Behind the Titans: Peabody and Depew in the Gilded Age

At The Breakers and Château-sur-Mer—two of Newport’s grandest Gilded Age mansions—hang portraits of two 19th-century men you’ve probably walked past without a second thought. But for Marry Gormally, a Preservation Society of Newport County (PSNC) guide and a self-declared amateur history detective, these faces have sparked an obsession. Who were these men? Why are they here, watching silently from the walls? Meet George Peabody, often called the father of modern philanthropy, a man born into poverty who rose to international financial fame—yet remained an outsider to the social elite. Then there’s Chauncey Depew, brilliant, witty, and so well-known in his day that he rivaled the U.S. President in popularity. Depew was the public voice of the Vanderbilts, while Peabody helped lay the financial groundwork for American global power. Neither man sought entry into the elite circles they served, but their influence was indispensable. This seminar will uncover how these fascinating, complex figures—on the margins of society’s upper crust—helped shape the fortunes and legacies of the Vanderbilt and Wetmore families. Their lives, ambitions, contradictions, and what they reveal about an America hurtling into modernity will be explored.

Marry Gormally is a retired antique dealer (that is if you can actually retire from a love of “stuff”) who built a successful business importing treasures from English auctions and private estates for designers, architects and collectors. Now a PSNC tour guide, she shares her passion for history, storytelling, and decorative arts with visitors from around the world. She considers herself very lucky to enjoy life in Newport with her husband Steve.