Four Seasons Restaurant collection
Call Number
Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
Scrapbooks, ephemera, photographs, renovation files, books, pamphlets, audiovisual materials, and a few objects documenting the history of the Four Seasons, the pioneering restaurant of "New American Cuisine," located at 99 East 52nd Street, Manhattan, from 1959 to 2016. Its spaces, designed by architect Philip Johnson, included the iconic Pool Room and Grill Room—birthplace of the "power lunch"—and gained official New York City interior landmark status in 1989. The Four Seasons moved in 2018 to 42 East 49th Street, where it closed permanently in 2019.
Historical Note
When it opened in 1959 at 99 East 52nd Street in Manhattan, off Park Avenue, its $4.5 million dollar cost (about $40 million today) made the Four Seasons the most expensive restaurant ever constructed in New York. Under the stewardship of James Beard, the restaurant pioneered what came to be called "New American Cuisine" and is credited with introducing seasonally-changing menus, and American wines, to the nation.
Occupying ground floor space originally intended for an auto showroom in the Seagram Building—the only New York work of International Style exponent Ludwig Mies van der Rohe—the Four Seasons was designed by Philip Johnson and a team of consultants for Restaurant Associates, which managed it with the Bronfman family (owners of the building and of the Seagram Company) through 1973. The restaurant's interiors included two main dining rooms: the Pool Room, where live trees, changed seasonally, marked the corners of a 20-foot-square white marble water feature, and the Grill Room, where rippling chain draperies at the windows complemented artist Richard Lippold's quivering brass rod sculpture suspended over the bar. In 1989 the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the Four Seasons an interior landmark. (This designation excluded a key decorative feature which hung in the passage connecting the Pool and Grill rooms since the restaurant opened: Pablo Picasso's painted theater curtain for Diaghilev's 1919 ballet "Le Tricorne." Purchased by the Bronfmans for the space, it was given in 2005 to the New York Landmarks Conservancy. Sale of the Seagram Building prompted its removal and conservation in 2014. Custody of the curtain was transferred to the New-York Historical Society, where it remains on display.)
Tom Margittai and Paul Kovi assumed management of the restaurant beginning in 1973, passing control in 1994 to junior partners Julian Niccolini and Alex von Bidder. Under their leadership the Four Seasons played host to countless celebrity regulars, financiers, publishers, politicians, and fashion editors. For decades architect Philip Johnson had his daily private table in the Grill Room, where the concept of the "power lunch"—a working meal over which the rich and powerful discuss important deals—is said to have originated.
Through a change in ownership of the Seagram Building, the Four Seasons lost its lease in 2016, and closed after dinner service on July 16 of that year. In 2018 the restaurant moved a few blocks south to 42 East 49th Street, to a $30 million dollar space designed by Brazilian architect Isay Weinfeld that echoed the décor of its original location. The Four Seasons closed permanently on June 11, 2019.
For further details see John Mariani and Alex von Bidder, The Four Seasons: A History of America's Premier Restaurant (New York: Crown Publishers, 1994), New-York Historical Society library call number F128 TX945 .5 .F45M37 1994.
Arrangement
The collection is organized in seven series:
- Series I.
- Scrapbooks, 1959-2003, 2005-2019, undated
- Series II.
- Ephemera, 1962-2019, undated
- Series III.
- Photographs, slides, transparencies, circa 1970s-2015
- Series IV.
- Renovations (original and new location), 1987-2018
- Series V.
- Books, pamphlets, and periodicals, 1971-2016, undated
- Series VI.
- Audiovisual, 1990-2012, undated
- Series VII.
- Objects, 1995-2018, undated
Scope and Contents
Except for two employee handbooks and an in-house operations manual [see Series II], this collection does not include the business records of the Four Seasons. Rather, the material is largely ephemeral in nature. A significant portion is devoted to scrapbooks documenting the years 1959–2003, presumably assembled by the restaurant's public relations staff from newspaper clippings, magazine and trade publication tear sheets, award certificates, photographs, banquet and regular menus, and invitations, all relating to events and people—especially celebrity diners—at the Four Seasons [see Series I].
Assorted ephemera dating from 1962–2019 complements the scrapbooks, and includes printed items, such as wine lists; matchboxes and a shopping bag with the Four Seasons logo; and a menu for President John F. Kennedy's 45th birthday dinner at the restaurant [see Series II].
Photographs document the Four Seasons' spaces, décor, and staff between the 1970s and 2015, with a large portion given to the kitchen renovations undertaken in 1997. Others capture owners Tom Margittai, Paul Kovi, Julian Niccolini, and Alex von Bidder posed with celebrities and world figures who visited the restaurant, such as Anne, Princess Royal, James Beard, George H. W. Bush, Barbara Bush, Bill Clinton, David Frost, Keith Hernandez, Philip Johnson, John F. Kennedy, Sophia Loren, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Lee Radziwill, Diane von Furstenberg, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, and the 14th Dalai Lama [see Series III].
The collection contains a series of files on construction and renovation projects at the original (99 East 52nd Street) and final (42 East 49th Street) locations of the Four Seasons between 1987 and 2018; workaday topics include "Asbestos," "Bathroom ADA," "Exhaust," "Ice Machines," and "Plumbing" [see Series IV].
The restaurant's famous food and stylish interiors were featured in numerous books, pamphlets, and periodicals over its six-decade history, and the collection includes a selection of these, such as the Four Seasons Cookbook (1971), Dunbar Fine Furniture of the 1950s (2000), and owner Alex von Bidder's picture book for children, Wiggens Learns His Manners at the Four Seasons Restaurant (2009) [see Series V].
As with print media, the Four Seasons was profiled countless times by television news outlets, such as CNN, and was the setting for reality and scripted programs, like the short-lived 1990s soap "Central Park West" on CBS. The collection includes copies of many of these appearances, as well as wedding ceremonies and receptions held at the restaurant, on VHS cassettes, CDs, and DVDs, dated 1990–2012 [see Series VI].
Lastly, the collection contains a handful of objects associated with the Four Seasons, such as plaques displaying its 2014 Zagat restaurant review rating, and a hard hat with the restaurant's logo from construction of its final home at 42 East 49th Street [see Series VII].
Subjects
Organizations
Families
Genres
People
Access Restrictions
Open to qualified researchers.
The VHS cassettes in Series VI are restricted because of their fragility and because N-YHS has no equipment on which to play them. Similarly, the digital media (i.e., CDs and DVDs), also in Series VI, are currently restricted from access in order to ensure that the digital files are not accidentally corrupted. For further information please contact the curator of manuscripts at manuscripts@nyhistory.org.
Use Restrictions
Photocopying undertaken by staff only. Limited to 20 exposures of stable, unbound material per day. Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to:
Department of Rights and Reproductions
The New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West
New York, NY 10024-5194
rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org
(212) 873-3400 ext. 282
Copyrights and other proprietary rights may subsist in individuals and entities other than the New-York Historical Society, in which case the patron is responsible for securing permission from those parties. For fuller information about rights and reproductions from N-YHS visit: https://www.nyhistory.org/about/rights-reproductions
Preferred Citation
The collection should be cited as: The Four Seasons Restaurant Collection, MS 3151, The New-York Historical Society.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection is the gift of Alex von Bidder, co-owner of the Four Seasons from 1994 through 2019. Most of the material arrived in 2019 (accession no. MS-2019-039), except for the files under Series IV, and some of the objects in Series VII, which were received in 2016.
Separated Materials
Some objects from this collection have been transferred to the custody of the New-York Historical Society's museum division, including two neckties, a spool of ribbon, a Four Seasons table lamp, a wooden model of the new Four Seasons restaurant, and seven framed medals awarded to the Four Seasons by the James Beard Foundation and DiRoNa (Distinguished Restaurants of North America).
About this Guide
Processing Information
Archivist Joseph Ditta arranged and described this collection in January-February 2020.
Repository
Series I. Scrapbooks, 1959-2003, 2005-2019, undated, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Contains newspaper clippings, magazine and trade publication tear sheets, award certificates, photographs, banquet and regular menus, invitations, and ephemera, all relating to events and people—especially celebrity diners—at the Four Seasons.
Arrangement
Materials have been removed from their oversized binders and placed into folders following the original chronological order. The scrapbooks proper cover 1959 through 2003; loose material, dating from 1993 through 2019, is filed after. Printed dining menus, where present, are highlighted in the container list.
Scrapbook, 1959-1966, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Includes menus dated
• 1959 August 14: Just Because Luncheon / Andrew and Leonard Arkin
• 1962 May 19: President's Birthday Dinner [J.F.K.; photocopy]
• 1962 August 21: Gorton's of Gloucester, Inc. Introduces the Fresh-Lock Process
• 1963 June 10: Luncheon to Honor the Honorable Michel Legendre, Consul General of France
• 1963 October 3: general menu [in pencil on verso: "Emperor Haile Selassie"]
• 1963 October 18: In Honor of His Majesty King Humbert II of Savoy
• 1964 March 16: Physician's Wine Appreciation Society
• 1964 June 16: Un Diner de Convives
• 1964 August 7: New York Life Welcomes Directors and Wives American Bar Association Endowment
• 1965 June 9: Africa Service Institute in honour of Mr. John Mosler
• 1965 June 27: Dinner in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Weinberger on the occasion of their marriage tendered by Mr. and Mrs. Alex Rutledge
• 1965 September 1: Reception and Dinner Honoring Mr. Joseph L. Eckhouse
• 1965 December 1: Reception and Dinner in honor of Dr. and Mrs. A. W. Jann
• 1965 December 9: Reception and Luncheon tendered by Max M. Fisher
• 1966 January 26: Charter Members Luncheon Club
• 1966 April 29: Reception and Dinner
• 1966 November 6: general menu [in pencil on verso: "Cohen Nathaniel"]
Scrapbook (2 folders), 1967-1973, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Includes menus dated
• 1967 February 1: Dinner in Honor of Charles Henri Heidsieck by Thomas F. McCarthy
• 1967 March 22: Confrérie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs
• 1967 June 18: Wedding Reception and Dinner in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Slater
• 1967 November 16: Physician's Wine Appreciation Society
• 1967 November 27: The Plimsoll Club
• 1967 December 12: Confrérie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs
• 1967 December 19: Le Parlement de Saint Nicolas de la Commanderie de Bordeaux
• 1968 January 16: Confrérie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs
• 1968 January 18: Luncheon to Honor Count Michel d'Ornano
• 1968 February 19: Foods of the World Press Reception
• 1968 February 29: Reception and Dinner in honor of James E. Aitken
• 1968 March 20: Dinner to Honor the Delegation from the Finance Committee of the French National Assembly
• 1968 May 1: Dinner in Honor of Mr. and Mrs. Henri Woltner by Thomas F. McCarthy
• 1968 May 28: Luncheon to Honor General Georges F. Doriot
• 1968 June 9: Wedding Reception and Dinner in honor of Doctor and Mrs. Emanuel Marritt
• 1968 September 6: In Honor of Minx Deutsch and Mel Boren, Pre-nuptial Dinner
• 1968 September 7: In Honor of Mr. and Mrs. Mel Boren, Wedding Dinner
• 1968 October 31: Christian Brothers of California Third Annual Wine Harvest Luncheon
• 1968 December 9: Le Parlement de Saint Nicolas de la Commanderie de Bordeaux
• 1969 September 11: Confrérie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs
• 1970 December 17: Le Parlement de Nöel de la Commanderie de Bordeaux
• 1971 March 11: Four Seasons Grill Room Dinner
• 1971 April 7: Diner de Gala Taittinger
• undated: Wine and Food Society, Inc., New York
• undated: Dinner honoring the Continental Mark IV
Scrapbook, 1974-1979, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Includes menus dated
• 1974 March 12: Fête de Jurade de St. Emilion
• 1977 June 14: Summer
• 1977 September 26: Fall
• 1978 April 5: Spring
• 1978 June 21: Summer
• 1978 September 26: Autumn
• 1979 March 20: Spring
• 1979 June 20: Summer
• 1979 October 3: Autumn
• undated: The Four Seasons Grill (multiple drafts, versions)
• undated: This Evening's Entrees for the Four Seasons Theatre Dinner
Scrapbook, 1980-1982, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Includes menus dated
• 1980 January 10: Winter
• 1980 March 27: Spring
• 1980 June 17: Summer
• 1980 September 17: Autumn
• 1981 January 14: Winter
• 1981 June 23: Summer
• 1981 September 22: Autumn
• 1981 December 16: Winter
• 1982 March 23: Spring
• 1982 April 22: Spring (at the Dorchester, London)
• 1982 June 15: Summer
• 1982 October 12: Autumn
Scrapbook (2 folders), 1983-1984, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Includes menus dated
• 1983 March 16: Spring
• 1983 June 14: Summer
• 1983 October 4: Autumn
• 1984 January 12: Winter
• 1984 March 21: Spring
• 1984 June 20: Summer
• 1984 October 9: Autumn
Scrapbook (2 folders), 1985-1987, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Includes menus dated
• 1985 January 16: Winter
• 1985 June 13: Summer
• 1985 October 8: Autumn
• 1986 January 16: Winter
• 1986 March 25: Spring
Scrapbook, 1988-1989, inclusive
Scrapbook, 1990-1992, inclusive
Scrapbook, 1993, inclusive
Scrapbook, 1994, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Includes menus dated
• 1994 January 19: Winter Four Seasonal
• 1994 May 1: Third Annual Dinner Debut of the 1990 Barolo Vintage (invitation + menu)
• 1994 May 11: Wine Writers Circle 20th Anniversary Luncheon
• 1994 September 29: Autumn Four Seasonal
• 1994 October 23: Premiere Showing of the Bordeaux Vintage 1992 (invitation)
Scrapbook, 1995, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Includes menus dated
• 1995 February 5: Irvington Institute for Medical Research, Valentine's Day (invitation + menu)
• 1995 May 1: Fourth Annual Dinner Debut of the 1991 Barolo Vintage (invitation)
Scrapbook (2 folders), 1996, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Includes menus dated
• 1996 January 30: Winter Four Seasonal
• 1996 March 26: Spring Four Seasonal
• 1996 May 6: Fifth Annual Dinner Debut of the 1992 Barolo Vintage (invitation + menu)
Scrapbook (3 folders), 1997 January - June, inclusive
Scrapbook (2 folders), 1997 July - December, inclusive
Scrapbook (3 folders), 1998 January - June, inclusive
Scrapbook, 1998 June - August, inclusive
Scrapbook (2 folders), 1998 September - December, inclusive
Scrapbook (2 folders), 1999 January - May, inclusive
Scrapbook (3 folders), 1999 May - September, inclusive
Scrapbook, 1999 October - December, inclusive
Scrapbook, 2000 January - June, inclusive
Scrapbook, 2000 June - December, inclusive
Scrapbook, 2001, inclusive
Scrapbook, 2002, inclusive
Scrapbook (3 folders), 2003, inclusive
Loose material from scrapbooks, 1993, 1995, inclusive
Loose material from scrapbooks (3 folders), 2005-2019, undated, inclusive
Loose material from scrapbooks, circa 1970-2015, undated, inclusive
Loose material from scrapbooks, 2016, undated, inclusive
Series II. Ephemera, 1962-2019, undated, inclusive
Scope and Contents
A mix of printed items and smaller-sized objects produced by or for the restaurant.
Arrangement
Organized alphabetically by topic.
Bar Room Savories menu, undated, inclusive
Cooking Class, 2019 March 2
Cooking Class, 2019 May 11
Employee Handbook, [2018-2019], inclusive
Employment Manual, 1992 July, inclusive
JFK 45th birthday (2 folders), 1962 May 19
Scope and Contents
The Four Seasons hosted a dinner for John F. Kennedy following the Democratic Party's fundraising gala in his honor at Madison Square Garden, where Marilyn Monroe famously sang "Happy Birthday, Mr. President." Includes layout and table set-up instructions, staff assignments for the evening, and a framed menu.
"Lunch Money", [circa 1994-2019], inclusive
Scope and Contents
Small black, canvas, zippered change purse with caricatures of Four Seasons owners Alex von Bidder and Julian Niccolini, containing a gold-toned token with the same images and stamped "LUNCH FOR TWO AT THE BAR / IN JULIAN I TRUST" and "A BOTTLE OF CA' DEL BOSCO / IN ALEX I TRUST."
Matchboxes (3), undated, inclusive
Conservation note
Boxes (with Four Seasons logo) retained, and stick matches discarded for safety, January 2020.
News Articles, circa 2014, inclusive
[Operations manual], [before 2016], inclusive
Scope and Contents
From a binder labeled "Menu."
Place cards (blank), undated, inclusive
Press packet, original location, circa 2000, inclusive
Press packet, new location (3 copies in 3 folders), [2016], inclusive
Shopping bag, undated, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Small, paper doggie bag with cord handles and Four Seasons logo.
Stationery, undated, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Blank stationery designed with caricatures of Julian Niccolini, Alex von Bidder, and other Four Seasons personnel.
Wine list, 2005 May 20
Wine list (incomplete), 2007 October 15
Wine list (2 copies), 2008 February 12
Wine list illustrations, undated, inclusive
Series III. Photographs, slides, transparencies, circa 1970s-2015, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Images of renovations to the Four Seasons kitchen in 1997, the restaurant's 40th anniversary celebration in 1999, and views of its spaces and staff at various events.
Arrangement
Organized by photographic format: prints, slides, transparencies, and photograph albums.
Photographs. Kitchen renovation (8 folders), 1997 January 1-18, inclusive
Photographs. Food preparation and interiors, [circa 1997?], inclusive
Photographs. Miscellaneous (3 folders), circa 1970s-2015, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Chiefly images of Four Seasons owners Tom Margittai, Paul Kovi, Julian Niccolini, and Alex von Bidder posed with celebrities and world figures who visited the restaurant, such as Anne, Princess Royal, James Beard, George H. W. Bush, Barbara Bush, Bill Clinton, David Frost, Keith Hernandez, Philip Johnson, John F. Kennedy, Sophia Loren, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Lee Radziwill, Diane von Furstenberg, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, and the 14th Dalai Lama.
Conservation note
Contents of Folder 23 treated for mold, January 29, 2020.
Photographs. Miscellaneous, circa 1980s-2015, inclusive
Slides. [Restaurant interiors and staff] (2 folders), 1995-1998, undated, inclusive
Slides. [Restaurant interiors] (Daniel Aubry), [2001], inclusive
Slides. 40th anniversary (Mary Hilliard), 1999 June 24
Slides. 40th anniversary (Patrick McMullan), 1999 June 24
Transparencies. [Kitchen staff] (C. G. Winston), undated, inclusive
Photograph album (green binding). Four Seasons. Fred Marcus Photography, undated, inclusive
Photograph album (brown binding). Gruber Photographers, undated, inclusive
Photograph album (black binding). Miscellaneous, undated, inclusive
Series IV. Renovations (original and new location), 1987-2018, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Files documenting renovations and construction at the original (99 East 52nd Street) and final (42 East 49th Street) locations of the Four Seasons.
Arrangement
Organized alphabetically by topic.
Renovations: A, 1995-1997, inclusive
Scope and Contents
From hanging files labeled
• Authorization
• Architects: bills
• Architects: contracts & agreements
• Architects: proposals
• Asbestos: proposals
• Asbestos: reports
• AVB [Alex von Bidder]: renovation notes
Renovations: B, 1992-1996, inclusive
Scope and Contents
From hanging files labeled
• Bathroom: ADA
• Braun Equipment Company
• Broiler
Renovations: Bake Shop (3 folders), 1998-2000, inclusive
Renovations: C, 1987-2011, inclusive
Scope and Contents
From hanging files labeled
• Canopy: correspondence & reports; proposals; schedules
• Canopy: sign
• Carpet
• Cold Food Preparation / Coffee Station
• Construction Manager (TECOR)
Renovations: E-I, 1992-2011, inclusive
Scope and Contents
From hanging files labeled
• Electrical
• Elevator
• Engineers
• Exhaust
• Belmont Freeman
• Furniture
• Ice Machines
• Inspection (Dept. of Buildings)
Renovations: K, 1995-1997, inclusive
Scope and Contents
From hanging files labeled
• Kitchen: bills; contracts / agreements; correspondence & reports
• Kitchen: equipment; estimates
• Kitchen Facilities Renovation
Renovations: L, 1996-1999, inclusive
Scope and Contents
From hanging files labeled
• Landmarks [i.e., New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission]
• Loading Dock
• Locker Room
Renovations: M, 1996-2001, inclusive
Scope and Contents
From hanging files labeled
• Maintenance Contracts
• Metal Refinishing
Renovations: O, 2000, inclusive
Scope and Contents
From hanging files labeled
• Office Restoration
• Operating & Maintenance Manuals [for] Food Service Equipment
Renovations: P (2 folders), 1988-2002, inclusive
Scope and Contents
From hanging files labeled
• Pending Maintenance
• Picasso Cleaning
• Plants (foliage)
• Plumbing
• Point of Sale -- Remanco
• Pool
Renovations: Project Manual, 1996, inclusive
Renovations: Restoration Budget, 1996, inclusive
Renovations: S, 1998-2009, inclusive
Scope and Contents
From hanging files labeled
• Sciame Construction
• Stonhard
Renovations: T-W, 1995-2001, inclusive
Scope and Contents
From hanging files labeled
• Tecor
• Telephone Door
• Woodwork
New location. Corey Di Stasio Design. Four Seasons Restaurant Code Signage Design Development, 2018 March 9
New location. Mark Ladner & Michael Wilson. Four Seasons Summary & Direction Notes, [2018], inclusive
New location. Isay Weinfeld architectural designs, 2016-2017, inclusive
New location. Isay Weinfeld architectural designs, 2016-2017, inclusive
New location. HMWhite. Four Seasons North & South Terrace Preliminary Planting Palette, 2017 March 23
New location. HMWhite. Four Seasons North & South Terrace Preliminary Planting Palette, 2018, inclusive
New location. Gel with Four Seasons trees logo, circa 2016-2018, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Two colored transparent sheets.
Series V. Books, pamphlets, and periodicals, 1971-2016, undated, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Contains publications relating in some way to the Four Seasons restaurant, its food, decor, and history.
Arrangement
Organized chronologically by publication date.
Charlotte Adams. The Four Seasons Cookbook, 1971, inclusive
One Hundred Seasons (2 copies), [1984], inclusive
Martha Stewart. Weddings, 1987, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Autographed on front flyleaf: "For everyone at the Four Seasons, Happiness, Best Wishes and Joy! Martha Stewart."
Gersil N. Kay. Fiber Optics in Architectural Lighting: Methods, Design, and Applications, 1999, inclusive
Dunbar Fine Furniture of the 1950s, 2000, inclusive
Leslie McGuirk and Alex von Bidder. Wiggens Learns His Manners at the Four Seasons Restaurant, 2009, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Children's picture book about a puppy's introduction to good manners at the Four Seasons, co-written by restaurant owner Alex von Bidder.
Ron and Kristine Guialdo. The Color of Magic Event Design, 2011, inclusive
The Four Seasons Without Rothko: Completing a Landmark Modernist Interior, 2011, inclusive
The Four Seasons [Wright auction catalog, July 26, 2016] (2 copies), 2016, inclusive
[Wright Auctions] The Four Seasons: The Iconic Interior by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe & Philip Johnson. Proposal for sale., 2016, inclusive
Levy Lighting | NYC @ The Four Seasons Restaurant, undated, inclusive
[Photobook. Julie Skarratt Photography, Inc.], undated, inclusive
[Photobook. Allan Zepeda Photography], undated, inclusive
Poi Ti Spiego . . . The Recipe Booklet of the Four Seasons Restaurant, New York @ Bloomingdale's, undated, inclusive
Conservation note
Water damage has caused the pages of this booklet to stick together, rendering the whole mostly unusable. January 29, 2020.
Series VI. Audiovisual, 1990-2012, undated, inclusive
Scope and Contents
VHS cassettes, CDs, and DVDs, with footage and still images of the Four Seasons staff being profiled by various news outlets (CNN, Charlie Rose), weddings held at the restaurant, and television programs (both reality and scripted) filmed in its Pool Room, such as Bravo TV's "Bethenny Getting Married?" and the short-lived CBS soap "Central Park West."
Arrangement
Divided by format -- VHS cassettes and CDs/DVDs -- and organized chronologically.
Sub-series VI.A. VHS (31 cassettes), 1990-2000, undated, inclusive
Restricted
The VHS cassettes in Series VI are restricted because of their fragility and because N-YHS has no equipment on which to play them. For further information please contact the curator of manuscripts at manuscripts@nyhistory.org.
Financial News Network: Four Seasons segments from "The American Entrepreneur", 1990 October 22 & 23, inclusive
Rolling Stone 25th Anniversary Comp Reel, 1992, inclusive
Food Network: Food News & Views, 1995 May 1
NY1 News: Four Seasons, 1995 July 26
Food Network: Food News & Views Interview with Christian Albin, 1995 October 29
CBS: Four Seasons / Hitsch, sea urchin, 1996 February 28
Power Lunch, 1996 May 14
E T [Entertainment Tonight?] story on Central Park West. Pool Fight, 1996, inclusive
CBS: Central Park West, 1996 June 28
Pat Bullard Show, Segments 4 & 5, [1996 November 8?]
Where New York: In Food Today, 1997 March 31
Excerpt, Four Seasons Restaurant, from "A Taste of the Nation N.Y.", 1997 April 28
Biz Buzz, Cable New Network: "Gourmet / Best Restaurants", 1997 November 27
CBS This Morning, CBS: "Four Season [sic] / Broadcasting", 1997 December 16
John Francini, ABC, 1998, inclusive
Nick Drakides, CBS: "Public Eye", 1998 May 27
David Letterman, CBS: "Martha Stewart Joke", 1998 July 20
"Casino", 1998 November 6
World News Tonight, ABC: "Alternative Dinner", 1998 November 25
Charlie Rose / Four Seasons, 1999 June, inclusive
NY1: Four Seasons, 1999 July 2
CNN Pinnacle: The Four Seasons (2 copies), 2000 February 20
NBC: Four Seasons, 2000 November 12
19.12.18 - 19.18.25, undated, inclusive
Cholesterol Special, undated, inclusive
Executive Chef Christian Albin, undated, inclusive
Martha Stewart (Duck), undated, inclusive
Talking Food Show #525, undated, inclusive
labeled "Blank", undated, inclusive
unlabeled, undated, inclusive
Sub-series VI.B. CDs & DVDs (29 discs), 1999-2012, undated, inclusive
Restricted
The digital media (i.e., CDs and DVDs) in Series VI, are currently restricted from access in order to ensure that the digital files are not accidentally corrupted. For further information please contact the curator of manuscripts at manuscripts@nyhistory.org.
CD. Four Seasons 50th Anniversary: Billy Farrell Bulk Selects (2 discs), 2009 June 11
CD. Four Seasons 50th Anniversary: Patrick McMullan Bulk Selects (2 discs), 2009 June 11
CD. Four Seasons 50th Anniversary: Neil Rasmus Bulk Selects (2 discs), 2009 June 11
CD. Children's Day at the Four Seasons. Photos by Annie Watt, 2012 August 24
CD. [Alex von Bidder, Julian Niccolini, Christian "Hitsch" Albin, Bill Clinton], undated, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Disc labeled "AVB / JN / HA / Clinton" holding one photo of Alex von Bidder (AVB), Bill Clinton, Four Seasons chef Christian "Hitsch" Albin (HA), and Julian Niccolini (JN).
CD. "All Photos", undated, inclusive
DVD. Alex von Bidder and Julian Niccolini on Charlie Rose, 1999 June 29
DVD. Rothko's Rooms: The Life and Works of an American Artist, 2000, inclusive
DVD. Darcy Miller, Wedding, [2001 May 5]
Scope and Contents
The marriage of Darcy Miller, weddings editor at Martha Stewart Living magazine, to Andrew Nussbaum, took place at the Four Seasons on May 5, 2001.
DVD. Gourmet: Four Seasons Retrospective, 2003 March 31
DVD. Colameco's Food Show: The Four Seasons, 2004, inclusive
DVD. Power Lunch at the Four Seasons (CNBC / NBC Universal) (2 copies), 2009 April 16
DVD. Four Seasons Roast / PGP, [2009 May 5]
Scope and Contents
Brief video prepared for the Four Seasons' 50th anniversary party on May 5, 2009. Features Le Cirque owner Sirio Maccioni.
DVD. The Ultimate Power Lunch: 50 Years at the Four Seasons (CNBC / NBC Universal) (5 copies), 2009 July 3
DVD. Bethenny Getting Married?, season 1, episode 5 (4 copies), 2010 August 24
Scope and Contents
The marriage of Bravo TV reality start Bethenny Frankel to Jason Hoppy took place at the Four Seasons in March 2010. Footage of the ceremony and reception aired as season 1, episode 5 of the series "Bethenny Getting Married" (later renamed "Bethenny Ever After") on July 8, 2010. The date stamped on the DVD--August 24, 2010--is likely when the disc was burned.
DVD. [Bill White and Bryan Eure wedding] (3 copies), [2011 October 23]
Scope and Contents
The marriage of Bill White and Bryan Eure took place at the Four Seasons on October 23, 2011.
DVD. [CNN story on Four Seasons], undated, inclusive
Series VII. Objects, 1995-2018, undated, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Larger-format plaques, awards, and restaurant rating signage. Includes construction samples from the Four Seasons second and final location, 42 East 49th Street.
Arrangement
Organized chronologically.
New York Times plaque, 1995 March 17
Scope and Contents
Columnist Ruth Reichl's New York Times "Dining in New York" review of the Four Seasons, March 17, 1995, shellacked and mounted on a wooden plaque (19.5 x 12.5 inches).
Caution
Box is extremely heavy.
BiZBash award, 2005, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Sculptural lucite, plastic, and metal letter "B" inscribed "Alex von Bidder / BiZBash Hall of Fame / 2005 BiZBash Event Style Awards."
Zagat rating (3 versions), 2014, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Three Lucite plaques (2 large, 1 small) of the Four Seasons 2014 Zagat restaurant review rating, for which it received 27 (out of a possible 30) for food, 28 for decor, and 27 for service. Meals cost an average of $103 per person.
Hard hat, circa 2016-2018, inclusive
Scope and Contents
White hard hat with Four Seasons logo and address 280 Park Avenue, the parent building of the restaurant's second and final location, 42 East 49th Street.
Stone & wood samples, circa 2016-2018, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Two square (3 x 3-inch) stone tiles and three wood samples (marked "Four Seasons Rosewood," "Four Seasons Teak," and "Four Seasons Walnut,") presumably used in the restaurant's second and final location, 42 East 49th Street.
John Lewis Glass samples, circa 2016-2018, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Two 8 x 8-inch samples of "cast glass goldleaf custom gold powder" for the bar counter in the Four Seasons second and final location, 42 East 49th Street.
Caution
Box is extremely heavy.
Gift box with ribbon, undated, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Small (5 x 6.75-inch) hinged brown box with Four Seasons tree logo, plus white ribbon with same logo (inside box).