Two Heirs Died on the Titanic. Their Family Palace Later Fell Into Ruin: The Wideners

Hey guys! We're now on Spotify 🎧 Join us here: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Cvs0yj... In 1912, three members of one of the richest families in America boarded the Titanic's maiden voyage, and only one came home. Peter Widener had built a fortune of nearly $100 million from Philadelphia's streetcars and raised Lynnewood Hall, a palace of 110 rooms, to hold it for three generations of Widener men. On the night of April 14th his son George and his 27-year-old grandson Harry went down with the ship, while George's wife Eleanor was handed into lifeboat 4 and lived. The house that cost around $8 million to build would sell, 40 years later, for just $192,000. This is the story of how a single night at sea emptied a dynasty. Subscribe to the channel: @velvetsociety-s7l In this video, we talk about the rise and ruin of the Wideners, including the butcher's boy who built a streetcar empire, the palace hung with 14 Rembrandts, the last dinner for Captain Smith, Harry's lost library and the small book that went down with him, Eleanor's survival and her astonishing second life up the Amazon, and the gift of the collection to the National Gallery of Art that ended the family for good. 🔔 Subscribe so you never miss a story like the Wideners'. 💬 Comment where you're watching from and what you make of Eleanor's choice to begin again. 📢 Share this on Facebook, Reddit or a group chat that loves history. You are the reason this channel exists. Chapters: 00:00 Opening 01:18 The seat she was handed, and the two she left. 07:27 A butcher's boy who bought a city's streets. 15:11 The palace a grieving man built. 22:52 The grandson who collected the imperishable. 29:05 A chef, a hotel, and a ship called new. 42:37 The ship on the horizon, and the train home. 48:46 The collector laid among his paintings. 56:52 A mother's answer, written in stone and books. 1:03:37 The widow who chose the Amazon. 1:10:39 The son who gave the treasure away. 1:17:20 What the water left, and what the name became. Sources: The Wideners: An American Family (Encyclopedia Titanica) https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org... Eleanor Widener, Titanic Survivor (Encyclopedia Titanica) https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org... Harry Elkins Widener, Titanic Victim (Encyclopedia Titanica) https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org... George Dunton Widener, Titanic Victim (Encyclopedia Titanica) https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org... Peter A. B. Widener and Joseph Widener (Dumbarton Oaks) https://www.doaks.org/resources/cultu... Harry Elkins Widener (Harvard Magazine, 2019) https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2019/... Widener Library (Wikipedia) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Widener... DISCLAIMER: This video is based on real historical events and figures, drawn from the sources listed above alongside primary archives, biographies, court records, period press, and leading historical scholarship. While every video is heavily researched, occasional minor inaccuracies in dates, quotes, or specific details may occur — historical sources sometimes disagree, and interpretation is sometimes required where the historical record is silent. Any errors are unintentional. #Titanic #Wideners #GildedAge #LynnewoodHall #EleanorWidener #HarryElkinsWidener #GeorgeWidener #PeterWidener #Philadelphia #Edwardian #NationalGalleryOfArt #WidenerLibrary #History #Documentary #VelvetSociety #AmericanHistory #OceanLiner #1912 #Heiress #TitanicHistory #LostFortunes