Ex ffitbrtB SEYMOUR DURST When you leave, please leave this book Because it has been said " Ever thing comes t' him who waits Except a loaned book." Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library Gift of Seymour B. Durst Old York Library Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2013 http://archive.org/details/waldorfastorianeOObold COPYRIGHT. 1903 QV GEORGE C BOLDT, THE magnificent Waldorf-Astoria buildings were designed bv Henry J. Hardenbergh, of New York, and erected under the personal supervision of George C. Boldt, the first proprietor and lessee of both hotels. THE WALDORF occupies the former site of the late Mr. John Jacob Astor's town house, northwest corner of Fifth Avenue and Thirty-third Street and was erected by his son, the Honorable William Waldorf Astor, for Mr. Boldt. Ground was broken November 1st, 1890, and the house was opened for business March 14th, 1893. The n °t.d derives its name from the little town of Waldorf, in the Duchy of Baden, Germany, which was the ancestral home of the Astor family. A picture of the town in stained glass will be found over the main entrance of the South Palm Garden, on the Thirty-third Street side of the building. THE ASTORIA occupies the former site of the late Mr. William B. Astor's town house, southwest corner of Fifth Avenue and Thirty-fourth Street, and was erected by his son, Col. John Jacob Astor for Mr. Boldt. Ground was broken May 1st, 1895, and the house was opened for business November 1st, 1897. This hotel was named after the town of Astoria, founded in the year 18 11 by John Jacob Astor, the first, at the mouth of the Columbia River, Oregon. The combined hotels are known under the title of THE WALDORF-ASTORIA. . ) THE WALDORF. Area Covered. THE WALDORF-ASTORIA covers a frontage above ground of 200 feet on Fifth Avenue, 350 feet on Thirty-third Street, 350 feet on Thirty- fourth Street, 200 feet on Astor Court, with thirteen entrances opening directly on these streets. The basement and sub-basement occupy an additional area of 75 x 242 feet running towards Broadway. The sub-basement has a depth of 42 feet below the level of the street. The height of the Astoria, from the sidewalk to the observatory roof is 250 feet. The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel Company, a New York corporation of which Mr. Boldt is president, and which he organized with a capital of $5,000,000 to take over the management of this enterprise, assumed control as lessee and proprietor on May 13, 1902. w Points of Special Interest to Visitors. Guides are provided for visitors without charge, until 12 o'clock midnight, but only on application at the main office. Main Floor. The Waldorf Restaurant. Thirty-third Street corner. Particular attention is called to the exquisite brass work and paneling. The Astoria Restaurant. Thirty-fourth Street corner. Mural paintings by Turner. Main Foyer. Thirtv-fourth Street side. Statue of "Vanity," by Guarnerio. Statue of "Night" by Ives. The Clock. (See description on page 10.) Marie Antoinette Room. Thirty-third Street side. Ceiling, " Birth of Venus," by Low. Original arm chair with foot rest from "The Louvre." The clock on mantle is the original. Bronze bust of Marie Antoinette with medallion of Louis XVI. Grand piano, an exquisite example of modern art. All other furniture in this room is reproduced from the original. Turkish Rooms. Thirty-third Street side. Beautiful mosaic work. Sword of Napoleon the First. Small Ball Room. Thirtv-third Street side. Ceiling paintings by Fowler. Lunettes by Arm- strong. Bradley-Martin Room. Thirty-third Street and Astor Court. This beautiful room, 85 bv 100 feet was finished just in time for Mrs. Bradley- Martin's famous fancv dress ball, February 10, 1897, and has since retained this name. After the great Astoria ball room was finished, this room was altered to suit its present purposes. The Red Room or Library. Note the delicate wood carving and oak panels. The canvas frieze was painted by Maynard. The Two Palm Gardens. The Waldorf Garden has a revolving dome. In the Astoria Garden, note the medallions near the ceiling. The Main Office, has various sections dividing the many departments to facilitate business. The Accounting Department, is on the Thirty-fourth Street side. The Pneumatic Tube System, is for visitors' cards and general information. Visitors' cards are here put in carriers and shot up to the desired floor within a few seconds. Gentlemen's Cafe. Thirty-fourth Street and Astor Court. Attention is called to the handsome fireplace. First Floor. (One flight up.) The Grand Ball Room, ioo feet square and 40 feet high. This magnificent room has twenty-five first tier and eighteen second tier boxes, and can be arranged at short notice either as a ball room, concert room, dining room or private theatre. The ceiling was painted by Blashfield, and is believed to be the largest single canvas in the world. The Lunettes are by Low. This room has a special lighting and ventilating plant. The West Foyer, adjoining the Grand Ball Room, contains Benzoni's great statue "The Flight from Pompeii." The Astor Gallery (after the Palais Soubise, Paris). Its sixteen magnificent allegorical paintings, of the twelve months and the four seasons, are by Simmons. The Myrtle Room. Attention is called to the delicate green tints in the decorations and exquisite embroideries on the curtains and portieres. The East Room. Perfectly square and well adapted for small dances and round table dinner parties. Prevailing color, old gold. The East or Caen Foyer. Containing Story's original statue, " Cleopatra," " Jephtha's Daughter" and " Undine" by Ives, and "The Reading Girl,' bv Magni. It is intended to place other statues by famous sculptors in this room as they can be obtained. The Famous Waldorf State Apartments are on the same floor at the Thirty-third Street and Fifth Avenue corner. Henry IV. of France Drawing Room. Flemish tapestries illustrating the history and prosperity of Rome. Unfortunately these tapestries had to be cut to fit the various spaces. The painting over the mantel, representing " Margaret de Valois," wife of Henry the Fourth, is by Denman. All the furniture in this room, with the exception of perhaps three or four pieces, is original and of the period of Henry IV, the carved screen, how- ever, is Italian, and was carved for the late Due D'Aosta, brother of the late King Humbert of Italy. Attention is called to the exquisite workmanship. The tapestries in the screen, however, are imitations of the original. Francois I. Bedroom, {Jfter the Musee de Cluny) adjoining the State Drawing Room on Thirty-third Street side. The exquisite prie-dieu is an original Italian work of art. The famous bedstead and all other furniture in this room, some in French and some in American walnut, were carved in this country. The carved woodwork on the doors is also well worth examination. The Music Room and Duchess Bedroom, adjoin the State Drawing Room on the Fifth Avenue side. Note the dainty furnishings and charming color effects. The State Banquet Hall. This room con- tains examples from Mr. Boldt's private collection of china. In the case over the mantel are some fine Sevres plates decorated with portraits of the crowned heads of Europe. This set comprises 48 pieces and was painted to order for Mr. Boldt by Dessard. The entire collection is valued at $35,000.00. The Astor Dining Room is located over the same spot as that occupied by the dining room in the old Astor mansion. The ceiling and woodwork, while the old building was being demolished, were preserved and afterwards placed in this room ; likewise the old mantel, furniture, draperies and paintings. The chandelier and side lights are of solid hammered brass ; they were made in Paris and arranged for oil lamps, and only recently were adapted for electric lights. The reception room adjoining also contains some original furnishings from the Astor mansion. The Royal Suite (two flights up), corner of Thirty-fourth Street and Fifth Avenue. This suite consists of drawing room, dining room and seven bed- rooms. The drawing room is furnished after the old Italian, and the bedrooms after the Louis periods respectively. The Bedrooms. There are in all about 1,300 sleeping rooms and 800 bath rooms ; those in the Waldorf part of the hotel are mainly furnished after distinctive periods, while those on the Astoria side are treated in a somewhat lighter and more floral tone. The Fifth Avenue Corner Suites are ar- ranged as complete private apartments, with dining room and butler's pantries, the latter being supplied with electric heating apparatus. { All Bath Rooms face and ventilate to the open air. Each floor is arranged as a separate hotel. It has its own clerical force, its telephone's, private serv- ice of page boys, distinct force of waiters, special dumb-waiter service, heating apparatus, and refrig- erators. The number of employees since the year 1899 averaged 1,467 per day. In the winter months, during the entertainment season, the number em- ployed reached from 1,800 to 2,000 per day, while in the summer months, with an extra force for renovating purposes, there were rarely less than 1,100 employed. The Hotel has its own interior telephone system connecting all departments. There are over 3,000 city (or restaurant) accounts, aside from those of the regular hotel patrons. The Roof Garden. In the beginning of June the roof garden is opened in the evenings for the convenience of patrons and their friends. Admission is by ticket only, obtainable at the office. Two complete orchestras alternate in furnishing musical entertainment. The Clock. This magnificent clock, executed by the celebrated Goldsmiths' Company of London for exhibition at the Chicago World's Fair, is a won- derful example of skill, and is valued at £25,000. It stands twelve feet high. The octagonal sides are ornamented with interesting scenes and busts of famous men and women, executed in solid silver bas-relief. Above, small figures, likewise of silver, gilded, represent different sports, ancient and modern ; these figures revolve when the chimes ring. Then come the four faces of the clock proper, marking the time of New York, Greenwich, Paris and Madrid. Surmounting all is the beautiful miniature of the " Statue of Liberty." The chimes, which ring every quarter hour, are well worth hearing. The Basement and Sub-basement are well worth a visit. The former contains the great kitchen, pantries and store-rooms, and the latter the machinery hall, boiler rooms and the great electric plant. The electric plant is the largest and finest isolated installation in the world, and supplies current to over 25,000 lamps, besides furnishing power for the running of elevators, motors, ventilating apparatus, etc. The steam plant has a capacity of 4,000 horsepower, and provides power for electric plant, refrigerating machinery, pumping station, laundry, heating, etc. As evidence of the enormous capacity of the pumping plant, it may be mentioned that it would supply a city of 400,000 inhabitants ; and the refrigerating machinery can furnish 150 tons of ice per day, besides cold air to all the various refrigerators throughout the house. There are in all 34 electric and hydraulic elevators. On an average 100 tons of coal are used per day. Laundry. This department handles 65,000 pieces or linen daily. The laundry for patrons' clothing is entirely separate, and no machinery whatever is used in this branch of the work. Some of the Many Conveniences to be Found in the Hotel. BANK (LETTERS OF CREDIT AND FOREIGN EXCHANGE), AUDIT COMPANY, BROKERS' OFFICES, THEATRE TICKET OFFICE, FLORIST, THE PHOTOGRAPHIC GALLERY AND STUDIO, NOTARY PUBLIC, TURKISH AND RUSSIAN BATHS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN'S HAIR DRESSING ROOMS, STENOGRAPHERS, CHIROPODISTS, MANICURES, VALETS, MAIDS, TRUNK PACKERS. PORTERS IN UNIFORM TO MEET TRAINS IF ORDERED. As an example of the attention to detail and perfect organization, the fact may be cited that the management, even as long as thirty days after the occurrence, can tell the exact time at which the card of a caller was received at the tube-station on main floor, the exact time it reached the floor to which it was sent, the number of the boy who took it from the floor-office to the room, the reply received at room, the time it left the floor-office, the time of its return to the tube-station, and, in case of its being " paged " on main floor, the number of the page-boy and also the report which he made. THE WALDORF-ASTORIA SEGAR COMPANY has its headquarters in the basement at the Fifth Avenue front of the building. Its great humidors are situated in the basement below, where a choice stock of cigars from all the leading factories on the Island of Cuba is constantly kept on hand. The temperature of these humidors is maintained at 50 Fahrenheit throughout the year. The value represented here is between $300,000 and $400,000. THE WALDORF IMPORTATION COMPANY also has its headquarters here, and its extensive cellars contain the choicest and best selected wines obtainable. A specialty is made of picking up, through its foreign agents all over the world, choice lots of old and rare vintages, the genuineness of which is guaranteed by the establishment. MAIN ENTRANCE — THE WALDORF. MAIN OFFICE. GRAND BALL ROOM. AS A THEATRE— THE ASTORIA ASTOR GALLERY — THE ASTORIA. EAST OR CAEN FOYER-TH E ASTORIA, THE WALDORF STATE APARTMENTS — HENRY IV. DRAWING ROOM. EMPIRE SUITE — BEDROOM — THE WALDORF. ONE OF A SERIES OF LOUIS XV. DRAWINO ROOMS— THE WALDORF EAST INDIA S U I T e — O R A W I N O ROOM— THE WALOORF. GREEK BEDROOM — THE WALDORF, A COLONIAL BEDROOM— THE WALDORF. DOUBLE BEDROOM— THE ASTORIA. A VIEW OF THE ROOF. DISH WASHING MACHINES. COFFEE URNS. PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO — THE ASTORIA. MAP AND GUIDE FOR PATRONS SHOWING ITS OF INTEREST AND BEAUTIFUL DRIVES. PNEUMATIC TUBES FOR VISITORS' CARDS. LCTTU ' • AM 1 1 K: AM UlNMUMIC C6M**MV ■ 1.