The Gilded Gentleman

Stanford White is one of the most recognizable figures of the Gilded Age. Known for his flamboyant style and outsized personality, he loomed large over New York society. 

His private life captured headlines and fueled persistent gossip, particularly his scandalous relationships with young women—most famously the chorus girl and model Evelyn Nesbit. His sensational 1906 murder at the hands of Evelyn’s husband, Harry K. Thaw, was quickly dubbed “the crime of the century.”

This very special episode, however, turns away from the scandal to focus on White’s work, his artistic eye, and his extraordinary design talent. Stanford White’s great-grandson, architect Samuel White, joins The Gilded Gentleman for an in-depth look at how White’s genius developed and evolved, and how he managed his collaborations with partners Charles McKim and William Mead, as well as with the renowned sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens. 

With Sam’s unique perspective, this conversation offers fresh insight into some of White’s most celebrated works and illuminates the creative vision of one of America’s greatest architects.

For more information on Stanford White and his life and murder, listen to the Bowery Boys episode #188 The Murder of Stanford White

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Dr. Carla Peterson, author of “Black Gotham: A Family History of African Americans in Nineteenth Century New York,” has been a pioneer in uncovering and sharing the story of New York’s wealthy Black entrepreneurial elite through the Gilded Age. 

Exemplified by the storyline of Peggy Scott and her family in the HBO series “The Gilded Age,” this story adds dimension and richness to a society that was far more diverse than it had ever been portrayed. 

As part of our celebration of Black History Month, we offer an ENCORE of Carla’s episode on The Gilded Gentleman. 

This episode was edited and produced by Kieran Gannon.

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When Town Topics magazine appeared in the 1880s, Gilded Age New Yorkers enjoyed its coverage of the arts, culture, and social scene of balls, opera, and grand parties. But there was another element 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 of informants across the city, the publisher, Colonel William D’Alton Mann, frequently printed implied gossip about "The Four Hundred" — unless, of course, he was paid to keep it out of his pages.
Town Topics became a blackmail and extortion scheme for Mann—until a dramatic sting operation involving the husband of future etiquette writer Emily Post exposed it all. 
Journalist and author Joe Pompeo joins the Gilded Gentleman table to delve into Town Topics and all of its scandals and true crimes.
This episode was edited and produced by Kieran Gannon.
For other true-crime newspaper-themed shows, listen to the recent Bowery Boys podcasts on the disappearance of Judge Crater and the Subway Vigilante shooting.

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New York Times bestselling author Fiona Davis knows about both history and mystery.
In her eight novels, Davis deftly weaves real-life historical characters and events with fiction to create fascinating tales with lots of intrigue and  always a good mystery to solve along the way. And all of them are set in iconic New York City landmarks, in time periods ranging from the Gilded Age to the Jazz Age and beyond
In this show, Fiona joins the Gilded Gentleman to discuss three novels with ties to the Gilded Age,The Address, set in the fabled Dakota apartment building, The Magnolia Palace which takes place in the mansion of Henry Clay Frick (now The Frick Collection), and her most recent, The Stolen Queen set in the great Gilded Age architectural masterpiece, the Metropolitan Museum of Art.   
Fiona discusses the real history behind her novels as well as the craft of mystery writing to keep her readers reading until the inevitable fascinating conclusions. 
This episode was edited and produced by Kieran Gannon.

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Many fans of Edith Wharton's great novels "The Age of Innocence" and "The House of Mirth" may not realize that her very first published book was not a work of fiction at all. 
In 1897, in collaboration with architect and interior designer Ogden Codman Jr, Wharton published "The Decoration of Houses", at the time, a groundbreaking work on the philosophy of interior design calling for a return to the classic European principles of balance, symmetry and proportion. 
In fact when she built her own great country home The Mount in Lenox, Massachusetts in 1902, she incorporated many of the French, Italian and British principles she lays out in the book.
In this episode, returning guest Dr. Emily Orlando, noted Wharton scholar and author, helps us understand just what the publication of this first book meant to Wharton and the career that was to come. 
Furthermore, Dr. Orlando addresses the overriding theme of Wharton's own search for home and place that reoccurs regularly in her stories and novels.  We can then understand not only Edith Wharton's concepts for classic architectural design but at least for her - what makes a house a home.
Dr. Emily Orlando is the editor of a recently published new annotated edition of "The Decoration of Houses" available wherever books are sold.
This episode was produced and edited by Kieran Gannon 

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