Existing comment:
Julia Tyler (1820–1889)
Born Gardiner's Island, New York
The "Rose" of Long Island
When Julia Gardiner married President John Tyler in 1844, she was no stranger to scrutiny. As a beautiful, confident, and exceptionally wealthy young woman who came of age in East Hampton, New York, during the 1830s, Gardiner was dubbed the "Rose of Long Island" following her social debut. But in 1840, her popularity turned to notoriety after she posed for this newspaper advertisement touting a discount department store in Manhattan: "I'll purchase at Bogert and Mecamly's, No. 86 9th Avenue," the nineteen-year-old declared. "Their Goods are Beautiful and Astonishingly Cheap." To mitigate the social stigma that ensued, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner whisked their wayward daughter off for a grand tour of Europe that included an audience with Pope Gregory XVI.
Alfred E. Baker (active 1833–1842)
Lithograph, 1840
Museum of the City of New York; gift of Miss Sarah Gardiner, 1939 |