First Lady Laura Bush Visits the Mount

Lenox, MA (April 24, 2006) -- Contact: Susan Wissler swissler@edithwharton.org 413-637-1899 FIRST LADY VISITS THE MOUNT LENOX, MA, April 24, 2006. The First Lady, Mrs. Laura Bush, visits Edith Wharton�s house and gardens, The Mount, in Lenox, Massachusetts on Monday, April 24, as guest of honor at an event celebrating the return of the author�s life-long collection of books to her home.

Edith Wharton is one of Mrs. Bush�s favorite authors, and the First Lady expressed a desire to visit the estate when, as Honorary Chair of the Preserve America initiative, she and President Bush presented the 2005 Preserve America Presidential Award to The Mount�s Co-Chairman Barbara de Marneffe and Director Stephanie Copeland in the Oval Office at the White House in May 2005.

Also attending is Lord Christopher Tugendhat, Chairman of Lehman Brothers European Advisory Board and former member of the British Parliament. Lord Tugendhat helped facilitate The Mount�s purchase of Wharton�s library from British rare book dealer and bibliophile George Ramsden. Prior to Ramsden�s purchase of the collection at auction in 1984, it was kept by British historian Sir Kenneth Clark at his home, Saltwood Castle. When The Mount bought the library in December 2005, it made Mr. Ramsden honorary curator of the collection and, in this capacity, he spent the past week arranging Wharton�s books on the shelves of her library at The Mount.

Lord Tugendhat observes in his remarks that Edith Wharton was an American steeped in European culture who was able to build bridges between the two continents. �Her library belongs in America and above all here at The Mount. As one who has always been a friend and admirer of your country, I am delighted to have been able to play a role in restoring this important part of America�s cultural heritage to America.� The library contains over 2,600 volumes written in several languages and on a variety of subjects, including literature, history, philosophy, religion, and science. Notable books include the American first edition of Alice in Wonderland that Wharton knew by heart, and personally inscribed works by friends such as Henry James, Theodore Roosevelt, and Henry Adams. Many of the books have Wharton�s marginal notes and markings, including several attempts at writing Haiku poetry. These books, which reveal the author�s development as a writer, the range of her intellectual interests, and her relationships with friends, will be made available to scholars. The Mount is Edith Wharton�s 1902 National Historic Landmark house and gardens in Lenox, Massachusetts. The author�s extensive knowledge of architecture and gardening, as articulated in her books The Decoration of Houses (1897) and Italian Villas and Their Gardens (1904), is made evident in The Mount�s design. In addition, The Mount is where Wharton wrote some of her most important literary works, including her record-breaking best seller The House of Mirth and masterpiece Ethan Frome. The Mount is the only monument to Edith Wharton in America and is one of the few National Historic Landmarks dedicated to women in the United States.

Edith Wharton Restoration (EWR) is the nonprofit organization established in 1980 to preserve and restore The Mount as a tribute to its remarkable creator. More than $15 million of the anticipated $35 million required to bring the estate back to its former glory has been spent to date, including $2.9 million from Save America�s Treasures and slightly more than $2 million from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The estate is open to the public seasonally May�October and attracts visitors from throughout the world. Additional information: Edithwharton.org or 413.637.1899.

Photographs may be downloaded at The Mount Photo Gallery