The Gilded Gentleman

By Carl Raymond

Society & Culture Arts History

What's The Gilded Gentleman about?

The Gilded Gentleman history podcast takes listeners on a cultural and social journey into the mansions, salons, dining rooms, libraries and theatres including the worlds above as well as below stairs of America's Gilded Age, France's Belle Epoque and late Victorian and Edwardian England.

thegildedgentleman.com

Download our free app to listen on your phone

LAST EPISODE

Sweeney Todd's Victorian Lo...

03.14.2023

A look at the historical origins of the tale of Sweeney Todd and a very special conversation with Sarah Rice who starred in the original 1979 Broadway production of the Sondheim musical in the role of Johanna.

The Gilded Gentleman episodes:

03.14.2023 Sweeney Todd's Victorian London and a Chat with Broadway's Sarah Rice A look at the historical origins of the tale of Sweeney Todd and a very special conversation with Sarah Rice who starred in the original 1979 Broadway production of the Sondheim musical in the role of Johanna.
03.07.2023 The Art of Hooking Up: Great Courtesans of 19th Century Paris A look into the public and private worlds of the 19th century Parisian courtesan and an exploration of three of the century's most famous.
02.28.2023 Gilded Age Silver: All That Glittered Wasn't Always Gold Antique silver specialist Ben Miller, host of the podcast "Curious Objects", joins The Gilded Gentleman for a tour through the 19th century looking at silver making and design, including the revolutionary influence of Tiffany & Company.
02.14.2023 Isabella Stewart Gardner and Her Museum: A Curated Life In celebration of a new biography of Isabella Stewart Gardner, we're joined by author Diana Seave Greenwald to discuss the life of one of the Gilded Age's most passionate art collectors and the creation of one of the most extraordinary ...
02.07.2023 The Bradley Martin Ball 1897: The Gilded Age's Greatest Party Of all the balls and parties thrown during the Gilded Age, the extravagant evening hosted by Bradley and Cornela Martin at the Waldorf in 1897 was perhaps the most legendary, but also perhaps the most filled with misconceptions. This episode ...
01.31.2023 Having a Ball: The Gilded Age's Most Outrageous Parties An in-depth look at some of the Gilded Age's grandest balls, from the almost regal to the absolutely ridiculous.
01.17.2023 Dandies: Gentlemen of Style from the 19th Century to Today The evolution of the "dandy" from the days of England's Regency and Victorian periods to today's modern men of style.
01.03.2023 Edith Wharton's Paris A unique look at the City of Light and what it meant to Edith Wharton, both as a writer and as a creative woman.
12.20.2022 The Delmonico Way: A Conversation with Max Tucci 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 ...
12.13.2022 Tasting Stars: The Sparkling History of Champagne Carl and his guest, vintage cocktail event curator Don Spiro, take a look at the myths and magic of champagne, the world's most elegant drink.
12.06.2022 Christmas in Old New York and a Chat with Charles Dickens A special festive episode tracing the history of Christmas and holiday celebrations over 19th century New York City history, plus a very special look at Charles Dickens's beloved work, "A Christmas Carol".
11.22.2022 Jenny Lind At Castle Garden A 19th century tale of celebrity, fame, exploitation and ruthless marketing between a world-famous soprano and perhaps history's ultimate showman.
11.15.2022 A Conversation with Kate Aldrich, Acclaimed Mezzo-Soprano: Lillian Nordica Part 2 In this bonus episode, Carl interviews international opera star Kate Aldrich and discusses a modern perspective on Lillian Nordica's career, as well as Kate's own career as one of today's incredibly busy opera stars.
11.08.2022 Lillian Nordica, Part 1: The Making of a Gilded Age Soprano Superstar This week's show will lead you into the glamorous world of a superstar soprano of the Gilded Age. Despite challenging moments in her personal life, Lillian Nordica rose to become one of the most glamorous international stars of late 19th ...
10.25.2022 The Gilded Page: A Conversation with Jessica Fellowes Jessica Fellowes talks about her work on the Downton Abbey book series, her mystery writing, and her new novel, "The Best Friend".
10.11.2022 100 Years of Emily Post's Etiquette: The Simple Art of Getting Along Carl is joined by Lizzie Post, author Emily Post's great-great granddaughter and co-author of the new edition of "Etiquette", to take a look at Emily and etiquette, then and now.
09.27.2022 A Forgotten Real-Life Gilded Gentleman: The World of Effingham Nichols This is the story of a true, if forgotten, Gilded Gentleman, Effingham Nichols, who rose in wealth and stature to become a player in the Gilded Age, brushing up against Astors and Vanderbilts.
09.13.2022 Chicago's Bertha Palmer: More than Mrs. Astor Bertha Palmer has been called "Chicago's Mrs. Astor", but as we shall hear today, she was so much more.
08.30.2022 Where Dreams are Dreamt: The Gardens of Beatrix Farrand Beatrix Farrand, Edith Wharton's niece, was born during New York's Gilded Age and went on to become the first successful female landscape designer of the early 20th century. This is her story.
08.16.2022 Beneath the Gold: "The Gilded Age" with Tom Meyers of The Bowery Boys Tom Meyers of "The Bowery Boys" and HBO's "Official Gilded Age Podcast" joins me to discuss the Gilded Age, both the historical period and Season One of the hit TV show.
08.08.2022 English Country House Style: Nancy Lancaster and Nancy Astor The American born women Nancy Lancaster and Nancy Astor entered upper-class British society in the early 20th century and brought the traditions of great Southern hospitality to some of England's greatest estates.
07.19.2022 Dancing with the Green Fairy: The Mysteries of Absinthe Absinthe was one of the most popular and most mysterious drinks of the Belle Epoque and late Victorian and Edwardian worlds. Myths sprang up that the elixir created dramatic hallucinations and even provoked ghastly crimes.
07.05.2022 Creating Drama with Edith Wharton, Henry James and Jennie Jerome The Gilded Gentleman is joined by playwright Anne Undeland to discuss how she dramatizes the characters of Edith Wharton, Henry James and Jennie Jerome in her plays.
06.21.2022 Stealing a Smile: The Theft of the Mona Lisa, Paris 1911 On a warm summer morning in Paris in 1911, the Mona Lisa was stolen. The theft captured the attention of the world and made this masterwork of DaVinci's quite simply the most famous painting in the world.
06.07.2022 Victory and Apollo: Black Artists Models Hettie Anderson and Thomas McKeller This episode tells the story of what is known about the worlds of two exceptional artists models, Hettie Anderson and Thomas McKeller, and the great art that they inspired.
05.24.2022 Mary Rogers Williams: The Rediscovered Life of a Gilded Age Impressionist Author Eve Kahn, today's guest on The Gilded Gentleman, calls Mary Rogers Williams "the Mary Cassatt you never heard of". Williams lived and worked among the famous in New York, London and Paris, and her studies included time with artists ...
05.10.2022 Golden Plates and Dinners on Horseback: Tales of Dining in Gilded Age New York 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.
04.26.2022 Castle Howard to Highclere: Treasures of the English Country House. 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 ...
04.12.2022 A Sprig of Witch Hazel: Edith Wharton's Secret Affair 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 ...
03.29.2022 The Gilded City: New York 1870-1900 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 ...
03.15.2022 Social Climber: The Iron Will and Determined Rise of Alva Vanderbilt 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 ...
03.01.2022 How To Pluck A Peacock: Delmonico's Charles Ranhofer and The Epicurean 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 -- Delmonico's celebrity chef Charles Ranhofer -- left us with an extraordinary cookbook called ...
02.22.2022 Invisible Magicians: Domestic Servants in Gilded Age New York The Gilded Gentleman 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. This show pays ...
02.15.2022 The Education of a Snob: Ward McAllister's American Aristocracy 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. He was originally a Southerner who himself developed ...
02.08.2022 Ladies' Mile and the Glamour of Gilded Age Shopping 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 ...
02.01.2022 Getting A Bad Rap: Spiritualism in the 19th Century 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 ...
01.18.2022 The Gilded Page: A Conversation With Carol Wallace 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 ...
01.04.2022 To Catch A Prince: Monaco's First American Princess 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 ...
12.21.2021 Man About Town: The Story of Murray Hall 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 ...
12.21.2021 The Real Mrs. Astor: Ruler or Rebel? 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 ...
12.07.2021 Divas, Diamonds and Drama: The Opening of the Metropolitan Opera 1883 Join the Gilded Gentleman for a night at the opera! The glittering, glamorous opening night of New York’s new opera house at the height of the Gilded Age had perhaps more drama going on in the audience than on the ...
12.07.2021 Gilded Age or Gilded Cage? (with The Bowery Boys) Was the Gilded Age as glamorous as it seemed? Join Carl and his guests -- Tom Meyers and Greg Young from the Bowery Boys: New York City History podcast -- to discuss the light and the dark of this fascinating ...
11.10.2021 Introducing: The Gilded Gentleman You’re cordially invited to join social and culinary historian Carl Raymond for a look behind the velvet curtains of America’s Gilded Age, Paris’ Belle Époque and England’s Victorian and Edwardian eras. The first two episodes arrive promptly on December 7.