Brooke Russell Astor (1902-2007) was a New York City philanthropist and socialite. She was president of the Vincent Astor Foundation, established by her husband Vincent Astor (1891-1959), from 1960 to 1997. Mrs. Astor also served on the boards of...
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Brooke Russell Astor (1902-2007) was a New York City philanthropist and socialite. She was president of the Vincent Astor Foundation, established by her husband Vincent Astor (1891-1959), from 1960 to 1997. Mrs. Astor also served on the boards of various civic, charitable, and cultural institutions, including The New York Public Library and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Brooke Russell Astor address books, dated circa 1959-1970s, identify her personal, social, political, and philanthropic contacts, including many prominent persons in the United States and abroad. The volumes are small commercially-bound black leather loose-leaf binders; contact information is typescript, with some handwritten entries and revisions. Entries under each alphabetical letter are arranged in three categories: Personal, Foreign, and Business. Useful contacts are found at the front of each book, along with details for her local and out-of-state residences. Loose cards and notes, most undated, have been removed to separate housing. Among them are two brief social notes, one from Chauncey [Chauncey Devereaux Stillman], 1963, and one on Plaza Hotel stationary from a visiting friend, 1960. Date spans for the address books are approximate.
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