This article is for quizzes on Wednesday June 29th...
Pickfair was an 18-acre estate in the city of
Beverly Hills, California designed by architect
Wallace Neff for
silent film actors
Douglas Fairbanks and
Mary Pickford. Coined "Pickfair" by the press, it was one of the most celebrated homes in the world.
Life Magazine described Pickfair as "a gathering place only slightly less important than the White House... and much more fun."
Located at 1143 Summit Drive, in
San Ysidro Canyon in Beverly Hills, the property was a hunting lodge
when purchased by Fairbanks in 1919 for his bride, Mary Pickford. The
newlyweds extensively renovated the lodge, transforming it into a
4-story, 25-room
mansion complete with stables, servants quarters, tennis courts, a
large guest wing, and garages. Remodeled by Wallace Neff in a
mock Tudor style,
it took 5 years to complete. Ceiling frescos, parquet flooring, wood
paneled halls of fine mahogany and bleached pine, gold leaf and mirrored
decorative niches, all added to the authentic charm of Pickfair. The
property was said to have been the first private home in the Los Angeles
area to include an in-ground swimming pool, in which Pickford and
Fairbanks were famously photographed paddling a canoe.
