Harry Whitney McVickar (1860-1905)

He was born and grew up at Irvington, New York. He started his career as an artist and illustrator, with his work appearing in Life and Harper's Bazaar. He co-founded Vogue, which was then a weekly newspaper, and illustrated several books including Pastels in Prose (1890), Mr. Bonaparte of Corsica (1895), The Evolution of Woman (1896), and a later edition of Henry James' Daisy Miller (1904). Having made enough money as an artist, he set himself up in the real estate business in New York, becoming a member of S. Van Rensselaer Cruger & Co. until Cruger died in 1898 and he became the head of McVicker & Co. This firm was succeeded by the McVickar Realty Trust Company, and the Empire State Trust Company, which were merged in 1904. Harry became 1st Vice President of the Empire State Trust Co., in charge of the real estate department and while its president, Leroy W. Baldwin, took charge of the banking side of the business. In addition, Harry was a director of the Knickerbocker Trust Company, and Treasurer of Gaillard & Co. He lived at West 39th Street, New York City, and was a member of the Century Association, the Lambs Club, Players', Lawyers', Tuxedo, and Riding clubs. He contracted pneumonia during an automobiling tour of Europe and died at the home of his father-in-law, Henry A. Robbins, at Southampton, L.I., without children.