Irénée du Pont's Cuban estate "Xanadu" photographs
Creation: circa 1930 Creation: 1997Abstract
Xanadu was the name of the opulent Cuban estate of Irenee du Pont (1876-1963). He bought land on the Hicacos Peninsula of Cuba to build the four-story estate. This collection consists of photographs of the exterior and interior of the home near Varadero, Cuba.
Dates
- Creation: circa 1930
- Creation: 1997
Creator
- American Photo Studios (Photographer, Organization)
Extent
21 item(s)
General Physical Description
19 photographic prints : b&w ; 8 x 10 in. or smaller. 2 photographic prints : color ; 4 x 6 in.
Historical Note
Xanadu was the name of the opulent Cuban estate of Irenee du Pont (1876-1963). During his lifetime the DuPont Company became one of the largest chemical products entities in the world. Irenee retired from the chairmanship of the company in 1927 at the age of forty-nine. He bought land on the Hicacos Peninsula of Cuba that year to build the four-story estate. The house had eleven bedrooms with adjoining baths, three terraces, seven balconies, and a private dock. Irenee du Pont would spend a several months there each year beginning in early January. He visited Xanadu for the last time in 1957. On December 12, 1963 the estate opened as a restaurant just days before Irenee du Pont passed away in the United States.
Scope and Content
This collection consists of photographs of the exterior and interior of Xanadu,
a home built by Irénée du Pont (1876-1963) near Varadero, Cuba around 1930. There are no people in these pictures. They appear to have been taken soon after the house was constructed or during construction. There are also two color snapshots of the house taken in 1997 when it had become a restaurant.
Location
GL Box 1.
Access Restrictions
This collection is open for research.
Language of Materials
English
Finding Aid & Administrative Information
- Title:
- Irénée du Pont's Cuban estate "Xanadu" photographs
- Date:
- 2015
- Description rules:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description:
- English
- Script of description:
- Latin
Repository Details
Repository Details
Part of the Audiovisual Collections Repository
