The Gilded Gentleman

As grand mansions and country houses were built during America's Gilded Age, an integral part of any estate design was an equally grand and impressive garden. Drawing on European traditions, great Gilded Age gardens ranged from the very formal to a more natural style that incorporated the surrounding countryside. 

The most successful garden designer of the late 19th century was the extraordinary Beatrix Farrand. Establishing herself as a designer with exceptional talent and a unique point of view, she competed in a profession largely dominated by men. 

Her designs, a few of which can still be seen today, including the gardens at Washington, DC's Dumbarton Oaks, revolutionized American garden design and showed her talent not only as a landscape architect but as a true artist. 

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Historian and academic Nancy Unger joins The Gilded Gentleman to delve into the social politics of divorce in the Gilded Age.  She discusses several high-profile cases of the 19th century; even the Astors and Vanderbilts were not immune. 

Throughout history, marriage has functioned as a prerequisite for one's role in an accepted society and have also served as business deals, empire-building, and, in some cases, actual love matches. Thus -- they were often very difficult to end.

Throughout much of the 19th century, the idea of dissolving a marriage through divorce was nearly unthinkable for many and certainly caused the wife to be excluded from society as a pariah. Yet, some women fought against the constraints of an unacceptable marriage and the judgments of an unforgiving society. 

NOTE: This show has one reference to self-harm. 

This episode was edited and produced by Kieran Gannon

 

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Have you ever wondered how many of the famous Gilded Age families kept cats as pets? The answer may surprise you. Cats were a constant presence in the lives of New Yorkers of the era and often served very specific, even professional roles.

Author and “cat historian” Peggy Gavan joins the Gilded Gentleman for a delightful exploration of some of the Gilded Age’s most notable felines — from Nicodemus, the scrappy star of New York’s first cat show in 1895, to Buzzer, America’s most photographed cat, and several others.

She also traces the emergence of crucial institutions dedicated to feline welfare, including the ASPCA, other humane societies, and the development of widespread veterinary care to protect our feline friends.

Peggy Gavan is the creator of the website The Hatching Cat of Gotham and also leads historical cat-themed tours of New York City. 

This show was edited and produced by Kieran Gannon.

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Founded in Milan in 1913 by the Italian brothers Mario and Martino Prada, the original business focused on producing and selling luxury leather goods to an aristocratic and royal elite.  

With the advent of ready-to-wear and the expansion of fashion retail in the 1970s, Prada entered the global market under the direction of the founder's granddaughter, Miuccia Prada. The now iconic black nylon backpack featuring the silver Prada logo became one of the most sought-after fashion accessories as the brand expanded into women's and men's wear lines.   

Fashion historian Natalie Nudell joins the Gilded Gentleman table to discuss the evolution of the brand and how the influences of Fashion Week, retail boutique expansion and the launch of sub-brand Miu Miu all contributed to a modern fashion brand projecting style, power, and authority. 

Natalie Nudell is the author of "In American Fashion: Ruth Finley's Fashion Calendar."

This show was edited and produced by Kieran Gannon.

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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. They were the bachelors.

The choice was driven by a number of reasons and the social image of many of these men ranged from "rake" to "artiste" and many variations in between. Literature and the media all attempted to characterize the curious, mysterious, yet often dramatic lives of this new social class.

Author and historian R. Tripp Evans joins the Gilded Gentleman to examine Gilded Age bachelor culture, specifically focusing on several of the most famous, notably Ogden Codman, Jr., and Henry Davis Sleeper, who pursued careers in interior design. In doing so, they not only helped to define a new style for a growing modern America but also defined their own personal legacies. 

The legacies they left are now historic house museums open to the public, where today's visitors can see their vision and begin to understand their legacies. 

R. Tripp Evans is the author of "The Importance of Being Furnished: Four Bachelors at Home".

This episode was edited and produced by Kieran Gannon.

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