The Gilded Gentleman

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 Fifth Avenue developed, and what factors contributed to how it grew the way it did.  Along the way, Keith discusses many well known figures such as Astors and Vanderbilts as well as some lesser known but important trendsetters, such as the outrageous Mamie Fish and  groundbreaking (literally) Mary Mason Jones.  After this show, you'll never look at Manhattan or the Gilded Age in quite the same way again. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 effect social change.  Zoe wrote countless newspaper and journal articles and even launched her own literary magazine to further her mission - "I fight for the poor with my pen."  Known as the "Queen of Bohemia", for solidarity, Norris created the "The Ragged Edge Klub" which met at local restaurants for cheap meals and passion-fueled conversation. Former New York Times columnist, author and independent scholar, Eve M. Kahn joins the Gilded Gentleman to share her insights and research into the life and work of this extraordinary crusader for human rights whose voice seems just as relevant and powerful today.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 quite different from what theater audiences know today.  The episode features a very special treat - an interview with Sarah Rice who created the role of Johanna, Sweeney Todd's daughter in the original 1979 Broadway production of "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street".  Sarah shares what it was like to get the role, how she went about creating the character, and most of all, what it was like to work with extraordinary colleagues such as Angela Lansbury, Len Cariou, and of course Stephen Sondheim and Hal Prince themselves.  In the interview, Sarah shares the most important lessons she learned from Stephen Sondheim and Angela Lansbury in particular.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.