Curator continues Staatsburgh’s grand skating history
During her time, Ruth Ogden Mills, the reserved grand dame of the lavish Staatsburgh State Historic Site, was, in fact, a proficient ice skater, perfecting moves not commonly performed 100 years ago, including the double Philadelphia grapevine.
In January of 1895, The New York Herald said Mrs. Ogden Mills was “quite too graceful and proficient.”
Maria Reynolds, present day curator at the Mills’ estate, Staatsburgh State Historic Site, is herself an accomplished figure skater, and is even a U.S. Figure Skating Gold Medalist. “For me, like it might have been for Ruth Mills, skating is athletic and artistic, allowing one expression through music and dancing.”
On Tuesday, January 21, 2025 at 6pm, Reynolds will explore the popularity of skating during the era as well as demonstrate the maneuvers of Staatsburg’s former resident Ruth Mills during the virtual program, “Art On Ice: Gilded Age Figure Skating.” The event is free and open to the public.
Register for the program, here: https://engagedpatrons.org/EventsRegister.cfm?SiteID=2969&BranchID=&EventID=541674&PK=
