The Gilded Gentleman

XII. 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.  Join The Gilded Gentleman for a look inside the story of who Alva really was as a social climber but also as a 19th century woman. Visit The Gilded Gentleman website for more information on Carl Raymond and the podcast.Rate and review The Gilded Gentleman podcast on Apple Podcasts

XI. 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 was Delmonico's celebrity chef -- the Frenchman Charles Ranhofer -- who guided their kitchens from 1862 to 1896. Ranhofer left us with his extraordinary cookbook published at the height of the Gilded Age in the 1890's, called The Epicurean, detailing the ingredients and preparations of Delmonico's classic dishes.   Join Carl and his guest, creative director and food stylist Victoria Granof, take a look at this extraordinary chef and some of the most outrageous dishes from Delmonico's tables - including a peacock. Visit The Gilded Gentleman website for more information on Carl Raymond and the podcast.Rate and review The Gilded Gentleman podcast on Apple Podcasts

X. Join The Gilded Gentleman for a look below stairs!  Carl 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.  Carl and Esther explore what servants did and most importantly who they really were.  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. Visit The Gilded Gentleman website for more information on Carl Raymond and the podcast.Rate and review The Gilded Gentleman podcast on Apple Podcasts 

IV.  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.  McAllister 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. Visit The Gilded Gentleman website for more information on Carl Raymond and the podcast.Rate and review The Gilded Gentleman podcast on Apple Podcasts

VIII.  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.Visit The Gilded Gentleman website for more information on Carl Raymond and the podcast.Rate and review The Gilded Gentleman podcast on Apple Podcasts

VII.  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.  Visit The Gilded Gentleman website for more information on Carl Raymond and the podcast.Rate and review The Gilded Gentleman podcast on Apple Podcasts

VI.  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. Visit The Gilded Gentleman website for more information on Carl Raymond and the podcast.Rate and review The Gilded Gentleman podcast on Apple Podcasts

V.  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. Visit The Gilded Gentleman website for more information on Carl Raymond and the podcast.Rate and review The Gilded Gentleman podcast on Apple Podcasts

IV. 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? This show features an interview with Ken Lustbader from the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project. His research into Murray's life has helped keep this story alive. Visit The Gilded Gentleman website for more information on Carl Raymond and the podcast.Rate and review The Gilded Gentleman podcast on Apple Podcasts

III. 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. Visit The Gilded Gentleman website for more information on Carl Raymond and the podcast.Rate and review The Gilded Gentleman podcast on Apple Podcasts