Virtual Visit - Richard Morris Hunt: In A New Light at Rosecliff Mansion

Tour Highlights:

• Be among the first to explore Richard Morris Hunt: In A New Light, a landmark exhibition at Rosecliff examining the celebrated Gilded Age architect’s influence beyond the buildings he designed
• See rare and never-before-seen materials, including personal sketchbooks, scrapbooks, rare books, architectural drawings, and family memorabilia, brought together for the first time since Hunt’s death in 1895
• Learn how Hunt shaped American cultural ideals through collecting, museum-making, and design during the transformative years of the Gilded Age
• Discover objects on loan from major institutions, including the Library of Congress, National Portrait Gallery – Smithsonian Institution, Vermont Historical Society, Bennington Museum, and the Preservation Society’s own archives

About this Event:

Hosted inside the elegant interiors of Rosecliff in Newport, R.I., this virtual tour offers a first look at Richard Morris Hunt: In A New Light, an exhibition that reintroduces one of America’s most important architects as a collector and cultural visionary.

Led by Leslie B. Jones, Director of Museum Affairs and Chief Curator at the Preservation Society of Newport County, the tour highlights materials—many exhibited together for the first time since Hunt’s death—drawn from the Library of Congress, the National Portrait Gallery – Smithsonian Institution, and other major institutions, as well as the Preservation Society’s own archives.

With Jones’s curatorial insight, attendees will explore how Hunt’s personal collections, intellectual influences, and museum work helped shape American cultural ideals during a time of profound transformation in the nation’s built and cultural landscapes.

This virtual program offers a glimpse into the full in-person exhibition at Rosecliff. For a complete experience of Hunt’s legacy and influence, we invite you to visit the exhibition in person. 

About Leslie B. Jones:

Leslie B. Jones serves as the Director of Museum Affairs and Chief Curator for The Preservation Society of Newport County. She joined the Society in 2019 to oversee curatorial, conservation, collections management, site stewardship, exhibitions, interpretation, and programmatic initiatives such as family programs and lectures.

Previously, Jones was the Vice President, Museum Affairs & Curator of Decorative Arts at Cheekwood Estate & Gardens, a 55-acre botanical garden, art museum, and historic house in Nashville, Tennessee, and Curator and Director of Historical Resources & Programming for the White House Historical Association. As an independent consultant, Jones has provided advice and leadership in all areas of museum administration to many clients, including Meadow Brook Hall in Rochester, Mich., the Green-Meldrim House in Savannah, Ga., Woodlawn Plantation in Alexandria, Va., and Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, Australia.