The Gilded Gentleman

XXI. While the sumptuous dinner parties and grand country house weekends of years past may have vanished, the secrets of elegant entertaining and hospitality live on.  Nancy Lancaster and Nancy Astor, two American born women, entered upper class British society in the early 20th century and brought the traditions of great Southern American hospitality to some of England's greatest estates including the renowned Cliveden. In recent years, Emily Astor and Jane Churchill, descendants of Nancy Lancaster and Nancy Astor, have continued the tradition and share its elements with today's hosts and hostesses in Entertaining in Style (Rizzoli), their book of history, memories and recipes.Join the Gilded Gentleman and both Emily and Jane for a look back at the tables of the two Nancys and particularly Nancy Lancaster's vision, which led to what we think of as great English Country House look and style. Visit the Gilded Gentleman website.

XX. Absinthe was one of the most popular and most mysterious drinks that fueled Paris and London's cafe society and artistic circles in the Belle Epoque and late Victorian and Edwardian worlds. Artists and writers from Henri Toulouse-Lautrec to Marcel Proust and Oscar Wilde were proponents along with members of the upper classes as well as everyday workers. Myths sprang up that the elixir created dramatic hallucinations and even provoked ghastly crimes. It became banned throughout most of Europe and even in the United States by the early 20th century. Join me and my guest Don Spiro, creator of New York's Green Fairy Society to discuss and demystify the myths and legends of this most evocative of spirits. 

XIX. Edith Wharton's novels were full of drama of course but so were moments from her own actual life. Jennie Jerome -- Lady Randolph Churchill,  the mother of Winston Churchill -- also had a life of high drama, public scrutiny and moments of happiness as well as tragedy.  Join Carl and his guest, playwright and actor, Anne Undeland as they discuss how she dramatized the characters of Edith Wharton and Jennie Jerome -- as well as Henry James -- in Undeland's plays "Mr. Fullerton Between the Sheets" and "Lady Randy". They'll discuss how Anne brought these complex characters to the stage as well as take a look at how some of Wharton's own work has been dramatized.  

XVIII. The enigmatic smile of the Mona Lisa has captured the attention of the public for centuries. But even today, few people actually realize that on a warm summer morning in Paris in 1911, the painting was actually stolen.  Press hysteria surrounding this unusual theft made the masterwork of DaVinci's quite simply the most famous painting in the world.  But much is still murky in the story of its theft and recovery. Join The Gilded Gentleman as he takes a look at this case and and attempts to piece it together. 

XVII. Gazing up at the dramatic gilded statue of General William Tecumseh Sherman being led into battle by the allegorical figure of Victory in New York's Grand Army Plaza or staring at the mythological figures that are painted on the Rotunda ceiling of Boston's Museum of Fine Arts, one can't help but be struck by the beauty, majesty and power of elements in these works.Sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens' model for the image of Victory on the Sherman monument was a mixed race woman named Hettie Anderson and John Singer Sargent used the Black model Thomas McKeller as the principal model for his depictions of the Greek deities in his Boston paintings.   Recent scholarship and discoveries have shed light into the lives and work of both of these models. This episode tells the story of what is known about the worlds of these exceptional artists models and the great art that they inspired.

XVI. Independent scholar and author Eve Kahn, today's guest on The Gilded Gentleman, calls Mary Rogers Williams "the Mary Cassatt you never heard of". While Cassatt and Rogers lives differed and they likely never met, the rediscovered life of Gilded Age painter Mary Rogers Williams is a fascinating tale of late 19th century artistic circles. Originally from the farmlands of Connecticut, Williams lived and painted among famous artists in New York, London and Paris, and her studies included time with artists such as William Merritt Chase and James McNeill Whistler. A mysterious painting and an extraordinary discovery in 2012 led Kahn to reconstruct the life and world of a unique, innovative -- yet little known until now -- female artist of the Gilded Age. Visit the Gilded Gentleman website for more information.

XVI. 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. In this show, find out what some of the actual dishes served really were made and served along with stories of the restaurateurs, chefs and hostesses that created these lavish events. We'll take a look at some actual balls and dinners given my Mrs. Astor among others and even on the fictional table of Bertha Russell in the recent HBO series The Gilded Age.Visit the Gilded Gentleman website for more information.

XV. 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.  This week's episode features Nick Dawes, master specialist and appraiser seen regularly on "Antiques Roadshow" who shares some insight into the decorative arts collections of some of these fictitious as well as some very real families.  Visit the Gilded Gentleman website for more information.

XIV. 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. Still, the affair led Wharton to some of her greatest creative moments and it wasn't until the 1980's when a long thought lost trove of letters brought the full story of the affair to light.  This week's episode brings you to the Paris of the Belle Epoque and into the story of this surprising romance.For more stories of Edith Wharton from Carl Raymond, the Gilded Gentleman, tune into his appearance on the Bowery Boys episode Edith Wharton's New York.

XIII. To viewers of the first season of HBO's The Gilded Age, New York City itself became one of the show's most fascinating characters. In this episode, join master tour guides Emma Guest-Consales, PhD. and Jeff Dobbins for a unique look at the architecture, neighborhoods and landmarks that we see portrayed in the show.   Tune in for a look deep inside the Gilded Age metropolis with a perspective that only a tour guide can give.   Explore upcoming tours with Emma, Jeff and Carl at Bowery Boys Walks Find more Jeff Dobbins here:Explore NYC ToursExplore NYC Tours FacebookJeff Dobbins Instagram Find more Emma Guest-Consales here:My NYC Tours FacebookMy NYC Tours TwitterGuides Association of New York