Barely eighteen, Consuelo Vanderbilt was forced into a loveless marriage to help save her mother's reputation.
New York City department store B. Altman and Co. was once the grandest store on 5th Avenue. Now its lost to the ages except for the memories.
"The Mrs. Astor" and Alva Vanderbilt fought for the crown of New York society and the Academy of Music in the late 19th century.