The Rockefeller Heiress Who Wore the Romanov Emeralds — and Couldn't Keep Them
Behind The Gift
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She wore emeralds smuggled out of revolutionary Russia to the Chicago opera — and believed, in complete seriousness, that she had once been the wife of a pharaoh. This is the story of Edith Rockefeller McCormick.
Daughter of the richest man in America and wife of the International Harvester heir, Edith owned a rope of Romanov emeralds that had escaped the fall of the imperial court in a pair of Gladstone bags. She helped found Chicago's first opera company, bankrolled an unknown Carl Jung and a struggling James Joyce, and gave away the land that became the Brookfield Zoo. She also built one of the grandest houses in America — and reportedly slept in it perhaps once.
Then the fortune came apart. She died in debt, and her will left the child who had stayed most loyal to her just one-twelfth of what remained — while the Romanov emeralds left the family for good, resurfacing years later around another heiress who would also outlive her own fortune: Barbara Hutton.
Which of her children's fates surprised you most? Tell us in the comments.
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Behind The Gift
All the videos, songs, images, and graphics used in the video belong to their respective owners and I or this channel do not claim any right over them.
Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.
The Rockefeller Heiress Who Wore the Romanov Emeralds — and Couldn't Keep Them
Behind The Gift
4,023 views
She wore emeralds smuggled out of revolutionary Russia to the Chicago opera — and believed, in complete seriousness, that she had once been the wife of a pharaoh. This is the story of Edith Rockefeller McCormick.
Daughter of the richest man in America and wife of the International Harvester heir, Edith owned a rope of Romanov emeralds that had escaped the fall of the imperial court in a pair of Gladstone bags. She helped found Chicago's first opera company, bankrolled an unknown Carl Jung and a struggling James Joyce, and gave away the land that became the Brookfield Zoo. She also built one of the grandest houses in America — and reportedly slept in it perhaps once.
Then the fortune came apart. She died in debt, and her will left the child who had stayed most loyal to her just one-twelfth of what remained — while the Romanov emeralds left the family for good, resurfacing years later around another heiress who would also outlive her own fortune: Barbara Hutton.
Which of her children's fates surprised you most? Tell us in the comments.
-------------------------------------------
Let's Connect!
🔥SUBSCRIBE to my Youtube Channel / @BehindTheGift
--------------------------------------------
Behind The Gift
All the videos, songs, images, and graphics used in the video belong to their respective owners and I or this channel do not claim any right over them.
Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.