The Gilded Gentleman

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 these women, their exuberant public images hid lives of pain, sadness and abuse.  In addition to a look at just what a courtesan's world was like, we delve into the lives of three of the most famous in 19th century Paris: Marie Duplessis, who went on to be immortalized in literature, opera, theatre and film; Cora Pearl, an English beauty who counted royalty among her lovers; and Liane de Pougy, a performer at the Folies Bergeres who left the world of the courtesans for an unexpected new chapter later in her life. From the boxes at the Opera to the gambling halls of Monte Carlo, this episode takes you into a world where much more of the story lay far beneath the surface. Related episode on The Gilded Gentleman:  "Edith Wharton's Paris" Episode #35  

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 Providence's Gorham Manufacturing Company.  Ben discusses the role of the great 19th century European world expositions where America joined the world stage with its innovative silver manufacturing and design.  In addition, Ben shares stories of two of the Gilded Age's most famous and fascinating silver collectors.

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 and art from the classical world to the 20th century, all displayed today just as she laid them out herself. Gardner was considered eccentric in her public behavior and the press eagerly reported on her latest moves, but what we do know of her inner life and love of art -- and her deep desire that the public could see it, too -- is the focus of this episode. Diana Seave Greenwald, interim curator of the collection at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum joins The Gilded Gentleman for a talk about "Isabella Stewart Gardner: A Life", the new biography that she co-wrote. We take a look at just who this deeply fascinating woman of the Gilded Age really was, and how she built her museum that was left, as she wished, for us all to see today.  

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 York's elite danced until dawn.  However, some social opinion held that it was an extravagant show of wealth alone and the efforts of the Martins came under some criticism. The Gilded Gentleman's guest for this special episode is Richard Jay Hutto, the great-grandson-in-law of the Bradley-Martins and he shares the story of the Bradley Martins, how the ball came to be and what really happened the morning after.  

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 battlefield upon which these social skirmishes were enacted.  In this show, we'll take a look at just what going to the ball meant in the Gilded Age (whether you were invited or not) and just what it was like once you got there.  The show delves into several of the Gilded Age's most famous balls, from Alva Vanderbilt's costume ball of 1883 to Mrs. Astor's annual Opera Ball to the ultimately disastrous ball thrown by James Hazen Hyde in 1905.  We'll look at the fashion and the jewels and share some examples of what happened when it all went careening off the rails. 

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 fine custom clothing and a self-described "modern dandy", to take a look at just how dandyism evolved through the 19th century and created a revolution in not only fashion, but as a broader philosophy as well. This episode looks at what criteria can be used to define a dandy, whether in the past or the present, using the classic examples of Brummell and Wilde and more modern gentlemen who challenge style and society's expectations. 

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 and artistic woman. And to her surprise, it was a place where she found romantic love with a man (not her husband) at a most unexpected time in her life. This episode takes a look at where and how Wharton lived in her years in Paris - and why and how she ultimately transferred her life to France, leaving her American life behind -- except in her most famous fiction. We'll take a look at Paris the city as well, how it was evolving in the early years of the 20th century and just who some of the most artistic spirits were at the time, including Marcel Proust and Andre Gide and which became Wharton's most influential mentors and friends. Produced by Bowery Boys Media, edited by Kieran Gannon.FURTHER LISTENING:A Sprig of Witch Hazel: Edith Wharton's Secret Love AffairEdith Wharton's New York  

XXXII: In celebration of his new book "The Delmonico Way: Sublime Entertaining and Legendary Recipes From The Restaurant That Made New York," author Max Tucci 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 royalty and heads of state along with, in later years, Hollywood's most famous stars. And then there was the equally legendary food. Max Tucci is the grandson of Oscar Tucci who reopened the legendary restaurant in the 1920s after the original - in business since 1827 - had been closed due to Prohibition. Oscar and his family built an empire that established Delmonico's as the gold standard of American fine dining and hospitality from the 1920s through the 1980's.  Max, who holds the largest collection of Delmonico's memorabilia of his family's famous establishment, shares his memories, family history and anecdotes about the incomparable hospitality, fine dishes and famous clientele of America's first truly grand restaurant. Follow Max Tucci on Instagram Back in 2008 (!) the Bowery Boys did a podcast about the history of Delmonico's. A little rudimentary but good background information for when you've finished with this show.  

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 long and often misrepresented history that combines serendipity, ingenuity and sheer marketing brilliance. (Hint: The monk Dom Perignon didn't invent it.)Join Carl and guest Don Spiro (whom listeners will remember from their recent show on absinthe) as they take a look at the full story. They correct some misconceptions about champagne's history, examine just what exactly it is, and discuss how it's been made and enjoyed over the centuries. 

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 traditions dating back to the early Dutch days of New Amsterdam up the the Gilded Age and the early 20th century.   Jeff shares how New Yorkers helped create the image of Santa Claus that we think of today, as well as how Hanukkah was celebrated and the influence of the waves of immigration on the city's traditions. In the second half of the show, actor John Kevin Jones joins Carl. Kevin has been performing an annual one man adaptation of Charles Dickens's "A Christmas Carol" at the Merchant's House Museum, now in its 10th season. Kevin discusses the origins of Dickens's famous story, why he wrote it when he did and how he adapted it for the stage.  Put on a woolly sweater, pour a glass of eggnog, and join The Gilded Gentleman to launch the holiday season.