Best Bowery Boys Media Podcasts (2025)

1
John Singer Sargent in Paris: The Path to Madame X 1:02:15

5d ago1:02:15

1:02:15

Metropolitan Museum of Art curator Stephanie Herdrich joins Carl for an in-depth look at how the career and personal life of Gilded Age artist John Singer Sargent evolved over his ten-year period in Paris from the 1870's to the mid 1880's. Sargent is the subject of a major new exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that focuses on this period…

1
Augustus Saint-Gaudens: Sculptor of the Gilded Age 1:03:58

20d ago1:03:58

1:03:58

The Irish-born Augustus Saint-Gaudens came to this country as a small child and over the course of his career and life, reaching into the early years of the 20th century, became an artist that truly defined a look for America in sculpture. His extraordinary natural talent grew into a master artist who was able to create lifelike depictions in marbl…

1
Gilded Age French Fashion ENCORE 51:44

27d ago51:44

51:44

With the Metropolitan Museum of Art's annual Gala on the first Monday of May and the new exhibition on John Singer Sargent and Paris, there is most definitely fashion in the air. In this ENCORE episode with listener favorite Dr. Elizabeth L. Block we delve into the stories of some of the most important designers and couture houses of Belle Epoque P…

1
Egyptomania: From Napoleon to the Discovery of King Tutankhamen 51:31

1M ago51:31

51:31

During the 19th century and culminating in America's Gilded Age, the public's deep fascination for all things Egypt led to "Egyptomania," a craze which affected design, style and cultural and social thought. As a result of wave of exploration and discovery, predominantly by French, English and American parties, the world gained a view into one of t…

1
Inside The Frick Collection: The Upstairs Downstairs World of a Gilded Age Mansion 1:08:38

2M ago1:08:38

1:08:38

This week The Frick Collection will reopen its doors to the public after a renovation and restoration of nearly five years and a cost of $220 million dollars. Visitors will again see the elegant Beaux Arts mansion once occupied by Gilded Age industrialist Henry Clay Frick and his wife and daughter. They will also see the priceless collection of mas…

1
The Last Ships from Hamburg: The Untold Story of the Escape of the Russian Jews 56:17

2M ago56:17

56:17

Between the late 1890s and early 1920s, over 2 million Jews from Eastern Europe made the long, arduous and unsettling journey to America to escape persecution and violence in their native countries. Many of these Jews were fleeing Russia, where a state sanctioned antisemitism forced many to escape for their lives. This mass immigration was, in larg…

1
NoHo: Gilded Age Origins of an Iconic New York Neighborhood 59:04

3M ago59:04

59:04

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 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. Carol…

1
Belle da Costa Greene: The Untold Story of J. P. Morgan's Librarian 1:01:17

3M ago1:01:17

1:01:17

Belle da Costa Greene is a truly unique historical figure. As the librarian of Gilded Age financier J.P Morgan's extraordinary personal collection of rare books, manuscripts and historical objects, Greene was one of the most visible and formidable players in the art world of the early 20th century. She sourced precious objects from major galleries …

1
John Singer Sargent: Painting a Gilded Age Love Story 59:23

3M ago59:23

59:23

Edith Minturn was a Gilded Age society beauty. Isaac Newton Phelps Stokes was a New York architect passionate about preserving the city's past. When John Singer Sargent accepted the commission to paint their portrait as a wedding present, he perhaps didn't realize how difficult it would prove to be. Capturing Edith Minturn Stokes' strong personalit…

1
The Bradley Martin Ball 1897 45:07

4M ago45:07

45:07

Of all the balls and parties thrown during the Gilded Age, the extravagant evening hosted by Bradley and Cornela Martin at the Waldorf in 1897 was perhaps the most legendary, but also the most filled with misconceptions. February 10, 2025 was the 128th anniversary of this grand ball that topped them during New York's opulent Gilded Age. To celebrat…

1
Be Mine: The World of Victorian Valentines 54:56

4M ago54:56

54:56

Who doesn't like to get a valentine -- perhaps even from a mysterious admirer? The practice of sending valentines goes back centuries, and these well-designed romantic messages could have many meanings -- highly spiritual, an expression of friendship and love, or even a proposal of marriage. In this episode Carl is joined by historian and collector…

1
The Gilded Age Art of Hairdressing 49:00

4M ago49:00

49:00

Historian Dr. Elizabeth L. Block, author of "Beyond Vanity: The History and Power of Hairdressing," returns to the show for an insightful and fascinating look at hair and hairdressing in the Gilded Age. Hairstyles and the methods of hairdressing evolved dramatically over the 19th century from an "at home" activity shared by sisters and female relat…

1
Tasting Stars: The History of Champagne with Don Spiro ENCORE 49:40

5M ago49:40

49:40

To ring in the new year, join Carl and listener favorite guest Don Spiro for an encore presentation of the history of champagne. Don, vintage beverage specialist and former professional bartender, looks at just how champagne first came to be, how its style evolved over time and just what contemporary champagne makers are offering today. So pop a co…

1
New York's Grace Church: Gilded Age Society's Most Fashionable Church 59:56

5M ago59:56

59:56

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 the most fashionable church for old New York society, even when the elite moved up the island of Manhattan. Grace represented the early world of the Astors, the Schermerhorns and other families …

1
Vienna 1874: Die Fledermaus and the World of Johann Strauss II 1:00:28

6M ago1:00:28

1:00:28

The world of Vienna at the end of the 19th century was a world of change. New design, new fashion and new philosophy -- and new music. But amidst sweeping change, the Viennese drank champagne and were swept along by the works of the great Johann Strauss II, known appropriately as the "Waltz King". One of his greatest works is the operetta megahit D…

1
Christmas Tales and Traditions from 19th Century England 47:19

6M ago47:19

47:19

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 down and a French inspired mansion rose in its place, still surrounded …

1
Burlesque: The Art of Taking It (Almost) All Off 48:35

7M ago48:35

48:35

This new Broadway season includes the revival of the classic musical GYPSY: A Musical Fable by Jule Styne, Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents. This new revival stars Audra McDonald as the irrepressible Mama Rose,in this iconic show based on the memoirs of burlesque performer Gypsy Rose Lee. To celebrate the revival and to take us back into the wo…

1
The 'Bishop' of Broadway: The Life and Times of David Belasco 51:56

7M ago51:56

51:56

David Belasco -- playwright, producer, impresario, theatre manager, and theatrical visionary -- was one of the most important names in the world of the Gilded Age stage. Beginning his life and career in San Francisco following the Gold Rush years, Belasco moved to New York to revolutionize how theatre was seen and produced in the last years of the …

1
The Ghost Stories of Henry James and Edith Wharton 53:00

8M ago53:00

53:00

Along with their acclaimed novels and short works of fiction, Henry James and Edith Wharton both extensively explored the genre of the ghost story, enormously popular throughout much of the 19th century. In nearly all of their ghostly tales, James and Wharton explore the inner depths of the human psyche and the all-too-human emotions of fear, aband…

1
Children of the Gilded Age: Seen and Not Heard (Until Now) 50:15

8M ago50:15

50:15

Stories of the Gilded Age so often focus on the world of adults and more often on the highest layer of elite society. Of course, there was much, much more to the story of America's social and economic growth at the end of the 19tth century that involved those of the middle and lower classes - and also included children. Listener favorite Esther Cra…

1
Gossip Girl: Gilded Age Socialite Elizabeth Drexel Lehr Tells All 44:59

9M ago44:59

44:59

Elizabeth Wharton Drexel was a quintessential ingenue of the Gilded Age. Eventual heiress to the Drexel banking fortune, elegant and sophisticated, Elizabeth married but was widowed unexpectedly. But she married again, this time to Harry Symes Lehr, a bon vivant and social playboy. But she soon learned her life was to become a reality far from what…

1
Louis Comfort Tiffany: Lighting the Gilded Age 1:00:22

9M ago1:00:22

1:00:22

Just the name "Tiffany" evokes the glamour and elegance of the Gilded Age. But there is much more to the story than just the eponymous retailer who continues to sell fine jewelry and decorative objects today. Carl is joined by Lindsy R. Parrott, the Executive Director of The Neustadt Collection, one of the country's most important collections of Ti…

1
In The Good Ole Summertime ENCORE 46:46

10M ago46:46

46:46

It’s nearly the end of the summer but there's still time for one more visit to the seashore and, in particular, one place that was so very popular in the Gilded Age -- Coney Island. Join Carl and guest Esther Crain for an encore presentation of “In the Good Old Summertime: Where the Gilded Age Played.” And coming soon -- Esther will be joining Carl…

1
Summer with Queen Victoria: Life at Osborne House 47:26

10M ago47:26

47:26

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 guides us through inside the grand estate where Queen Victoria and Prince Albert spent summer and Christmas holidays. Following Albe…

1
Great Estates of the Berkshires 57:11

10M ago57:11

57:11

Carl is joined by Cornelia Brooke Gilder, noted Berkshire historian, author and Lenox native, 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 w…

1
The Adirondacks and Great Camp Sagamore: Retreating to Nature in the Gilded Age 56:30

11M ago56:30

56:30

Historian and scholar Connor Williams joins Carl for this look at the Gilded Age retreat of the Adirondacks. A number of Gilded Age families came to this leafy paradise despite the dusty two day journey in an attempt to escape the city and recharge in nature. The Gilded Age saw the rise of the "great camps" -- extensive properties owned by families…

1
Hyde Park's Vanderbilt Mansion: Building a Gilded Age House 48:00

11M ago48:00

48:00

Carl is joined by curator Frank Futral for a special on-location visit to the Vanderbilt Mansion in New York's Hudson Valley. Built for Frederick Vanderbil tand his wife Lousie by legendary firm McKim, Mead and White, the mansion is a work of art itself combining classic Beaux Arts style with unique and rare architectural elements brought from Euro…

1
Man About Town: The Story of Murray Hall ENCORE 36:21

12M ago36:21

36:21

To celebrate a month of diversity, courage and pride, we are rereleasing this episode which continues to be one of the most talked about shows on The Gilded Gentleman so far. The story of Murray Hall -- a Gilded Age bail bondsman, Tammany Hall representative and loving and devoted father -- is one that few know. It's a story that leaves you inspire…

1
Gilded Age Newspapers: All That Was (Mostly) Fit to Print 59:11

12M ago59:11

59:11

Carl is joined by veteran journalist, writer and tour guide Michael Morgenthal for a journey through the pages of 19th century newspapers. Michael traces the history of several of our most well known newspapers today including the New York Post and the New York Times as well as how Gilded Age journalists and readers had - in their way - the (nearly…

1
The Gilded Age's Most Famous Dress: Alice Vanderbilt's "Electric Light" 47:08

1y ago47:08

47:08

Carl visits the Museum of the City of New York where he's joined by Collections Manager for Costumes and Textiles, Elizabeth Randolph, to discuss the famous dress Alice Vanderbilt wore to her sister-in-law Alva'a ball, while inspecting the original dress itself. On the evening of March 26, 1883, Alva Vanderbilt threw her famous costume ball to offi…

1
Jack the Ripper: Inside the World's Most Famous Unsolved Murders 1:17:21

1y ago1:17:21

1:17:21

Renowned historian and author Richard Jones delves deeply into one of the world's most fascinating unsolved series of murders. True crime fans may think they know the major elements of the grisly set of Jack the Ripper murders and the resulting investigation, but this show uncovers some angles and aspects that shine a wider light into these horrors…

1
Royal Mothers and Daughters: A conversation with Tracy Borman 57:29

1y ago57:29

57:29

Royal historian and author Tracy Borman returns to The Gilded Gentleman following her appearance on Crown & Scepter: The Coronation Show last year. Tracy is a noted historian and a frequent guest and commentator on the BBC as well as many documentaries and programs internationally. Tracy's most recent book "Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth I: The Mother a…

1
Sweeney Todd's Original Johanna: A Tribute to Broadway's Sarah Rice 42:59

1y ago42:59

42:59

Just over a year ago, as Broadway opened a revival of the classic Stephen Sondheim musical Sweeney Todd, The Gilded Gentleman was honored to sit down with one of the stars of the original 1979 Broadway production. Sarah Rice, who went on to a distinguished career in opera as well as leading roles in musical theatre, originated the role of Johanna p…

1
The Edwardian Country House: Elegance and Eccentricity 46:14

1y ago46:14

46:14

Join Carl and British country house historian Curt DiCamillo for a look into the world of the Edwardian country house. Audiences became fascinated in these houses through the blockbuster Julian Fellowes series "Downton Abbey" and his earlier film "Gosford Park", with their colliding worlds of upstairs and downstairs and interlocking social dramas. …

1
Gilded Age Undergarments: What Did Mrs. Astor Wear (Under There)? 54:31

1y ago54:31

54:31

Fashion historian and author, Dr. Elizabeth L. Block returns to The Gilded Gentleman for a truly "undercover" investigation. This time, Liz joins Carl to discuss the world of corsets, bustles, straps and stockings, all of which comprised the undergarment engineering that helped make the glorious gowns by Worth and other designers appear as glamorou…

1
The Hidden World of Gramercy Park: Unlocking History with Keith Taillon 56:54

1y ago56:54

56:54

The small two acre square known since the 1830's as Gramercy Park has also been called "America's Bloomsbury". Taking the reference from London's famous neighborhood once home to many great writers and artists, New York's Gramercy Park has similarly included noted cultural icons from architect Stanford White to actor Edwin Booth to the great politi…

1
The American Renaissance: Beaux-Arts Architecture in New York City 1:00:51

1y ago1:00:51

1:00:51

Carl is joined by noted architect, interior designer and author Phillip James Dodd for an in-depth discussion of the "look" of the Gilded Age - a style known as American Beaux-Arts. Architecture constructed during the height of America's Gilded Age most certainly had a distinctive look. It was a uniquely American combination of stylistic elements o…

1
Daring Dandies: Early 20th Century Men of Style and Scandal 52:16

1+ y ago52:16

52:16

In the previous episode "Dandies: Gentleman of Style from the 19th Century to Today", Carl was joined by cultural historian and maker of fine custom clothing, Nathaniel Lee Adams for a look at this most interesting breed of society's tastemaking men. In this new episode, Carl and Natty take the discussion further and focus on the early 20th century…

1
The Sculptor and the Angel: The Untold Story of Emma Stebbins 54:19

1+ y ago54:19

54:19

In this episode, journalist and biographer Maria Teresa Cometto joins The Gilded Gentleman for a look into the life of New York-born 19th-century sculptor Emma Stebbins. Emma Stebbins is most noted for her iconic bronze statue, The Angel of the Waters, which was placed on Central Park's Bethesda Terrace in 1873. Maria Teresa Cometto is the author o…

1
The Real Mamie Fish with Ashlie Atkinson and Keith Taillon 53:24

1+ y ago53:24

53:24

Mrs. Stuyvesant Fish, known to all as just Mamie, was another of the larger-than-life personalities during the Gilded Age. For this episode, Carl is joined by historian and writer Keith Taillon and actor Ashlie Atkinson, who portrays Mamie Fish in HBO's The Gilded Age, for a look at just who this complicated and fascinating woman really was. If you…

1
Edith Wharton's "The Age of Innocence" with Dr. Emily Orlando 45:57

1+ y ago45:57

45:57

Edith Wharton published The Age of Innocence at a very important moment in her life. When the novel came out in 1920, she had been living in France full-time for nearly 10 years and had seen the devastating effects of World War I up close. Her response was to look back with a sense of nostalgia to the time of her childhood to recreate that staid, r…

1
Having a Ball: The Gilded Age's Most Outrageous Parties (ENCORE) 48:32

1+ y ago48:32

48:32

It's ball season! Time to call the carriage for your visit to the Gilded Age's greatest parties. Balls were the most lavish entertainment one could attend in the Gilded Age -- from Mrs. Astor's annual Opera Ball for around 400 guests to smaller affairs for only 200 or 300 hundred. But that ball was far more than an elegant night out. Being invited …

1
The Roeblings: The Family Who Built the Brooklyn Bridge (Bowery Boys Archive) 1:19:43

1+ y ago1:19:43

1:19:43

Viewers were introduced to Emily Roebling on the second season of The Gilded Age. Now learn the entire story of the Roebling family -- father, son, wife -- the engineers responsible for the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge. As a special bonus episode to end the year, enjoy this 2023 show from the Bowery Boys podcast archives, looking at the extr…

1
Delmonico's: The Return of a Legend with Max Tucci 42:11

1+ y ago42:11

42:11

Delmonico's began as the dream of two Swiss immigrants in the 1820's and grew to be a social center of the Gilded Age. Prohibition shuttered Delmonico's along with other great New York restaurants. Italian immigrant Oscar Tucci looked at the closed great brownstone former restaurant at 56 Beaver St and decided to reopen it - first as a speakeasy, t…

1
Simon Jones (Bannister on HBO's "The Gilded Age"): In Conversation 44:37

1+ y ago44:37

44:37

Carl is joined by actor Simon Jones, whose distinguished career has included King George V on "Downton Abbey", stage productions on Broadway and the West End, and his current role as Bannister on HBO's "The Gilded Age". Simon takes us backstage as he discusses his career from his earliest roles, including in the radio drama version of "The Hitchhik…

1
Inside Newport: Objects and Observations with Ulysses Dietz 45:50

1+ y ago45:50

45:50

Ulysses Dietz, noted curator, author, and historian is the great-great grandson of President Ulysses S. Grant. In this unique and very special show, Ulysses takes us behind the doors of several of Newport's great mansions to understand how architecture, design and decorative arts all combine to tell the story of how this social community came to be…

1
Christmas in Victorian America: City House/Country House 50:14

1+ y ago50:14

50:14

Christmas traditions evolved over the 19th century, combining influences from the days of the Dutch settlers with British practices inspired by the work of Dickens, and along the way, they became something truly American. In this special holiday episode, the Gilded Gentleman visits with Ann Haddad, House Historian of New York's 1832 Merchant's Hous…

1
Jay Gould at Home: Life at Lyndhurst Mansion 45:24

1+ y ago45:24

45:24

Financier Jay Gould was one of the most famous — and infamous — of the Gilded Age robber barons. He was ruthless in his business dealings, tangled with the Vanderbilts for control of the railroads and fought battle after battle on Wall Street. But there was a less contentious side to him as well. Gould sought respite from New York City with his fam…

1
The Gilded Age Cookbook: A Conversation with Becky Libourel Diamond 50:43

1+ y ago50:43

50:43

The Gilded Age was a period of rapid industrialization and innovation - and that was abundantly true in terms of what was happening in the kitchen. New marvels like refrigeration, the availability of ingredients like baking powder, and new tools from egg beaters to meat slicers, all made creating over-the-top meals much easier than ever before. Bec…

1
Black Gotham: Origins of Gilded Age New York's Black Elite 59:48

1+ y ago59:48

59:48

One of the most fascinating story lines in Season One of the HBO series "The Gilded Age" was that of the young black writer Peggy Scott and her Brooklyn family. Elements of Peggy's father's character were based on scholar Dr. Carla Peterson's own ancestral family. In her groundbreaking book, Black Gotham: A Family History of African-Americans in Ni…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Bowery Boys Media Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen