The changing relationship between Americans and animals in the late 19th and early 20th centuries will be explored in the exhibition “Wild Imagination: Art and Animals in the Gilded Age,” opening Friday, Aug. 30, at Rosecliff.

With a focus on Newport’s history, “Wild Imagination” will bring together a menagerie of animal-inspired artworks and other objects, from paintings, sculptures, photographs and fashions to fancy dog collars and sea creatures blown in glass.

“We’ve always talked about the Gilded Age as a period of transformation, and this is a fascinating variation on that theme,” said Trudy Coxe, CEO and Executive Director of The Preservation Society of Newport County, which is organizing the exhibition. “It’s a period that saw terrible destruction of wild animals and their habitats but also the beginning of the humane movement and the growing popularity of pets.”

During the Gilded Age, approximately 1870 to 1914, millions of Americans moved from farms to cities. Popular animal-themed prints, statuettes and other decorative objects satisfied their nostalgia for the lost connections with nature. At the same time, a boom in foreign travel and the growth of zoos and circuses exposed Americans to new, “exotic” species. Interest grew in natural history pursuits like birdwatching. And while the fashion for furs and feathers flourished, activists launched the nation’s first animal-rights organizations.

All these trends are reflected in the exhibition’s more than 100 objects, which come from the Preservation Society’s collections and from 15 lending institutions.
“Wild Imagination: Art and Animals in the Gilded Age” will be open August 30 through January 12, 2025, and is included with admission to Rosecliff.

The Preservation Society of Newport County, Rhode Island, is a nonprofit organization accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. It is dedicated to preserving and interpreting the area's historic architecture, landscapes, decorative arts and social history. Its 11 historic properties – seven of them National Historic Landmarks – span more than 250 years of American architectural and social development.

For more information, please visit www.NewportMansions.org.
 
Photo Captions
 
Wild Imagination PSNC.10382ab
A brass inkwell in the form of an owl (American, circa 1900). From the collection at Marble House. Gift of Mr. Harold N. Murphy to The Preservation Society of Newport County, 2003.
 
Wild Imagination L.430
Repousse sterling silver game dish by Samuel Kirk and Son (American, circa 1870). From the collection at Chateau-sur-Mer. Loan of Mr. Charles Oliver O'Donnell.
 
Wild Imagination PSNC.198.1
Boar's head vase, porcelain decorated with green enamel and gilding (French, 19th century). From the collection at Marble House. Bequest of the Estate of Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt to The Preservation Society of Newport County.
 
Wild Imagination PSNC.4509
Untitled still life with dead game by August Laux, oil on canvas (American, mid- to late 19th century). From the collection at Chateau-sur-Mer. Gift of Mr. Alfred T. Morris, Sr., to The Preservation Society of Newport County, 1981.