The Education of a Snob: Ward McAllister's American Aristocracy

The Real Mrs. Astor: Ruler or Rebel?: Caroline Astor was the undisputed queen of New York's Gilded Age elite, but what lay behind her imperious image? Historian Tom Miller (from Daytonian in Manhattan) joins The Gilded Gentleman to talk about some aspects of Mrs. Astor and shares insights into her character we may not have known. by The Gilded Gentleman

35 min listen

Social Climber: The Iron Will and Determined Rise of Alva Vanderbilt: The fight for social dominance and acceptance was a battle fought by many Gilded Age wives along with their financial warrior husbands. One of the most famous was Alva Vanderbilt who rose to finally make it through the golden portals into Mrs. Astor's social circle. Her iron determination resulted in her daughter Consuelo's seemingly fairytale marriage to a British aristocrat in 1895 - but none of it was a fairytale. by The Gilded Gentleman

41 min listen

Creating Drama with Edith Wharton, Henry James and Jennie Jerome: The Gilded Gentleman is joined by playwright Anne Undeland to discuss how she dramatizes the characters of Edith Wharton, Henry James and Jennie Jerome in her plays. by The Gilded Gentleman

43 min listen

Golden Plates and Dinners on Horseback: Tales of Dining in Gilded Age New York: Outrageous stories of Gilded Age dinners served on plates of gold, live swans swimming in a lake in the center of your table and yes, even dinners served on horseback are all true. by The Gilded Gentleman

35 min listen

Castle Howard to Highclere: Treasures of the English Country House.: For fans of the great period television and film dramas Downton Abbey and Brideshead Revisited (among many others), one of the great pleasures is seeing the grand, sumptuous, imposing interiors of some of England's greatest homes used as stage sets in the drama. by The Gilded Gentleman

35 min listen

The Education of a Snob: Ward McAllister's American Aristocracy: The famous Mrs. Astor was credited with building and shaping the Gilded Age elite. But at her side and combining forces with her to create "the 400" was the controversial Ward McAllister. He was originally a Southerner who himself developed a complex persona as the most socially knowledgeable and refined gentleman of the New York elite. Join me for a look into who Ward McAllister really was, how he developed his famous reputation and what led to his infamous break from the social court of Mrs. Astor. by The Gilded Gentleman

38 min listen

To Catch A Prince: Monaco's First American Princess: Grace Kelly captured the attention of the world when she married Prince Rainier III and became Princess of Monaco in 1956. Few people realize that she wasn't the first American born princess to hold the title. Travel back to the Belle Epoque and discover the story of Alice Heine, a New Orleans beauty who captured the heart of a prince nearly 100 years before. by The Gilded Gentleman

36 min listen

Introducing: The Gilded Gentleman: You’re cordially invited to join social and culinary historian Carl Raymond for a look behind the velvet curtains of America’s Gilded Age, Paris’ Belle Époque and England’s Victorian and Edwardian eras. The first two episodes arrive promptly on December 7. by The Gilded Gentleman

2 min listen

Man About Town: The Story of Murray Hall: When Tammany Hall campaigner and popular Greenwich Village resident Murray Hall died in 1901, his death produced a shock to his friends, colleagues and family and even the general public. What had Murray hidden for so much of his life - and what tremendous impact did his story have that we feel its importance even today? by The Gilded Gentleman

36 min listen

Invisible Magicians: Domestic Servants in Gilded Age New York: The Gilded Gentleman is joined by Esther Crain, author of The Gilded Age in New York 1870-1914, to look at the various roles and responsibilities of domestic staff in grand mansions and even in more modest homes. This show pays tribute to the vast numbers of "invisible magicians" without whom the dinners, balls and daily workings of households of the Gilded Age would never have been possible. by The Gilded Gentleman

46 min listen

The Gilded Page: A Conversation With Carol Wallace: New York Times bestselling author Carol Wallace discusses her just published novel of the Gilded Age called "Our Kind of People" as well as shares insights on her book "To Marry an English Lord" which served as an inspiration for Downton Abbey. by The Gilded Gentleman

35 min listen

Where Dreams are Dreamt: The Gardens of Beatrix Farrand by The Gilded Gentleman

36 min listen

Divas, Diamonds and Drama: The Opening of the Metropolitan Opera 1883: Join the Gilded Gentleman for a night at the opera! The glittering, glamorous opening night of New York’s new opera house at the height of the Gilded Age had perhaps more drama going on in the audience than on the stage. by The Gilded Gentleman

27 min listen

Getting A Bad Rap: Spiritualism in the 19th Century: Many people throughout the 19th century were fascinated with the idea of connecting with the beyond. Even the famous 'Commodore' Cornelius Vanderbilt was intrigued with the notion. Historian Anthony Bellov joins Carl this week on The Gilded Gentleman for a look into some rather strange phenomena and the story of Vanderbilt and one of the most famous spiritualists of the period -- the captivating Victoria Woodhull. by The Gilded Gentleman

36 min listen

Ladies' Mile and the Glamour of Gilded Age Shopping: During the 1870's and 1880's New York's famous Ladies' Mile shopping district took hold along Broadway, and grand palaces of retail grew, filled with splendors and luxuries to tempt the glittering clientele that swept through their doors. Join me and my guest, art historian and master guide, Emma Guest-Consales, PhD for a unique and fascinating Gilded Age shopping trip. by The Gilded Gentleman

34 min listen

How To Pluck A Peacock: Delmonico's Charles Ranhofer and The Epicurean: The New York restaurant Delmonico's became famous for bringing elegant, luxurious dining and sophisticated French dishes to American tables. The culinary genius behind these dramatic dishes -- Delmonico's celebrity chef Charles Ranhofer -- left us with an extraordinary cookbook called The Epicurean, detailing the ingredients and preparations of Delmonico's classic dishes. by The Gilded Gentleman

42 min listen

Stealing a Smile: The Theft of the Mona Lisa, Paris 1911: On a warm summer morning in Paris in 1911, the Mona Lisa was stolen. The theft captured the attention of the world and made this masterwork of DaVinci's quite simply the most famous painting in the world. by The Gilded Gentleman

30 min listen

100 Years of Emily Post's Etiquette: The Simple Art of Getting Along: Carl is joined by Lizzie Post, author Emily Post's great-great granddaughter and co-author of the new edition of "Etiquette", to take a look at Emily and etiquette, then and now. by The Gilded Gentleman

36 min listen

Having a Ball: The Gilded Age's Most Outrageous Parties: An in-depth look at some of the Gilded Age's grandest balls, from the almost regal to the absolutely ridiculous. by The Gilded Gentleman

48 min listen

Mary Rogers Williams: The Rediscovered Life of a Gilded Age Impressionist: Author Eve Kahn, today's guest on The Gilded Gentleman, calls Mary Rogers Williams "the Mary Cassatt you never heard of". Williams lived and worked among the famous in New York, London and Paris, and her studies included time with artists such as William Merritt Chase and James MacNeil Whistler. by The Gilded Gentleman

41 min listen

Gilded Age or Gilded Cage? (with The Bowery Boys): Was the Gilded Age as glamorous as it seemed? Join Carl and his guests -- Tom Meyers and Greg Young from the Bowery Boys: New York City History podcast -- to discuss the light and the dark of this fascinating era. by The Gilded Gentleman

26 min listen

Dancing with the Green Fairy: The Mysteries of Absinthe: Absinthe was one of the most popular and most mysterious drinks of the Belle Epoque and late Victorian and Edwardian worlds. Myths sprang up that the elixir created dramatic hallucinations and even provoked ghastly crimes. by The Gilded Gentleman

48 min listen

A Sprig of Witch Hazel: Edith Wharton's Secret Affair: As writer Edith Wharton began to spend more and more time in Paris during the early years of the 1900s, she made the acquaintance of the American journalist Morton Fullerton. Their meeting grew into a passionate and complicated love affair combining joy and emotional pain. by The Gilded Gentleman

37 min listen

Lillian Nordica, Part 1: The Making of a Gilded Age Soprano Superstar: This week's show will lead you into the glamorous world of a superstar soprano of the Gilded Age. Despite challenging moments in her personal life, Lillian Nordica rose to become one of the most glamorous international stars of late 19th and early 20th century. by The Gilded Gentleman

41 min listen

The British Crown Jewels: History and Mystery: In celebration of the coronation of King Charles III, this first of two special shows delves deeply into the history of the Crown Jewels, covering their origins and how they've evolved. by The Gilded Gentleman

49 min listen

Edith Wharton's Paris: A unique look at the City of Light and what it meant to Edith Wharton, both as a writer and as a creative woman. by The Gilded Gentleman

52 min listen

Lillian Nordica Part 2: A Conversation with Kate Aldrich, Internationally Acclaimed Mezzo-Soprano: In this bonus episode, Carl interviews international opera star Kate Aldrich and discusses a modern perspective on Lillian Nordica's career, as well as Kate's own career as one of today's incredibly busy opera stars. by The Gilded Gentleman

42 min listen

Victory and Apollo: Black Artists Models Hettie Anderson and Thomas McKeller: This episode tells the story of what is known about the worlds of two exceptional artists models, Hettie Anderson and Thomas McKeller, and the great art that they inspired. by The Gilded Gentleman

30 min listen

The Bradley Martin Ball 1897: The Gilded Age's Greatest Party: Of all the balls and parties thrown during the Gilded Age, the extravagant evening hosted by Bradley and Cornela Martin at the Waldorf in 1897 was perhaps the most legendary, but also perhaps the most filled with misconceptions. This episode shares the story of the Bradley-Martins and explains the fascinating background of the ball that makes this a true tale of the Gilded Age. by The Gilded Gentleman

45 min listen

Dandies: Gentlemen of Style from the 19th Century to Today: The evolution of the "dandy" from the days of England's Regency and Victorian periods to today's modern men of style. by The Gilded Gentleman

37 min listen

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The Education of a Snob: Ward McAllister's American Aristocracy

The Education of a Snob: Ward McAllister's American Aristocracy

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