Comments by "Andrew Brendan" (@andrewbrendan1579) on "Unveiling the Leiter Mansion: The Ultimate Status Symbol of DC's Gilded Age" video.

  1. I was thinking the same thing: Chicago was a new town on the prairie, there were no old money families unless they came from elsewhere and I don't think there were. It's odd that the Leiters were shut out. Maybe because they had what might be considered a Jewish name? If you haven't already read it, you might be interested in the book "Mary Curzon: The Story of the the Heiress From Chicago Who Married Lord Curzon, Viceroy of India" by Nigel Nicolson. I read that no American has ever gone higher than Mary Leiter Curzon in English royalty though I wonder if it's more accurate to say "English society" instead. I'm not sure if the Curzons are part of the royal family.
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  2. Such a remarkable house and only a few photos to tell of it. At least parts of the house were salvaged though I wonder how many people know today that part of their home may have once been part of the Leiter mansion. It's not a pleasant suggestion, but maybe the Leiters were shut of out Chicago high society (at least a new boom town's version of high society) because they had what might considered a Jewish name. I read Nigel Nicolson's biography of Mary Leiter who became Vicereine of India, but nothing specific was said of the family's religious affiliation if any.
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