George Beach de Forest (1848-1932)
Banker & Collector of Rare Books, of 14 East 50th Street, New York City
He was a banker, bibliophile and art connoisseur. In 1910, he was said to have owned one of finest private libraries in America: "In the library of Mr. George Beach de Forest, in mere contemplation of the Elzevir books, the hours fly wildly as if a furious god chased them with whips through the vast azure" (Four Private Libraries of New York by Henri Pène du Bois, 1892). On December 4th 1882 at St. Bartholomew’s Church, New York, he married his Mexican-born Franco-American wife Anita, daughter of Louis Hargous. They lived between 14 East 50th Street, New York City, and “Train Villa” (see images) on Bellevue Avenue in Newport, Rhode Island. They had one son, Louis Stanislaus Hargous De Forest.
