwasher
* 2 or 3 waiters or waitresses
* Head housekeeper
* Assistant housekeeper
* 3 or 4 maids
* W.R. Hearst's valet
* 2 or 3 houseboys
HEARSV_130725_663.JPG: After-dinner entertainment:
Continuing a tradition begun during tent camping days, Hearst showed movies after dinner. Frequently, a new, often pre-release, film was brought in from Hollywood. After the movie, Hearst might take his guests to the kitchen and make them welsh rarebit as an end to the day's activities.
The theater in Casa Grande
HEARSV_130725_669.JPG: Dinner in the Refectory. Hearst always sat on the north side of the table, in the center. Place cards were used for the guests. The table, which had no tablecloth, was set with paper napkins, condiment bottles, "Real Old Willow" china, and silver plated flatware.
HEARSV_130725_676.JPG: Dining at the Enchanted Hill:
The Enchanted Hill did not offer room service. Guests ate their meals in the Refectory of Casa Grande.
Breakfast: Breakfast was served between 9:00 and 12:00am. Guests could order what they liked.
Lunch: In the afternoon a buffet luncheon was served.
Dinner: About 7:00 or 7:30pm, the guests made their way to the Assembly Room to socialize and have cocktails. At 8:30 or 9:00, Hearst boarded an elevator in the Gothic Study and descended to the first floor to join his guests. After socializing, he led them into the Refectory for dinner.
HEARSV_130725_679.JPG: The Refectory decorated for Christmas, 1936
HEARSV_130725_681.JPG: Christmas tree in the Assembly Room
HEARSV_130725_683.JPG: Hollywood celebrities posing at the front gate of Casa Grande. Included in the phjot are King Vidor, Greta Garbo, Nick Schenck, Harry Rapf, Alla Nazimova, Norma Shearer, Hal Roach, Eddie Mannix, John Gilbert, Buster Keaton, Paul Bern, and Irving Thalberg.
HEARSV_130725_690.JPG: A group of Hollywood celebrities posing in front of one of The Enchanted Hill's statues
HEARSV_130725_693.JPG: Irving Thalberg, MGM executive, practicing his form on a terrace at The Enchanted Hill
HEARSV_130725_695.JPG: A barbecue on the ranch
HEARSV_130725_698.JPG: W.R. Hearst ringing the dinner bell at San Simeon
HEARSV_130725_700.JPG: A Weekend at San Simeon:
From the beginning, WR Hearst invited his friends and associates to La Cuesta Encantada ("The Enchanted Hill") to share his home and his treasures. He provided for his guests' every need, from supplying valet and maid service to outfitting them in swim suits and riding costumes. Hearst also arranged for their transportation to and from San Simeon. Some traveled by private train to San Luis Obispo and then by limousine to the hilltop. Some drove their own cars; others landed at his private airstrip.
Mr. Hearst's requirements of his guests were few -- they had to attend dinner in the Refectory, were not permitted to drink in their rooms, and had to behave properly. Other than that, they could swim in the pools, play tennis on the courts, visit the zoo, walk around the gardens, read a book from the library, or go horseback riding.
Occasionally, Hearst arranged group activities. He might send pack mules and chuck wagons on ahead to prepare for a magnificent picnic. Guests would arrive later on horseback. They could camp out in style, sleeping in private tents on cots with springs.
HEARSV_130725_702.JPG: Guest book presented to W.R. Hearst on May 7, 1931, by Mr. and Mrs. Townsend Netcher. Entries are dated from January to June, 1938
HEARSV_130725_705.JPG: "I am so grateful for this visit at this beautiful place."
-- James Stewart
...
-- Hoagy Carmichael
AAA "Gem": AAA considers this location to be a "must see" point of interest. To see pictures of other areas that AAA considers to be Gems, click here.
Wikipedia Description: Hearst Castle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hearst Castle is a National and California Historical Landmark mansion located on the Central Coast of California, United States. It was designed by architect Julia Morgan between 1919 and 1947 for newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, who died in 1951. In 1957, the Hearst Corporation donated the property to the state of California. Since that time it has been maintained as a state historic park where the estate, and its considerable collection of art and antiques, is open for public tours. Despite its location far from any urban center, the site attracts about one million visitors per year.
Hearst formally named the estate "La Cuesta Encantada" ("The Enchanted Hill"), but usually called it "the ranch". Hearst Castle and grounds are also sometimes referred to as "San Simeon" without distinguishing between the Hearst property and the adjacent unincorporated area of the same name.
Location
Hearst Castle is located near the unincorporated community of San Simeon, California, approximately 250 miles (400 km) from both Los Angeles and San Francisco, and 43 miles (69 km) from San Luis Obispo at the northern end of San Luis Obispo County. The estate itself is five miles (eight kilometers) inland atop a hill of the Santa Lucia Range at an altitude of 1,600 feet (490 m). The region is sparsely populated because the Santa Lucia Range abuts the Pacific Ocean, which provides dramatic seaside vistas but few opportunities for development and hampered transportation. The surrounding countryside visible from the mansion remains largely undeveloped. Its entrance is adjacent to San Simeon State Park.
Hearst Castle was built on Rancho Piedra Blanca that William Randolph Hearst's father, George Hearst, originally purchased in 1865. The younger Hearst grew fond of this site over many childhood family camping trips. He inherited the ranch, which had grown to 250,000 acres (1,012 km2) and fourteen miles (21 km) of co ...More...
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2013 photos: Equipment this year: I mostly used my Fuji XS-1 camera but, depending on the event, I also used a Nikon D7000 and Nikon D600.
Trips this year:
three Civil War Trust conferences (Memphis, TN, Jackson, MS [to which I added a week to to visit sites in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Tennessee], and Richmond, VA), and
my 8th consecutive San Diego Comic-Con trip (including sites in Nevada and California).
Ego Strokes: Aviva Kempner used my photo of her as her author photo in Larry Ruttman's "American Jews & America's Game: Voices of a Growing Legacy in Baseball" book.
Number of photos taken this year: just over 570,000.
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