Episode #90: Children of the Gilded Age: Seen and Not Heard (Until Now)
Stories of the Gilded Age so often focus on the world of adults and more often on the highest layer of elite society. Of course, there was much, much more to the story of America’s social and economic growth at the end of the 19th century that involved those of the middle and lower classes — and also included children.
In this special episode, listener favorite Esther Crain, author and creator of Ephemeral New York joins The Gilded Gentleman for a look at the world of children during the Gilded Age.
As she shared in the episode “Invisible Magicians: Domestic Servants in Gilded Age New York” with writings by actual servants, Esther has uncovered documents written in children’s own voices that capture their world and reality. From a 12-year-old boy in Gilded Age Harlem to a teenage girl on what would become Manhattan’s Upper East Side, we can finally meet children who are both seen and heard.
Carl is joined by special guest:
— Esther Crain, an author, historian, and native New Yorker. In 2008 she launched the website Ephemeral New York, where she writes and publishes stories every week that chronicle Gotham’s past through old photos, newspaper archives, vintage artwork, and other artifacts.
Her first book, New York City in 3D in the Gilded Age, was published in 2014, and her second book, The Gilded Age in New York, 1870-1910, hit bookstore shelves two years later. Both books have been featured and reviewed in city publications and have made Esther a popular source for information on Gotham during the Gilded Age.
LISTEN NOW: Children of the Gilded Age: Seen and Not Heard (Until Now)
Related Podcast:
In the Good Old Summertime: Where the Gilded Age Played