The Gilded Gentleman

When Oscar Wilde arrived in New York in January 1882, one of his most important intentions was to meet the great Walt Whitman , who was more than 30 years older than Wilde, and whom he had idolized since his youth.  The two poets met, and in this show, we expand on what that meeting would have been like, how each writer influenced the other, and what perhaps did and didn't happen at their encounte...

The New York world that Walt Whitman knew as a young man in the 1850's was really two cities - that of New York (which was only today's Manhattan) and the growing city of Brooklyn across the East River.  These two cities in the midst of pre-Civil War and pre-Gilded Age development inspired the young Whitman to give voice to a new America and new experience.   In this first episode of a two-part se...

A special bonus episode from the  Bowery Boys archives!  Join Tom and Greg for an in-depth look at the architect that, as some have said,  gave the Gilded Age its look.  In the years before the great firm of McKim, Mead and White with its star architect Stanford White, another American born and Paris trained architect was translating European style with uniquely American taste. Richard Morris Hunt...

A look at New York's theater scene during the Gilded Age. Tim Dolan, theater historian and theater district tour guide (owner of Broadway UpClose ) helps us take a look at the era's theater, including its shows, stars and theaters, some of which are still around.  Through most of the 19th century New Yorkers thought of "Broadway" as a street, not a term that meant great theater or even a theater d...

Take a fascinating journey back in time to visit a few British royal rulers with an intimate look at their reigns as well as at their majestic coronations.  British author and historian Tracy Borman joins The Gilded Gentleman for this unique look at history based on her book " Crown & Sceptre: A New History of the British Monarchy from William the Conqueror to King Charles III ".  In this second p...

Join Carl and historian and curator, Curt DiCamillo for a fascinating look into the history of the British Crown Jewels .  Curt shares the history of the crowns and jewels, including a discussion of the oldest (and newest) pieces in the collection.   The show includes an intriguing look at how crowns likely first came to be in royal history and how they have evolved in shape and decoration from me...

The world of couture designers during the Gilded Age and the Belle Epoque went far beyond just the designers themselves.  Houses such as Worth, Doucet and Paquin and many others created the stunning gowns and dresses worn by both Europe's and America's moneyed elite.   But the network of milliners, hairdressers, perfumers, and even shippers and tax agents all made up the larger network that create...

Some tour guides and historians have said that to understand the early history of New York, just follow the population's migration up the island of Manhattan during the 19th century.   On today's show, historian and tour guide Keith Taillon takes us on a virtual tour and discusses how wealthy neighborhoods like Washington Square , Gramercy Park , Madison Square and of course the "gold coast" of Fi...

While the Gilded Age's rich and powerful ruled from their mansions on Fifth Avenue, the poor and immigrant communities downtown struggled simply to survive.  Arriving in New York in the early 20th century, journalist and novelist Zoe Anderson Norris devoted her talents to covering the world of the Lower East Side and do what she could to bring about acknowledgement of living conditions and to effe...

XXXIX. As the famed "demon barber of Fleet Street" gets ready to flash his razor and do his deeds once again in a new Broadway production, The Gilded Gentleman goes back in time to the early years of London's Victoria era to look at just how Sweeney Todd and his tale came to be.   Born in the world of the sensational and gruesome stories of the " penny dreadfuls " , Sweeney Todd and his story were...

They were beautiful, elegant stylemakers.  They were also savvy, shrewd businesswomen who, in one way or another, practiced the world's oldest profession.  They were the courtesans of 19th century Paris .   In this show we take a look truly "behind the glitter and the gold" to see what lives lay behind the opulence, elegance and sophisticated style that courtesans showed to the world.  For many of...

XXXVIII. Silver from the 18th century days of Paul Revere through the glittering Gilded Age was a coveted and valued luxury.  In this show, Ben Miller, antique silver specialist and host of the podcast "Curious Objects" ,  discusses how American silver craftsmanship changed throughout the 19th century.  Ben and Carl talk about some of the most important pieces made by Tiffany & Company, as well as...

XXXVII. Isabella Stewart Gardner (1840-1924) was a member of Boston's Brahmin society during the Gilded Age. A philanthropist and passionate art collector, she created her very own museum she called Fenway Court which opened to the public in 1903.  Her museum, now called the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum ,  resembles a Venetian-style palazzo and rises above Boston's Fens, and showcases objects a...

XXXVI.  The night of February 10, 1897 was a snowy one in New York City, but the weather did not deter those lucky enough to have received an invitation to the grand ball at the Waldorf held by the Bradley Martins.  It was a costume ball and guests arrived dressed as nobility and historical figures from centuries past.  Drinking fine vintage champagne and dining on lobster and canvasback duck, New...

XXXV. It's an undisputed fact that the Gilded Age was an era (to some) of unbridled excess - provided that one had the money of course. Those with a place in society and those that wanted it were locked in a battle to see who could climb higher up the social ladder and exert a greater influence on just what made up a new emerging "American aristocracy".    The grand ball was in many ways the battl...

XXXIV. Just what is - or was - a dandy? Many recall that the early 19th-century tastemaker  Beau Brummell was thought of a dandy with his meticulous style, and certainly many think of Oscar Wilde as a dandy.  But there were others, including the French poet Charles Baudelaire, who was thought of as the "dark dandy".   In this episode, Carl is joined by Natty Adams , author, journalist, maker of fi...

XXXIII: In celebration of Edith Wharton 's birthday on January 24, The Gilded Gentleman takes a look at a very special part of Wharton's life - her life in Paris.    Wharton knew Paris from her childhood and made many trips there as a young married adult. But in her early 40's, the city became something more for her - it became a place where she finally felt connected and grounded as a creative an...

XXXII: In celebration of his new book " The Delmonico Way: Sublime Entertaining and Legendary Recipes From The Restaurant That Made New York, " author Max Tucc i joins The Gilded Gentleman for a talk about food, family history and the real meaning of hospitality.  Delmonico's ! Just the name was legendary. Edith Wharton mentioned it in her fiction set in the Gilded Age. The dining room hosted roya...

XXX!. Champagne is unquestionably the world's most glamorous drink and has been used for centuries to celebrate everything from weddings and birthdays to royal coronations.  It was the drink of choice for formal gatherings in the Gilded Age , the Belle Epoque and Victorian England .    But there's so much more to understanding champagne than just enjoying the bubbles and the fizz.  Champagne has a...

XXX. Christmas and the holiday season is always extra special in New York City.  From all the lights and the traditional treats of the Radio City Rockettes to the tree at Rockefeller Center and performances around the city of The Nutcracker, it's hard not to feel festive.   In this episode, professional New York City tour guide and speaker, Jeff Dobbins joins Carl for a look at the city's holiday...

XXIX. As a special bonus, enjoy this episode from the Bowery Boys Archives in which Greg Young and Tom Meyers tell the truly fascinating story of Jenny Lind , a 19th century soprano known as "the Swedish nightingale".   Jenny came to America and made her concert debut in 1851 under the management of master showman PT Barnum . Barnum's relentless marketing and Jenny Lind , whose appearances caused...

XXVIII. International mezzo-soprano Kate Aldrich has a career that has included performances around the world from New York's Metropolitan Opera to Milan's La Scala and the Opera Bastille in Paris.  In today's interview she shares some perspective on the life and career of Lillian Nordica as well as the excitement and realities for a modern singer on the international stage.   Kate has been called...

XXVII. The glamour of the Gilded Age was found not only at dinner parties and balls but in theatres and opera houses as well.    Lillian Nordica , originally from the small town of Farmington, Maine, rose to the heights of operatic stardom both in Europe and here in America in the last years of the Gilded Age and the early years of the 20th century.   Her unlikely story, little known today, combin...

XXVI.   Jessica Fellowes is known to listeners as the best-selling author of the five companion books to the Downton Abbey television series, which was created by her uncle, Julian Fellowes.  An accomplished journalist, novelist and public speaker, Jessica went on to write a unique and tremendously popular mystery series using the world of the famed Mitford family in the 1920's and 1930's as a bac...

XXVI. In July 1922 an unassuming book with a rich blue cover landed on bookstore shelves.  Titled simply "Etiquette" by a moderately successful writer named Emily Post, the book went on to become a cornerstone of America's social fabric.   Now, 100 years later, Emily's original book has been entirely rewritten by her great-great grandchildren for a new generation while maintaining the spirit and p...