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Abstract

This issue of Newport History continues the celebration of the Newport Historical Society’s one-hundredth year of publishing a journal focused on the history and culture of Newport County. Produced under the title Bulletin of the Newport Historical Society from1912 to 1963 in 112 issues, the journal has since 1964 continued under the title Newport History for an additional 155 issues, including the present number.

By the time he died on February 4, 1900, George Henry Norman had risen from ordinary beginnings as a student in Newport public schools to considerable wealth and modest fame. Along the way, he became a sort of everyman’s Renaissance man. This issue of Newport History is devoted to varied aspects of the Norman family presence in the Newport area.

The lead article brings to life George Henry Norman and his family through the eyes of his late granddaughter, Barbara Norman Jones Cook (1899-1985), known around town by the nickname Kittymouse. Her son, Daniel W. Jones Jr., worked with the Editor to provide a framework for narratives recorded on tape by Kittymouse in 1975.

George Henry Norman’s personal wealth manifested itself most tangibly in his Belair estate, located on Buena Vista, the former name of part of Old Beach Road. Working with the Editor, Jennifer L. Robinson assembled varied images into a photographic essay on the Belair estate, providing unique visual insights into how the Normans lived.

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