Throughout history, marriage has functioned as a prerequisite for one’s role in an accepted society. However, marriages have also served as business deals, empire-building, and, in some cases, actual love matches. Throughout much of the 19th century, the idea of dissolving a marriage through divorce was nearly unthinkable for many and certainly caused the female partner to be… Continue reading Episode #131: Bad Romance: Divorce in the Gilded Age
Topic: Crime & Scandal
Episode #127: Body Snatchers! The Stolen Body of A. T. Stewart
On the morning of November 7, 1878, it was discovered that the tomb of wealthy Gilded Age merchant A. T. Stewart had been opened and his body taken. Although this was shocking, the idea of graves being opened and bodies stolen was not new, and in fact, it became a fairly common occurrence during the 19th century and before.… Continue reading Episode #127: Body Snatchers! The Stolen Body of A. T. Stewart
Episode #124:Town Topics: Gossip and Scandal in the Gilded Age (coming 2/17)
When Town Topics magazine appeared in the 1880’s, Gilded Age New Yorkers enjoyed its coverage of the arts and culture and social scene of balls, opera and grand parties. But there was another element included in the mix — the often salacious, sensationalized, scandalous coverage of the drama of the gilded set in the publisher’s column “Saunterings”. Using a network… Continue reading Episode #124:Town Topics: Gossip and Scandal in the Gilded Age (coming 2/17)
Episode #123: Mysteries in History with NYT Best Selling Author Fiona Davis
New York Times bestselling author Fiona Davis knows about both history and mystery, In her eight novels all set in iconic New York City landmarks in time periods ranging from the Gilded Age to the Jazz Age and beyond, she deftly weaves real-life historical characters and events with fiction to create fascinating tales with lots of intrigue and always a… Continue reading Episode #123: Mysteries in History with NYT Best Selling Author Fiona Davis
Episode #117: Policing the Gilded City: Law and Order in 19th-century New York
As New York grew throughout the 19th century from once just the island of Manhattan to ultimately encompassing five unique boroughs, crime grew with the burgeoning population. Early on, there was little in the form of law enforcement except some constables and night watchmen. The 19th century saw the evolution of two police forces and grew from a loose… Continue reading Episode #117: Policing the Gilded City: Law and Order in 19th-century New York
Episode Encore: The First Thief from the Louvre (10/24/25)
On October 19, 2025, the world was shocked to hear of a theft or priceless jewels from Paris’ The Louvre in a brazen, daylight heist. But this was not the first ambitious heist carried off in broad daylight at the Louvre. In fact, in 1911 another heist took place – and this time the stolen property was none… Continue reading Episode Encore: The First Thief from the Louvre (10/24/25)
Episode #116: The Scandalous Hamiltons: The True Crime That Shocked The Gilded Age
The height of the Gilded Age brought about the birth and rise of tabloid journalism. Newspapers competed with each other for the most sensational headlines and scandalous stories. In 1889, Robert Ray Hamilton, the great-grandson of Alexander Hamilton, found himself in a tangle of lies, deceit, forged identity, attempted murder, and fraud that made headlines all over… Continue reading Episode #116: The Scandalous Hamiltons: The True Crime That Shocked The Gilded Age
Episode #91: The Ghost Stories of Henry James and Edith Wharton
Along with their acclaimed novels and short works of fiction, Henry James and Edith Wharton both extensively explored the genre of the ghost story. Ghost stories along with the fiction of the Victorian Gothic were enormously popular throughout much of the 19th century. In nearly all of their ghostly tales, both James and Wharton explore the inner depths of the human psyche and the… Continue reading Episode #91: The Ghost Stories of Henry James and Edith Wharton
Episode #89: Gossip Girl: Gilded Age Socialite Elizabeth Drexel Lehr Tells All
Elizabeth Wharton Drexel was a quintessential ingenue of the Gilded Age. Eventual heiress to the Drexel banking fortune, elegant and sophisticated, she married but was widowed unexpectedly. Elizabeth married again, this time to Harry Symes Lehr, a bon vivant and social playboy. However, she soon learned her life was to become a reality far from what she ever expected. This episode tells the… Continue reading Episode #89: Gossip Girl: Gilded Age Socialite Elizabeth Drexel Lehr Tells All
Episode #81: Jack the Ripper: Inside the World’s Most Famous Unsolved Murders
Renowned historian and author Richard Jones joins The Gilded Gentleman for this special extended show that delves deeply into perhaps the world’s most fascinating unsolved series of crimes. Many true crime fans may think they know the major elements of this grisly set of murders and the resulting police and investigation, but this show uncovers some angles and aspects… Continue reading Episode #81: Jack the Ripper: Inside the World’s Most Famous Unsolved Murders