Welcome to our inaugural TV Corner episode! If you haven't yet watched The Gilded Age series on HBO Max, this episode will provide really helpful historical context, and if you have watched it, it'll definitely give more depth to the characters and narratives. Andrew is joined with a special co-host to help him with this deep dive, his real estate agent, Danielle Nero. When Andrew found out that Danielle has a deep passion for Gilded Age architecture and history, and renovated both an 1800's brownstone and a 1920's colonial home, he knew that she needed to join him for this episode. 

We start by asking why Julian Fellowes would choose the Gilded Age as a historical period to focus on during such difficult times in America (the pandemic and social/racial/gender inequality)? Danielle explains the difference between Old and New Money both on Long Island and in Manhattan, and we imagine what it must have been like to be part of one of these wealthy families (so a little playacting on our end). Before we hit the record button, we had just returned from the Nassau County Museum of Art and met Dr. Charles Riley, the director, who gave us a tour of the Frick mansion and the Impressionism art exhibit. Thanks Charlie! 

Learn more about Danielle's work as a real estate agent here: https://www.compass.com/agents/danielle-nero/ (thanks to Compass in Garden City for the recording space) 

Follow Danielle on Instagram, @daniellenero_realtor. 

Our second part will be filmed at the Nassau County Museum of Art which used to be one of the Frick family's Gilded Age mansions. We can't wait to bring you this episode later this summer. We will continue discussing how gender and sexuality were viewed during the Gilded Age, and we'll spend a lot of time reflecting on why the Gilded Age is so relevant in our current moment. And, many thanks to The Official Gilded Age podcast which served as this episode's inspiration (Alicia Malone and Tom Meyers, you're awesome co-hosts)! 

Follow Ivory Tower Boiler Room on Instagram, @ivorytowerboilerroom, TikTok, @ivorytowerboilerroom, and Twitter, @IvoryBoilerRoom! Email us at [email protected].

Many thanks to the Ivory Tower Boiler Room podcast team:

Andrew Rimby, Executive Director; Mary DiPipi, Chief Contributor; Nicole Arguello, Marketing Assistant; Kimberly Dallas, Editor

Thanks to Anne Sophie Andersen and Meghan Ames for our theme song, "Loverman."