Discovery of Edith Vanderbilt’s Christmas Gifts Ledger

“New Discoveries” is a standing agenda item during our Museum Services team’s monthly meeting. Rarely does a month go by without someone bringing something new to the meeting. And when it’s something that provides the answer to a long lingering assumption, “it’s like Christmas morning,” says Lauren Henry, Biltmore’s Curator of Interpretation.

Christmas morning came in the spring of 2024 when Jill Hawkins and Caragh Koon, archivists on the team, presented a new finding at the April meeting.

The find? Edith Vanderbilt’s century-old Christmas Gifts Ledger.

Edith Vanderbilt’s legendary generosity during the holidays was exemplified by her thoughtful gift-giving to employees and their families.

A Legacy of Generosity: Edith’s Holiday Spirit

The stories about Edith’s generosity are legendary, especially during the holidays. She gave back to the community and showed her appreciation for her employees by selecting gifts for them and each of their children and giving out the gifts at the annual grand employee Christmas party, which is a tradition we continue to this day.

We’ve known that Edith kept notes on the gifts she gave to each person from year to year to avoid duplications, but it wasn’t until this discovery of this gifts ledger that we have tangible proof that she indeed kept meticulous track.

This historical treasure also reveals in charming detail more information about the gifts and their recipients.

“It’s exciting to see the specificity of the gifts, and that every member of the household (for those living on-property) received a gift, not just the employees and their children, but also what appears to be employees’ parents and maybe even in some cases their servants,” Lauren says.

More than 600 names are listed in Edith’s gifts ledger, which covers roughly the years 1909 to 1930.

Many of the names are familiar to Lauren and the team since their work puts them in consistent contact with the estate’s vast collection of archival material.

Despite its unassuming appearance, the well-worn Christmas gifts ledger, discovered among other accounting books, serves as a vital historical record showcasing Edith’s meticulous administrative skills.

Exploring Edith’s Historical Record

The Christmas ledger is typical-looking for its time and rather unassuming, yet between its covers exists an important historical record. The 12”x18” volume is covered in oxblood-colored leather binding, is slightly tattered, and missing a spine. Given its well-worn condition, it was surely a go-to source for Edith and her staff. Jill and Caragh happened to find it during an inventory project, blending in with other ledgers that served as cash books, accounts receivable records, and other accounting notes.

Edith’s administrative skills are demonstrated throughout. Interior pages look like precursors to Excel spreadsheets, each distinguished by bookkeeping columns filled with beautiful, swirly cursive handwriting. Lauren has confirmed that there are two sets of handwriting in the ledger – neither of which are Edith’s, but that of her secretaries. At the top of the first page, in the right-hand corner, “ESV” is written in pencil, Edith’s initials – in Edith’s handwriting.

The gifts ledger reveals a detailed account of recipients, tracking their ages and presents over the years, illustrating Edith’s deep understanding of the families she supported.

Growing Up in the Gifts Ledger

Down the left-hand column of each page is a list of names. To the right a column notates the person’s age, the year, and what gift they were given. As you move across the page to the right, you can track what that person received for several years in a row. Often, names are organized by family, with the parents’ names and ages first, then all the children and their ages listed below them.

“It’s great to see in the ledger who those items went to… How those things changed as they grew up,” Lauren says.

“You see a baby getting something like soap or diapers, or a toy or ball, and as they get older, they might get a hand mirror, perfume, makeup, a money safe. Here’s one for a boy named Neil. He was 7 months old, and he got socks, and then sandals, then a toy car, and then a ball at 3 years old.”

Edith often gave clothing or practical household items, like an umbrella or a bookcase, to the adults on her list. One year a family received a set of books by Charles Dickens.

“This helped her get to know the families better, by knowing how old they were and the kinds of things they liked,” Lauren says. It’s also a priceless record of Edith’s fondness for her employees and her attention to detail.

Edith’s gifts ledger documentation extends beyond presents to include employee addresses and occupations, offering a comprehensive view of life on the estate and humanizing the Vanderbilts and their staff.

Employee Details in Edith’s Documentation

Edith’s documentation also includes employee addresses, their occupations, and in some cases, the data is indexed based on the department in which employees worked, like Landscaping.

“This is one of the most complete documents we have for employees in this time period,” Lauren says. “It also further humanizes the Vanderbilts and the people who worked and lived on the estate.”

Details from Edith’s ledger provide the team with fresh and new insights into the era and support their ongoing research to understand what life was like during the time when the Vanderbilts lived in Biltmore House.

“We have the pleasure to make discoveries like this because we have such a huge archive – over 100 years’ worth. It’s fun for us to realize what we have here right under our noses,” Lauren says.

A towering Banquet Hall Christmas tree is one of the many traditions spanning generations that you can experience for yourself with a Christmas visit.

Experience Biltmore’s Christmas Traditions for Yourself

This recent discovery of Edith’s Christmas gifts ledger not only sheds light on her generosity and excellent bookkeeping but also helps connect us all to Biltmore’s thoughtful holiday traditions that span generations.

From the grand Banquet Hall tree to estate-wide decor and celebrations, we invite you to experience our beloved traditions when you visit this Christmas at Biltmore.