Apple TV’s glamorous new hit show ‘Palm Royale’ offers a glimpse into the gilded but intriguing world of Palm Beach jet set in 1969, but who were the real women dominating the social scene that year?
The elegant coastal city hosted some of the richest and most iconic Americans of the era, including Estée Lauder, Marjorie Merriweather Post and Noreen Drexel.
Now, stunning time capsule images carefully preserved in the state archive offer a peek behind the curtain at what life was really like for those on the scene as they dressed to the nines in colorful floor-length printed dresses and wrapped themselves with extravagant jewelry. .
For many, these powerful women were the original Palm Beach influencers, but instead of showing off their outfits on TikTok like today’s residents, they relied on glittering parties, galas, and charity balls to show off their style.
Estée Lauder was photographed in a teal dress and dazzling headpiece dancing the waltz with professional dancer Verne Casanave.
Diana Auchincloss (left), stepmother of actress and model Brooke Shields, photographed at a fashion show during a benefit event for St. Mary’s Hospital at the Everglades Club.
Lyn Fisher Sheresky Revson, the wife of Revlon founder Charles Revson, cultivated a fashion collection that landed her on society publications’ “best dressed” lists.
Many of the images were taken at exclusive locations such as Worth Avenue and Royal Poinciana Plaza, and high society chronicler Bert Morgan captured a series of events including a March 1969 gala benefiting St. Mary’s Hospital at the Everglades Club in Palm Beach and a Red Cross fundraiser at The Breakers.
A photograph from a fashion show as part of the St Mary’s Hospital event features Diana Auchincloss, stepmother of actress and model Brooke Shields.
Auchincloss, photographed in a floor-length blue and white printed dress with a green bow and matching satin shoes, was previously married to Thomas Gore Auchincloss, a member of the Onassis family.
His father was the German vice consul in the United States. The well-connected woman was also a debutante and a member of the Grosvenor Ball committee, according to a New York Times wedding announcement.
Also at the fashion show was Mary Obolensky, a former FBI worker and later a dedicated philanthropist that included support from the Russian Nobility Association and the Cancer and Blood Foundation.
Obolensky also established the Mary Obolensky Underwood Foundation for leukemia research before her death in 2006.
There’s also a relaxed image of Eugenie Marron with Alwin Franz and Edwin B. Coleman on the elite shopping street of Worth Avenue, where designers like Chanel have window displays.
Marron, a New York socialite who set world records as a pioneering deep-sea fisherman, dazzled in bright red pants and a matching blouse with a Peter Pan collar.
Marron became the first woman to catch a giant bluefin, according to her obituary.
Marjorie Merriweather Post (right) appears in a snapshot of Bert Morgan reigning over a Red Cross ball at the world-famous luxury hotel The Breakers.
Everglades Club members celebrate the club’s 50th anniversary in February 1969.
Mary Obolensky, former FBI worker and later dedicated philanthropist that included support from the Russian Nobility Association and the Cancer and Blood Foundation.
Agnes Carvel is pictured at the Everglades Club at a St Mary’s Hospital gala in March 1969.
Mrs. George Matthews at a fashion show at the Everglades Club for the St. Mary’s Hospital Ball in Palm Beach on March 8, 1969.
Joyce Hepworth moved to Palm Beach with her husband George in the 1960s. She developed a passion for firearms, “eventually becoming one of the few NSCA Level clay, skeet, trap and field sports instructors.” III”, according to his obituary. She was also a sports fishing and competitive shooting enthusiast.
Hepworth appears with her husband George at a luau hosted at the home of former United Nations Committee Chairman Peter IB Lavan.
Marjorie Merriweather Post appears in a snapshot of Bert Morgan reigning over a Red Cross ball at the world-famous luxury hotel The Breakers.
Merriweather is seen wearing a striking pink dress, red satin shoes and a tiara atop her head. Diamonds also drip from his neck, wrists and earrings in a glamorous display of wealth.
Some of Post’s jewelry was so exquisite that it was bequeathed to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC.
Post made money as the owner of General Foods Corporation and rose to become the richest woman in America.
She was the previous owner of the Mar-a-Lago mansion in Palm Beach, now the residence of former President Donald Trump and his wife Melania. Post was married four times during her life and each time ended in divorce.
Agnes Carvel is pictured at the Everglades Club at a gala for St Mary’s Hospital in March 1969.
A relaxed image of Eugenie Marron with Alwin Franz and Edwin B. Coleman on the elite shopping street of Worth Avenue
Mrs. J. Archie Peck at the fashion show at the Everglades Club for the St. Mary’s Hospital Ball
Mrs. Eric Javits at a fashion show at the Everglades Club for the St. Mary’s Hospital Ball
Dr. Roger Currie with Rose Kennedy and Richard Clasby at the Everglades Club
Her eye-catching long gold gloves parade over her gold sequin bag.
Carvel appears alongside her husband Tom, the inventor of soft serve ice cream and founder of the Carvel ice cream brand.
Noreen Drexel, pictured with her husband John R. Drexel III, came from an aristocratic English family before immigrating to the United States with her mother in 1938. Her ancestors include eight holy martyrs.
Having never had a formal education, she was a strong supporter and supporter of public schools. She was very involved with several philanthropic organizations, including leading the West Palm Beach Red Cross, an event at which she is pictured.
At the same event, Estée Lauder was photographed in a teal dress and dazzling headpiece dancing a waltz with professional dancer Verne Casanave.
The cosmetics entrepreneur looks glamorous in red lipstick and bright eyeshadow.
Lauder maintained a high-profile social life in Palm Beach, mingling with the likes of Ivana Trump.
Lyn Fisher Sheresky Revson, wife of Revlon founder Charles Revson, a competitor of Estee Lauder.
Revson enjoyed vacations on her yacht and cultivated a fashion collection, including dozens of Hermes handbags, landing her on society publications’ “best dressed” lists, according to a W profile after his death.. She lived with her husband in a 28-room triplex in Manhattan before divorcing after ten years of marriage.
Revson is seen wearing a large puffy white dress with puffed sleeves, a sleek navy blue collar, and a red bow across her chest. She accompanies her at the John R. Drexel III Red Cross dance.
Mrs. and Mr. Earl J. Robinson and their mother, Mrs. Andrew Fraser, Christmas shopping on Worth Avenue
So what would these icons of Palm Beach’s current style think?
Instead of being on the guest list for a charity benefit at the Breakers, the modern social status symbol appears on the unofficial list of the best dressed in town: the ‘Class of Palm Beach’ social media account.
Class of Palm Beach, which has racked up millions of views on TikTok, parades the best dressed in town and asks them where they bought their chic outfits.
The popular social media page is the brainchild of a millennial resident, who often found herself stopping wealthy people on the street and asking them which designer stores they bought their clothes and accessories from.
Some Palm Beach users are so determined to appear on the account, which has 672,000 followers, that they wait on the busiest avenue for hours in the hope of being noticed by the page’s sought-after administrator, DailyMail.com previously reported.