Star Studded Sponsors Support 2017 Legendary Beverly Hills Garden Tour
Virginia Robinson Gardens is proud to announce that several top Beverly Hills iconic organizations are sponsoring this year’s Friends of Robinson Gardens 2017 Garden Tour and Showcase Estate event, aptly themed Legendary Beverly Hills – Garden City of the World. Each organization’s support—some of these companies have supported the Virginia Robinson Gardens for many years—helps to ensure a successful event that is focussed on sharing with the community its special local treasure, the magnificent home and gardens of Virginia Robinson. Not only does this lovely estate have an intriguing history during the development of the world famous Beverly Hills, but so do many of its sponsors. Here is a peek into the history of our sponsors that curiously intertwines with the life of Virginia Robinson…
9250 Beverly Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310-659-2980
www.bhbenz.com
Mercedes Benz of Beverly Hills is one of the Sponsors for this year’s much anticipated Friends of Robinson Gardens, “Legendary Beverly Hills” Garden Tour on Saturday, May 20th. The Friends is honored to have this support from such an iconic symbol of excellence. This level of refinement is also what Virginia Robinson sought to create at her estate. Virginia Robinson Gardens set the standard for the luxurious lifestyle image of Beverly Hills.
Virginia Robinson helped to create the concept of the Beverly Hills mystique as envisioned by the founders, including Burton Green and Henry Huntington. It was to be an upscale community with the largest estates properties north of Sunset. This year’s garden tour will focus on these larger estates that had enough property to make significant gardens.
Mercedes Benz is the oldest car manufacturer in the world. Karl Benz with a few investors started Benz & Cie. Rheinische Gasmotoren-Fabrik Mannheim in 1883. That same year Virginia Robinson’s father-in-law first opened the Boston Dry Goods Store, later known as J. W. Robinson Co. in downtown Los Angeles.
Much as Virginia Robinson was a pioneering independent woman, so was Carl Benz’s wife. Without telling him, Bertha Benz took the brand new automobile on its first road trip in 1888. Bertha, with her two sons, drove to visit her mother a hundred kilometers away. In the 1950s, Virginia Robinson would open J. W. Robinson Co in Beverly Hills. This helped to transform Beverly Hills into one of the most glamorous shopping destinations in the world.
Beverly Hills Mercedes Benz is a perfect sponsor for this historic estate and the Friends of Robinson Gardens “Legendary Estates of Beverly Hills” Garden Tour.
To see more about the history of Mercedes, go to the Daimler website: https://www.daimler.com/company/tradition/museums-historical-sites/carl-benz-house.html
P.O. BOX 570
Beverly Hills, CA 90213
310-386-6803
www.thebeverlyhillscollection.com
The Friends of Robinson Gardens is especially thrilled to have Robert S. Anderson and The Beverly Hills Collection participate as one of our sponsors for the perfectly themed 2017 Garden Tour, “Legendary Beverly Hills.” In 1912, the Anderson family became instrumental in shaping Beverly Hills into the glamorous destination for which it is known today by opening the Beverly Hills Hotel. Currently, through Robert Anderson’s work, the family continues to play an important role in helping to preserve this cultural lifestyle for generations to come.
The Beverly Hills Collection is the publisher for two of the most important books about this historically significant era, which are eponymously named Beverly Hills: The First Hundred Years and The Beverly Hills Hotels: The First 100 Years. These two magnificent table-top books, which were the brainchild of Robert Anderson, were a lifetime labor of love and respect for this era’s history. It was Robert Anderson’s great-grand mother and grandfather who had the foresight to know what this area could become when they took the chance and opened the Beverly Hills Hotel in 1912. Except for a handful of homeowners, it wasn’t until Margaret Anderson and her son Stanley built the Beverly Hills Hotel that the area began to develop. And it wasn’t until two years later that Beverly Hills became incorporated as a city. This visionary spirit is what got Virginia and Harry Robinson to build their home a year before the hotel was opened. And it is why the Friends of Robinson Gardens is so honored to be sponsored by the Beverly Hills Collection and Robert Anderson.
Robert Anderson has spent countless hours gathering and preserving the history of his family and the area. Since he is so knowledgeable, it makes us especially pleased that he appreciates preservation and the importance of the Virginia Robinson Gardens, as well as the other Legendary Estates in Beverly Hills.
1999 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 2850
Los Angeles, California 90067
310-824-2200
www.woodridgecapital.com
The Friends of Robinson Gardens is proud to announce the sponsorship by Woodridge Capital Partners. Because their company is committed to restoring historic properties in their own collection, it is a perfect marriage of interests in preservation. Woodridge Capital Partners has a particular focus in owning and restoring historically significant properties in California, including the famed Fairmont San Francisco (1907), The Mark Hopkins (1926), Hotel Californian (1925) in Santa Barbara, Colony Palms (1931) in Palm Springs and The Century Plaza Hotel, (1966) in Los Angeles. Woodridge Capital Partners is a broad-based, multi-disciplined real estate development and investment company based in Los Angeles. Its founder is Michael Rosenfeld.
One of the properties holds a very special place among important historic properties. In 1907, history was made when The Fairmont San Francisco, Nob Hill’s grand dame, opened its doors. However, that was not without unexpected restoration that had to take place after the great San Francisco earthquake and fires that followed. Significantly, the then owners, undeterred by the damage incurred after the massive fire following the earthquake, hired a young new architect, Julia Morgan. Although she would complete over 800 projects in her career, she would become most well-known for Hearst Castle. Today, the Fairmont is a prized jewel in the collection of the Woodridge Capital Partners portfolio.
Once again, another woman, Virginia Robinson, plays an important role in the Woodridge Capital Partners’ philanthropic commitment to historic preservation. Virginia Robinson’s father designed and built her home while she and Harry Robinson were on a trip around the world. Virginia continued to design and expand the estate, especially taking an interest in the important gardens that exist on the property today. Buildings take a great deal of effort to maintain and preserve and gardens, because of their ephemeral nature are even more challenging. The Friends of Robinson Gardens is pleased to have such an important and sensitive partner who understands the challenges and necessity of maintaining the cultural fabric of our community. The Friends of Robinson Gardens is so honored to have Woodridge Capital Partners as one of its partners in preservation.
Cartier of Beverly Hills
370 N Rodeo Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310-275-4272
Cartier Beverly Hills website
Boutique Cartier Beverly Hills is a long time cherished supporter of the Virginia Robinson Gardens. This year, Cartier is one of the sponsors for the Friends of Robinson Gardens’ “Legendary Beverly Hills” Garden Tour. This theme fits perfectly with Cartier’s important historic position in the refined world of the luxury trade.
Cartier is recognized in this community for their various philanthropic goals which highlight their love of nature. It isn’t a surprise that among the multiple jewelry styles, the exquisite flora motif in Cartier’s jewelry reflects this passion for gardens. As well as sponsoring the Virginia Robinson Gardens, Cartier also continues to assist in the restoration project of the Beverly Gardens Parks on Santa Monica Blvd.
Virginia Robinson Gardens also has a connection to Cartier’s love of fauna. Virginia Robison was known to be passionate about her pets, which included a wide variety of birds, monkeys, a tortoise named George, and her many beloved dogs. Much as Cartier refers to their jewelry in a fauna design as part of their menagerie, so too, many people referred to Virginia’s assortment of pets as her menagerie.
To see some of the wonderful images of Cartier’s work and learn about their history, click on http://www.cartier.com/en-us/maison/history-and-stories.html where you can see a selection of delightful videos displaying their work while providing insight into the background of these collections.
Rodeo Realty of Beverly Hills
9171 Wilshire Blvd #321
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
www.rodeore.com
Rodeo Realty is the Perfect Sponsor for the Friends of Robinson Garden’s “Legendary Beverly Hills” Garden Tour.
What an excellent combination of benefactor and corporate supporter. Rodeo Realty is the largest independent real estate brokerage headquartered in Beverly Hills and Virginia Robinson Gardens is one of the earliest estate properties still in existence in Beverly Hills. In addition, Rodeo Realty is the leading luxury residential real estate firm in California. One of the aspects of the business they consider extremely important is marketing and branding. Therefore, they have chosen the Virginia Robinson Gardens as an ideal vehicle to support because of the Gardens important historical significance. The Virginia Robinson Gardens represent an elegant lifestyle captured and preserved at a certain moment of time.
Rodeo Realty has generously underwritten the magnificent banners advertising the upcoming garden tour which can be seen along a long stretch on Sunset Blvd between Beverly Hills and Brentwood. Because of the concern and support from Rodeo Realty, the Friends of Robinson Gardens will be able to attract much more attention to this sublime property, the Virginia Robinson Gardens and the fabulous upcoming garden tour, “Legendary Beverly Hills.” The proceeds from this great event will allow the Friends to assist in preserving and maintaining this important historical location.
499 Cañon Drive. Suite 100
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310-278-1322
www.bhcourier.com
For over 50 years, the Beverly Hills Courier has been the newspaper of record for the City of Beverly Hills. In addition to reporting on local issues, community events and global news, the Courier has a dedicated record of philanthropy, donating generously to dozens of charities annually, including Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), UNICEF, PetCare Foundation, St. John’s Foundation and Cedars-Sinai Women’s Guild.
In 2015, the Friends of Robinson Gardens was thrilled to present to Marcia Wilson Hobbs, the President and Publisher of the Beverly Hills Courier, the Spirit of Beverly Hills Award for her many years of dedicated philanthropic work.
This year’s Friends of Robinson Garden Tour theme, “Legendary Beverly Hills,” reflects the significant support that the Beverly Hills Courier and Marcia Hobbs have shown for promoting the venerable and important history of this unique community. Marcia stands tall in a long line of powerful women dedicated to improving and preserving the culture and history of Beverly Hills. Virginia Robinson is also in that list as a person who helped create the image of what Beverly Hills could represent as one of the “Garden Capitals of the World” and then made sure that others could appreciate its history by making her home and gardens accessible to the public.
The Friends of Robinson Gardens is so pleased to have such support from an institution that cares about this community so deeply.
Post by Marcella Ruble
Friends of Robinson Gardens
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