In 1935, Elizabeth Drexel Lehr (later Lady Decies), former wife of social climber Harry Lehr, released a scathing exposé of life in the Gilded Age entitled King Lehr. In this book, Drexel Lehr recounts many summer events held in Newport under her husband’s purview, including a party hosted at their rented home “Arleigh” for the pampered pooches of Newport:
So we sent out invitations to a ‘Dog’s Dinner.’ All our friends’ dogs were asked (accompanied by their owners of course). There must have been at least a hundred of them, big dogs and little dogs, dogs of every known breed; many of them came in fancy dress…The menu was stewed liver and rice, fricassée of bones and shredded dog biscuit.
A subsequent exaggerated article published by local newspapers, according to Drexel Lehr, caused a scandal. She states: “After that everyone wanted to give a party whose keynote was originality, not extravagance.”
Above: A photo of “Peter” taken at Berkeley House on Bellevue Avenue in October 1916. Image from the NHS photo collections.
“Arleigh” on Bellevue Avenue, the location of the noteworthy pet party. Image from the NHS collection.