I had the pleasure of interviewing Alfred Vanderbilt III a few years ago for my Plaza Personality column. Mr. Vanderbilt specifically requested that we meet in the famed Oak Room. When we walked into the Oak Room, Mr. Vanderbilt pointed at the mural of the Cornelius Vanderbilt Mansion and said, “That is my Great Grandfather’s home, which is now Bergdorf Goodman.” What an amazing way to start an interview. The Everett Shinn trio of murals in the Oak Room depict the Grand Army Plaza, the Cornelius Vanderbilt Mansion (which was formerly next door to the hotel) and above the Oak Bar is a stunning mural of the entrance to the Pulitzer Fountain. It is reported that each mural is worth over a $1 million.

The man behind the strokes, Everett Shinn, was noted for his gritty scenes of city life, and he certainly didn’t disappoint any of us when he painted the three dark murals in the Oak Room. He captured the essence of the night time city light, combining it with the character and ambience of the bar. However, decades of tobacco smoke took its toll on the Oak Room and, after years of much-needed renovation, it was finally resurrected in November 2016, exclusively for private events.