The Gilded Gentleman

Returning guest historian and author Connor Williams returns to The Gilded Gentleman table for the in-depth and insightful discussion of the Civil War's influence on the following age of extraordinary wealth and structural advancement for the country.  

Connor discusses how America's economic power centers reversed themselves following Emancipation and how the manipulation of wealth fueled the growth and wealth of the Gilded Age. In addition, Connor takes a look at some of the literature of the era including writers such as Mark Twain who captured a very new America in their work.   

Connor is the autho...

Victoria Woodhull was one of the Gilded Age's most challenging, revolutionary, outspoken, and certainly fascinating figures. Often called the first woman to run for president of the United States, Woodhull worked as a spiritualist and newspaper publisher. She and her sister also became the first female Wall Street stockbrokers.  

But Woodhull's life, as biographers have struggled to capture, was a mix of paradoxes, contradictions, and challenges that easily defy simple definition.  

The Gilded Gentleman takes a look at who Victoria Woodhull was and her lasting influence, as well as how the creative team behind "A Simple H...

The Gilded Age was not limited to New York. Other cities developed differently during the 19th century and responded uniquely to this period of great technological and economic growth.  Boston, Massachusetts, the heart of New England, had a very different story than that of New York. Boston had wealth and a sharp social divide; the Boston elite, known as the "Brahmins," were quite different from the Astors and Vanderbilts of New York.  

Boston channeled its money into education, social reform, and cultural expansion. Indeed, during the 19th century, the city was a center for abolitionists and the women...

Join The Gilded Gentleman and Michael Morganthal, a veteran journalist and professional tour guide, for this journey through the news process in late 19th-century New York.   

Michael shares how the Gilded Age gave rise to a nearly 24-hour news cycle and how news was reported and transmitted. 

In addition, he discusses the rise of sensational "yellow journalism" and the intense competition among titans such as Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst as the Gilded Age set the stage for the modern news machine we know today. 

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In 1894, Madeline Pollard was the most famous woman in America. Her name was splashed across newspaper headlines, and the public hung on every word she said and waited to see and discuss every article of clothing she wore.  

Pollard was suing a well-known Kentucky Congressman, William Breckenridge, for breach of promise. He had promised to marry her upon his wife's death - but chose another woman instead.  The courtroom drama unfolded like the best page-turning novel. 

Meanwhile, behind the scenes, an unassuming young woman from Maine, Jane Tucker, was working furtively under an assumed identity - Agnes Pa...

An isolated house, creaky staircases, hidden passages and often a dead body in the Library. These are the elements of the classic British murder mystery, particularly those written by the queen of all mysteries, Agatha Christie.  

Returning guest and English country house expert Curt DiCamillo joins the Gilded Gentleman table to discuss the origin of the British fascination with murder, some of the very first popular mysteries, and how the golden age of the murder mystery novel in the 1920s and 1930s came to be. 

In addition, Curt discusses several English country houses, ranging from thos...

Louis Comfort Tiffany truly gave the Gilded Age a new way to see the world, showing a talent for innovation, extraordinary artistic vision and the empowerment of those with whom he collaborated and hired.  He was also known for employing and developing opportunities for women as not only creators but also as skilled managers. 

This episode focuses on the work of the women of Tiffany, highlighting two of the most famous: Agnes Northrop, known for her stunning landscape windows, and Clara Driscoll, known for her innovation in lamp design, including the "dragonfly," one of Tiffany's most emblematic des...

As Netflix launches a new adaptation of the beloved Laura Ingalls Wilder series "Little House on the Prairie" this summer, fans new and old cannot help be enchanted by the iconic 1970s television adaptation as well—written, directed, and produced by Michael Landon, who played the role of "Pa".  

Joining The Gilded Gentleman table for a look back at the series is original cast member Alison Arngrim, who played the role of Nellie Oleson, the bratty, selfish daughter of mercantile owners Nels and Harriet Oleson, and became a character we all just loved to hate. 

Alison...

It's easy to conjure images of the high Gilded Age when seeing the great mansions of Newport or elsewhere, but the origins of that grand, flamboyant style began elsewhere.  

The idea of a modern French-inspired mansion with Renaissance influences was new when LeGrand Lockwood commissioned his estate in Norwalk, Connecticut, in the mid-1860s. For a time, it was the grandest home in America, exceeding even the opulence and elegance of the White House. Architects and designers who would later put their stamp on the palaces of the Gilded Age, such as the Herter Brothers, Leon Marcotte, and...

As grand mansions and country houses were built during America's Gilded Age, an integral part of any estate design was an equally grand and impressive garden. Drawing on European traditions, great Gilded Age gardens ranged from the very formal to a more natural style that incorporated the surrounding countryside. 

The most successful garden designer of the late 19th century was the extraordinary Beatrix Farrand. Establishing herself as a designer with exceptional talent and a unique point of view, she competed in a profession largely dominated by men. 

Her designs, a few of which can still be seen today...

Historian and academic Nancy Unger joins The Gilded Gentleman to delve into the social politics of divorce in the Gilded Age.  She discusses several high-profile cases of the 19th century; even the Astors and Vanderbilts were not immune. 

Throughout history, marriage has functioned as a prerequisite for one's role in an accepted society and have also served as business deals, empire-building, and, in some cases, actual love matches. Thus -- they were often very difficult to end.

Throughout much of the 19th century, the idea of dissolving a marriage through divorce was nearly unthinkable for many...

Have you ever wondered how many of the famous Gilded Age families kept cats as pets? The answer may surprise you. Cats were a constant presence in the lives of New Yorkers of the era and often served very specific, even professional roles.

Author and “cat historian” Peggy Gavan joins the Gilded Gentleman for a delightful exploration of some of the Gilded Age’s most notable felines — from Nicodemus, the scrappy star of New York’s first cat show in 1895, to Buzzer, America’s most photographed cat, and several others.

She also traces the emergence of crucial i...

Founded in Milan in 1913 by the Italian brothers Mario and Martino Prada, the original business focused on producing and selling luxury leather goods to an aristocratic and royal elite.  

With the advent of ready-to-wear and the expansion of fashion retail in the 1970s, Prada entered the global market under the direction of the founder's granddaughter, Miuccia Prada. The now iconic black nylon backpack featuring the silver Prada logo became one of the most sought-after fashion accessories as the brand expanded into women's and men's wear lines.   

Fashion historian Natalie Nudell joins the Gilded Gentleman table to discus...

The late 19th century in America saw the emergence of a new social phenomenon —perhaps not entirely new— a class of young men who chose not to follow a traditional path to marriage. They were the bachelors.

The choice was driven by a number of reasons and the social image of many of these men ranged from "rake" to "artiste" and many variations in between. Literature and the media all attempted to characterize the curious, mysterious, yet often dramatic lives of this new social class.

Author and historian R. Tripp Evans joins the Gilded Gentleman to e...

On the morning of November 7, 1878, it was discovered that the tomb of wealthy Gilded Age merchant A. T. Stewart had been opened and his body taken.   

Although this was shocking, the idea of graves being opened and bodies stolen was not new, and in fact, it became a fairly common occurrence during the 19th century and before. Bodies were snatched for a variety of reasons, including ransom, but more often to serve as specimens for the expanding medical profession to use in research and training.  

In this episode, cemetery historian and tour guide James Henry takes u...

Celebrities ranging from Oscar Wilde and Sarah Bernhardt to Mark Twain and Walt Whitman all made their way to the top-floor studio in Manhattan’s Union Square—with its tiny elevator—to have their images immortalized by Napoleon Sarony, America's most famous photographer during the Gilded Age. 

Sarony’s genius lay in his ability to stage a photograph using poses, costumes, and makeshift sets, all designed to allow the essence of his subject to emerge. As a result, the portraits he created of so many of the era’s leading figures have become their defining, iconic images.

But w...

In honor of Women's History Month -- a classic episode from the Bowery Boys! Within just a few decades – between the 1880s and the 1920s – so much social change occurred within American life, upending so many cultural norms and advancing so many important social issues, that these years became known as the Progressive Era. And at the forefront of many of these changes were women.

In this show, Greg Young visits two important New York City social landmarks of this era —Henry Street Settlement, founded by Lillian Wald on the Lower East Side, and the Cabrini Shrine, where Moth...

Stanford White is one of the most recognizable figures of the Gilded Age. Known for his flamboyant style and outsized personality, he loomed large over New York society. 

His private life captured headlines and fueled persistent gossip, particularly his scandalous relationships with young women—most famously the chorus girl and model Evelyn Nesbit. His sensational 1906 murder at the hands of Evelyn’s husband, Harry K. Thaw, was quickly dubbed “the crime of the century.”

This very special episode, however, turns away from the scandal to focus on White’s work, his artistic eye, and his extraordina...

Dr. Carla Peterson, author of “Black Gotham: A Family History of African Americans in Nineteenth Century New York,” has been a pioneer in uncovering and sharing the story of New York’s wealthy Black entrepreneurial elite through the Gilded Age. 

Exemplified by the storyline of Peggy Scott and her family in the HBO series “The Gilded Age,” this story adds dimension and richness to a society that was far more diverse than it had ever been portrayed. 

As part of our celebration of Black History Month, we offer an ENCORE of Carla’s episode on The Gilded Gentlem...

When Town Topics magazine appeared in the 1880s, Gilded Age New Yorkers enjoyed its coverage of the arts, culture, and social scene of balls, opera, and grand parties. But there was another element in the mix—the often salacious, sensationalized, scandalous coverage of the drama of the gilded set in the publisher’s column “Saunterings.” 

Using a network of informants across the city, the publisher, Colonel William D’Alton Mann, frequently printed implied gossip about "The Four Hundred" — unless, of course, he was paid to keep it out of his pages.

Town Topics became a blackmail and...

New York Times bestselling author Fiona Davis knows about both history and mystery.

In her eight novels, Davis deftly weaves real-life historical characters and events with fiction to create fascinating tales with lots of intrigue and  always a good mystery to solve along the way. And all of them are set in iconic New York City landmarks, in time periods ranging from the Gilded Age to the Jazz Age and beyond

In this show, Fiona joins the Gilded Gentleman to discuss three novels with ties to the Gilded Age,The Address, set in the fabled Dako...

Many fans of Edith Wharton's great novels "The Age of Innocence" and "The House of Mirth" may not realize that her very first published book was not a work of fiction at all. 

In 1897, in collaboration with architect and interior designer Ogden Codman Jr, Wharton published "The Decoration of Houses", at the time, a groundbreaking work on the philosophy of interior design calling for a return to the classic European principles of balance, symmetry and proportion. 

In fact when she built her own great country home The Mount in Lenox, Massachusetts in 1902, she incorporated many of...

Don Spiro, a vintage beverage specialist and one of the Gilded Gentleman's most popular guests, serves up a fascinating history of cocktails in the 19th century. So many cocktails often thought to have originated in the 20th century actually had their origins in the bars and saloons of the Gilded Age. 

So fill the ice bucket and join Don and The Gilded Gentleman in a toast to a great new year!

This episode was edited by Kieran Gannon

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For many New Yorkers—and visitors alike—New Year’s Eve means gathering in Times Square, patiently counting down as the crystal-studded ball descends from the top of the former New York Times Building to mark the start of a new year. 

Yet the celebration’s story runs far deeper than that single iconic moment. From how Times Square became the heart of the festivities to the ways its evolving character has shaped the city’s most famous night, New York’s New Year traditions are rich with history.

 Join Greg Young and Tom Meyers of The Bowery...

Bowery Boys History Live is a live-show series at City Winery hosted by Greg Young featuring a variety of historians and tour guides. The last installment this summer featured author Liz Block and tour guide Keith Taillon. As live performances, they're a bit more loose and irreverent than the regular podcast and sometimes feature references to images being projected on stage.

As a special holiday bonus, step into the season with this festive dose of “Hot Victorian” history, naughty-list edition.

Join Greg Young of the Bowery Boys Podcast as he hosts this special holiday edition of B...

The new revival of the musical Ragtime, by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens (book by Terrence McNally, based on the novel by E.L. Doctorow), is one of the big hits of the new Broadway season. Lincoln Center Theater has produced the latest rendition, and times have certainly changed since the musical's original Broadway production in 1998. 

The new revival makes the show's characters and issues even more relevant for our present day. Along with the fictional character Coalhouse Walker Jr. and the archetypal characters Father, Mother, and Younger Brother, the show features several celebrities and power players from tu...

During the 19th century celebrations began to evolve from the once more popular New Year's Day to the beginnings of the Christmas celebrations we know today.  

In author Becky Diamond's new book "The Gilded Age Christmas Cookbook", Becky shares recipes, stories and historical notes to add glitter and sparkle to today's Christmas festivities. Becky discusses the origins of many of our favorite traditions, which were brought to America by waves of immigrants arriving during the 19th century. 

And for modern readers and cooks, she shares some easy-to-make recipes for very special dishes of the Gilded Age that w...

Willa Cather, the beloved American novelist who lived during the height of America's Gilded Age, is perhaps best known for her insightful passionate writing about life on the Nebraska Plains where she spent her childhood. 

But Cather's writing and life included much more than that. She spent a significant part of her adult life in Pittsburgh before coming to New York and establishing her life with her partner Edith Lewis in bohemian Greenwich Village. Her work is set in an astonishing array of locations from New York to London to the American Southwest. Cather's characters span the broad ran...

As New York grew throughout the 19th century so too did crime grow within the burgeoning population. In the early years, there was little in the way of law enforcement except some constables and night watchmen.  

By mid-century, the city saw the evolution of TWO police forces, a later the force grew from a loose organization dictated by corruption and cronyism to a professional force led by Theodore Roosevelt in the 1890s.  

Esther Crain, guest author and historian and creator of Ephemeral New York, returns to the show to delve deeply into this world of police...

On October 19, 2025, the world was shocked to learn of a brazen daylight heist of precious jewels from the Louvre. But this was not the first ambitious heist carried off in broad daylight at the Louvre.

In fact, in 1911, another heist took place - and this time the stolen property was none other than the world-famous "Mona Lisa" by Leonardo Da Vinci. 

Join the Gilded Gentleman for the tale of this robbery— an inside job! —and the international search for both the painting and the thief. 

This episode originally ran in February 2023, but recent events...

The height of the Gilded Age also brought about the rise of tabloid journalism. Newspapers competed with one another to see who could expose the most sensational headlines and scandalous stories. 

In 1889, Robert Ray Hamilton, the great-grandson of Alexander Hamilton, found himself in a tangle of lies, deceit, forged identity, attempted murder, and fraud that made headlines all over the country. 

The story, which went on for nearly two years, has been forgotten today, but author Bill Shaffer brings it all back to light in his book "The Scandalous Hamiltons". Bill joins the show to explo...

In 2013, John Cooper, an expert on Oscar Wilde, made a surprising discovery. While researching aspects of Wilde's famous 1882 American lecture tour, he came upon a lengthy article written and copyrighted by Wilde in 1885 on his philosophies of dress.  

What made this unique was that this significant piece of writing by Oscar had seemingly been forgotten or lost to history.  

This episode marks the publication of a new edition of John's book Oscar Wilde on Dress which includes the original essay, as well as extensive background and supplemental material to put not only the essay but also Osca...

Ulysses S. Grant, one of the most important and consequential presidents, is also one of the most misunderstood.  

Ulysses Dietz, Grant's great-great grandson, joins The Gilded Gentleman to share his perspective on the lives of Grant and his wife Julia. 

Ulysses discusses how the couple approached the beginnings of the Gilded Age from both a social and politicial standpoint, expounding upon the story from Grants’ transformation of the White House to establishing their lives in the ballrooms of the Vanderbitls in New York City. 

This episode was produced and edited by Kieran Gannon.

As the new feature film Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale opens worldwide, we see for the final time the elegant, glamorous and always dramatic world of Lord and Lady Grantham and their family.  We also have a chance to look back at the evolving fashion and hairstyles of Downton's characters as they have evolved from the series debut set in 1912 up to this final film set in 1930.  

Joining The Gilded Gentleman table to trace this fashion history is listener favorite Dr. Elizabeth L. Block, who takes us from the high Edwardian style we saw with Violet, the Dowage...

Butlers, it seems, know everything. They are privy to the goings-on above and below stairs, and, of course, they keep it  - mostly  - to themselves. Agnes van Rhijn's very British butler Bannister has become a show favorite as he manages the downstairs staff and to a certain degree life above stairs as well. 

Simon Jones, who plays the role of Bannister, is a veteran actor with an astonishingly impressive list of credits from stage, film and television. Jones has played roles in such productions as The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Brideshead Revisited and Downton Abbey.  His past co-sta...

One of the most anxiously followed storylines in HBO's "The Gilded Age" has been the love story between Oscar van Rhijn and John Adams. 

Adams (Claybourne Elder), who was born into a prestigious New York family as the descendant of a Founding Father, became a fan favorite as the couple navigated their complex relationship out of society's glaring view. 

Following the dramatic events of Season 3, actor Claybourne Elder joins The Gilded Gentleman, along with Greg Young of the Bowery Boys Podcast, to discuss his role and character, what filming the series was like and what the lif...

Ever since the premiere episode of HBO's "The Gilded Age", viewers and historians have discussed just how close the fictitious character of Bertha Russell (played by Carrie Coon) may be to the real-life socialite steamroller Alva Vanderbilt.  

There certainly seems to be similarities from Bertha and Alva's mutual unrelenting drive to claw a place in society - and then there was, after all, the fact that both women married their daughters off to British dukes. 

The Gilded Gentleman takes a look at Alva's own story -- we have so far, been given little of Bertha's -- in an attem...

We all have our favorite characters on HBO's "The Gilded Age," and one fan favorite is certainly the maid-turned-social climber, the former Enid Turner -- now Mrs. Joshua Winterton. 

It's hard to forget her great entrance in Season 2 when she arrives on the arm of her much older (and very wealthy) husband to Bertha's jaw dropping disbelief.  

Actor Kelley Curran, who plays the role of Mrs. Winterton, joins The Gilded Gentleman to talk about how she created the role of Enid, what her backstory likely could be, and what it was like filming some of Enid...

Some called him the Gilded Age's biggest snob. Others thought he was a genius of social protocol and maneuvering through aristocratic circles.  

Most famously, he acted as Mrs. Astor's right hand in sorting, selecting and assembling a group of New York's elite he was credited (erroneously) as naming "the 400".  Nonetheless his influence on who got in and who stayed out was significant - but just exactly who was HE?  

Join Carl for this in-depth look at just who Ward McAllister (played by Nathan Lane in HBO's "The Gilded Age") was and how he climbed the social lad...

Newport, Rhode Island has been an important center for the evolution of America's African heritage community. -- from its earliest days of the 18th century slave trade to the late 19th century years of the Gilded Age, 

Viewers of HBO Max's The Gilded Age follow the character of Peggy Scott and her family to Newport and into the center of its wealthy, thriving Black community in the late 19th century. 

Joining The Gilded Gentleman to trace this extraordinary history of Newport's African heritage community is Rhode Island's historian laureate Keith Stokes. Keith is a 9th gen...