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About Dungeness & Andrew Carnegie
Simply put, the
Dungeness was a home of Andrew Carnegie one of the richest
men of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He
lived there during the winter. The home is located on Cumberland Island,
Georgia, United States. The spirit of Dungeness even now, despite being in
ruin, is still vibrant; not just because of its imposing physical
structure, but because somehow, it still bespeaks the unique
influence of the man for whom it was built.
Thomas Carnegie, brother and partner of steel magnate Andrew, began
building Dungeness' foundations in 1884 with his wife Lucy. The ruins of
the mansion are striking; one can only imagine how amazing it must have
been in its heyday. Nearby, they also built Plum Orchard a Georgian
revival-style mansion for their son, Georgia, and his wife, Margaret Thaw.
Carnegie family members donated Dungeness and Plum Orchard to the National
Park Foundation in 1971. Their contribution along with funds from
supporting foundations helped win Congressional approval for establishing
the Cumberland Island National Seashore. Eighty percent of the Island is
now owned and managed by the National Park Service though a few, privately
owned tracts remain.
My personal inspiration for executing this painting of Dungeness was
born out of my visit to the mansion. Being there surrounded by the ruins,
the wildlife, the secluded island atmosphere; imaging what life must have
been like here over a century ago was a heady experience for me. This home
and the people who built it played an important and critical role in the
growth and maturation of the United States.
For a student of history and America, Dungeness has a lot to say about
human achievement and life to everyone. It is not just a story about
Andrew Carnegie and what he achieved. I feel very fortunate to have been
able to see firsthand a bit of this Scottish immigrant’s legacy and
lifestyle. Andrew Carnegie has become an historic symbol of what a man can
accomplish. It is my belief and personal experience that America, as it
has been and as it is still today—even more so—is the best place for a dreamer who wants to be
all he can be.
Andrew Carnegie
Themes: the American Dream, labor, industrialization, philanthropy.
born: 25 November 1835
died: 11 August 1919
Faced with sudden poverty in Scotland, Andrew Carnegie's family emigrated to America. Determined to escape poverty, Carnegie went on to become the richest man in the world. After amassing a fortune, Carnegie systematically gave away millions.
According to Britannica
Encyclopedia, Carnegie, who, at the age of 33, when he had an annual
income of $50,000, said, “Beyond this never earn, make no effort to
increase fortune, but spend the surplus each year for benevolent
purposes.”.
Andrew Carnegie is one of the captains of industry of 19th century America, he helped build the formidable American steel industry, a process that turned a poor young man into one of the richest entrepreneurs of his age. Later in his life, Carnegie sold his steel business and systematically gave his collected fortune away to cultural, educational and scientific institutions for "the improvement of mankind."
Although Andrew Carnegie made millions of dollars in the steel industry, he is best known for the legacy of donations he made to various charitable causes. Carnegie donated nearly $350 million to education, research, and art institutions. In fact, some sources state that by the time he died in 1919, he had given away $350,695,653. At his death, the last $30,000,000, was likewise given away to foundations, charities and to pensioners.
Carnegie founded the Carnegie Technical Schools—now called Carnegie-Mellon University—in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1900 to make a contribution to both research and education. For the arts, he built Carnegie Hall, a grand concert hall, in New York City. Carnegie also founded a number of libraries throughout the United States.
Data was compiled from different sauces.
Erik Ciel, an artist representative, based in
Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, United States, also contributes to this
report.
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