Cartier Mansion

1905

Architect: C.P..H. Gilbert

Address: 653 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan

There are many amazing things about the Cartier Mansion on Fifth Avenue, but two that stand out are (1) that a 1905 Neo-Renaissance mansion is still standing, and (2) that Cartier has been IN the damned thing since 1917. Burning brightly every night of the year, the mansion is filled to the brim with priceless Cartier jewelry and objets d’art, and it even dolls itself up quite nicely during the holiday season. Serendipity also played a part in this shoot; there was a full moon the night I showed up to shoot.