‘Bunny Mellon Style’ Celebrated at Luncheon
By • June 2, 2022 0 1509
After a long pandemic-imposed hiatus, co-chairs Willee Lewis and Katherine Field Stephen welcomed supporters of PEN/Faulkner to a sun-filled literary Founding Friends luncheon around the pool of the Honorable Ann Brown on May 25. The Browns’ house is at treasure trove of modern art — a catalog lists pieces by Alexander Calder, Frank Stella and Lou Stovall among many others.
The speaker was Thomas Lloyd, president of the Gerard B. Lambert Foundation, founded by his grandmother Bunny Mellon — Rachel Lambert Mellon. He serves on the boards of the Trustees Council of the National Gallery of Art, the Institute of Classical Art & Architecture and the PEN/Faulkner Foundation. Lloyd co-authored “Bunny Mellon Style” with Bryan Huffman, Linda Jane Holden.
A book review reads: “Blending stories and accounts from such a wide variety of viewpoints results in a unique perspective of this extraordinary woman who moved in the upper echelon of society but preferred not to be noticed in the public eye. This book reveals Mrs. Mellon’s style in furnishings, art, and collectibles; her dietary habits and penchant for picnics; her personal investment in designing every aspect of her homes, secondary buildings, and gardens. Come away with the highest regard for a woman who was disciplined and self-taught, who loved learning from historic texts, who was accomplished in myriad ways, and who was as utterly unpretentious and down-to-earth…. A foreword by her grandson Thomas Lloyd is both surprising and warm.”
Guests enjoyed glimpses of an extraordinary lady who only a family member could capture in such warm detail.
Willee Lewis, Katherine Field Stephen, Ann Brown and Thomas Lloyd. Photo by Mary Bird.
