It’s easy to conjure images of the high Gilded Age when seeing the great mansions of Newport or elsewhere, but the origins of that grand flamboyant style began elsewhere. The idea of a modern French inspired mansion with Renaissance influences was new when LeGrand Lockwood commissioned his estate in Norwalk, Connecticut in the mid-1860s. For a… Continue reading The Mansion that Launched the Gilded Age: Lockwood-Matthews Mansion
Topic: Mansions & Architecture
Episode #128: Bachelor Pad: Gilded Age Interior Designers and Their Homes
The late 19th century in America saw the emergence of a new social phenomenon—perhaps not entirely new—a class of young men who chose not to follow a traditional path to marriage. The choice was driven by a number of reasons, and the social image of many of these men ranged from “rake” to “artiste” and… Continue reading Episode #128: Bachelor Pad: Gilded Age Interior Designers and Their Homes
Episode # 125: Stanford White Architect: Perspectives from Great-Grandson Samuel White
Stanford White is one of the most recognizable names of the Gilded Age. Known for his flamboyant grand style and oversized personality, White was one of the largest figures in Gilded Age society. His personal life grabbed headlines and stimulated gossip due to his scandalous assignations with young women, most famously the chorus girl and model, Evelyn Nesbit.… Continue reading Episode # 125: Stanford White Architect: Perspectives from Great-Grandson Samuel White
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 #103: Inside The Frick Collection: The Upstairs Downstairs World of a Gilded Age Mansion
On April 17, 2025, The Frick Collection one of the most extraordianry and unique of New York’s greats museums will open its doors once again to the public after a renovation and restoration of nearly five years and a cost of $220 million. Visitors will again see the fine, elegant Beaux Arts mansion once occupied by Gilded Age industrialist Henry Clay… Continue reading Episode #103: Inside The Frick Collection: The Upstairs Downstairs World of a Gilded Age Mansion
Episode #101: NOHO: Gilded Age Origins of an Iconic New York Neighborhood
New York’s NOHO neighborhood, wedged between Greenwich Village and the East Village, holds the stories of many people and places that then went on to become deeply associated with the great Gilded Age. The Astor family began their dynasty here in both investment and real estate as did the well-known Dutch-American merchant family the Schermerhorns. Caroline Schermerhorn, who… Continue reading Episode #101: NOHO: Gilded Age Origins of an Iconic New York Neighborhood
Episode #96: New York’s Grace Church: Gilded Age Society’s Most Fashionable Church (Bowery Boys Archive)
Grace Church, a soaring neo-Gothic church built in 1846 still sits today at the famous bend in Broadway at 11th Street. Throughout the 19th century it was in many ways the most fashionable church for old New York society even as the elite moved up the island of Manhattan. Grace Church represented the early world of the Astors, Schermerhorns… Continue reading Episode #96: New York’s Grace Church: Gilded Age Society’s Most Fashionable Church (Bowery Boys Archive)
Episode #94: Christmas Tales and Traditions: 19th Century England’s Wrest Park
Join Carl and Dr. MIchael Carter, Senior Properties Historian for English Heritage to celebrate an English country Christmas. Carl and Michael center their discussion on Wrest Park, home to the De Grey family for over 600 years. In the 19th century, the original house was torn and a French-inspired mansion rose in its place, still surrounded by the 18th-century gardens which guests… Continue reading Episode #94: Christmas Tales and Traditions: 19th Century England’s Wrest Park
Episode #87: Summer with Queen Victoria: Life at Osborne House
In this special episode created in partnership with English Heritage, Carl is joined by curator Christopher Warleigh-Lack for a look at the once royal residence of Osborne House on England’s Isle of Wight. Christopher takes us inside the grand estate where Queen Victoria and Prince Albert spent the summer and Christmas holidays. Following Albert’s sudden death, Victorian continued to come to Osborne and spent her… Continue reading Episode #87: Summer with Queen Victoria: Life at Osborne House
Episode #86: Great Estates of the Berkshires
Carl is joined by noted Berkshire historian, author and Lenox native, Cornelia Brooke Gilder for this special show which delves into the artistic and literary life of the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts as well as its role as a Gilded Age summer enclave. From the early 19th century the lush, green landscape of the Berkshire mountain inspired writers… Continue reading Episode #86: Great Estates of the Berkshires