HBO's "The Gilded Age" series has featured real-life, prominent influencers of the historical era within its fictional environment. But who exactly were these individuals who shaped the Gilded Age into how we remember it today? In this podcast episode, we explore who the real, so-called tastemakers of this time period were in actual American history. Individuals such as Ward McAllister, Lina Astor (Caroline Schermerhorn Astor) and Edith Wharton were major figures who were both a product of, as well as molded, the era at the time according to their vision. Their "Gilded Age" helped give this time period the qualities we remember it as having to this day: a time period for showing off extravagant wealth, for practicing incredible formality, restraint, and upholding rigorous social codes. It was also a time period when many Americans came into money for the first time and therefore were "guided" by the more established elite circles as to how how they could and should behave, act, and even decorate their homes. We explore where New York's elite even came from and who or what, exactly, they were modelling their "society" after.

// What inspired this episode?

Who, exactly, was Ward McAllister? And who was Lena Astor? We explore their background and lives to understand more about the people who molded both The Gilded Age according to their vision and left a lasting impact (for better or worse) on American "high society." We also take a look at Edith Wharton, her life and her works as both an interior designer and an author who, in the 20th century, reflected on the Gilded Age and helped shape the period into what we now remember it as: a time of extravagance as well as rigid social mores.

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What inspired this episode?

In The Gilded Age's first season, the theme of charitable donations came up a few times. We saw it on the show as both a necessary method of distributing funds to worthy organizations, like Clara Barton's Red Cross, as well as a way of flaunting wealth, status and buying one's way into otherwise closed social circles, as Bertha Russell demonstrated through her actions. In this podcast episode, we explore the meaning of charitable organizations that served to assist certain segments of the population: everything from necessary wartime aid to helping young women workers. We focus mainly on Clara Barton and her extraordinary life dedicated to giving, organizing, and public service. She was truly a trailblazer not just for women but facilitated the distribution of necessary services and aid to communities and the country as a whole.

About "The Gilded Age" Episode 5: Charity Has Two Functions

Aurora, Bertha, Marian, and Tom Raikes travel to hear Clara Barton speak at a Red Cross branch opening in upstate New York. Peggy accompanies them to write an article for The Globe and also to chaperone Marian, at Agnes's request. Miss Barton notes how wealthy people use charity to enhance their social standing. Incidentally, Bertha writes a big check for the Red Cross.

During the trip, Tom and Marian kiss in a quiet hall in the hotel and Tom suggests he and Marian go into a room together. Peggy, who is keeping tabs on Marian, purposely interrupts. Alone, Peggy tells Marian she was in love once but her father disapproved. In this scene, Marian also apologizes to Peggy for her earlier assumption about Peggy’s family.

Agnes Van Rhijn’s ladies’ maid, Armstrong, visits her mother (sick, confined to bed) in a small tenement apartment, giving a glimpse into another side of Gilded Age NYC.

Oscar recruits Turner to bring him intelligence on the Russells and Bertha’s plans for Gladys.

Bertha disapproves of Gladys' suitor Archie Baldwin because she has “bigger plans” for her daughter, but the Russells invite him to dinner. After dinner, Archie speaks to George about his intentions with Gladys and seems to genuinely like her. However, clearly George is carrying out his wife’s wishes to rid Archie as a suitor when he issues Archie an ultimatum: he must accept a lucrative job with a well-known banker and stop pursuing Gladys, or never work in finance again. Archie, shaken and intimidated, accepts the offer and reluctantly leaves.

George’s right hand man, Richard Clay, arrives at the end of dinner to inform George that a company train derailed. George and Bertha immediately prepare to address the incident and save face - both professionally and socially.

The Gilded Age was a rich time in American literature. In this episode, we explore a few of the more prominent and popular authors of the era who were writing about everyday life and the lived experiences of women, people of color, and many others during this historical time period. Exploring their work and activities in the 1880s gives us a more well-rounded view of what was actually happening in the U.S. at the time of the Gilded Age.

What inspired this episode?

Fictional Peggy Scott has been trying to get her work published in a magazine or other publication, but she has faced challenges along the way despite her obvious talent. We started to wonder what writers were prominent in the time, with a particular focus on women and black women like Peggy.

What we discovered was a rich body of American literature that was being written at this time. We couldn't feature all of the most popular Gilded Age authors, but we did have a chance to talk about some of the writers who were especially impactful, including Ida B. Wells, Mark Twain, Louisa May Alcott, Sarah Orne Jewett, and many others. They wrote about a variety of topics including politics, daily life of women and families, travel, various worldviews, and more.

About "The Gilded Age" Episode 4: A Long Ladder

Continuing to pursue her dream of becoming a published writer, Peggy meets with New York Globe editor T. Thomas Fortune. He hires her to write an article about politics.

When the van Rhijn’s English butler, Bannister, visits the Russell house to pick up Ada’s runaway lap-dog Pumpkin, he throws the Russell’s butler, Church, off kilter when he lightly mocks the culinary choices and table settings at the Russell house.

Sylvia Chamberlain, a widow tarnished by rumors that she was her late husband's mistress, attempts to befriend Marian.

Bertha's ladies’ maid Turner unsuccessfully attempts to seduce George by showing up in his room in the middle of the night. He adamantly refuses her, casts her out of his room, though surprisingly does not fire her on the spot, citing the fact that she is valued by his wife.

While visiting her parents in Brooklyn for her mother’s birthday, viewers quickly see that Peggy’s parents are, as expected, fairly well-off, with a nice house and a staff of their own. Peggy and her father get into an argument. They’re interrupted when Marian drops by unexpectedly. She wrongly assumed that the Scotts were poor, and so she arrives with a pair of used shoes to donate to them, which offends the family.

After the Aldermen agree to reinstate the law that will allow the station to be built, George offers to help Alderman Fane recover further from the incident with the stocks if his wife, Aurora, could help introduce Bertha into society. Cue… Aurora and Bertha’s slow rise to BFFs. Aurora agrees to take Bertha under her wing, arranges for Bertha to attend a luncheon that Ward McAllister is attending. He is a close friend and ally of Lina Astor, the “queen bee” of NY society, ringleader of the “old money” circles she’s having a hard time breaking into.

Aurora also invites Bertha and Marian to a show at the Academy of Music. At the concert, Marian runs into Tom Raikes and she sees that he’s attending the opera as a guest of an old money, wealthy New York family. When he chats with her, Marian tells Tom that he needs to win over her aunts before they can take their relationship further.