Travel through pop culture with Pop Passport, “The Gilded Age”. Photo courtesy of HBO
Explore travel through pop culture with us on Pop Passport on Apple, Spotify & Youtube🎙️🎥 and follow me on instagram and TikTok
There have been many movies set in various time periods in New York City (my former beloved home of many years). However, given tonight is the premiere of the third season of HBO’s “The Gilded Age”, it seemed a good time to revisit some of the many splendid building built by the tycoons of the era, whether demolished or still standing. But first, let’s set the era scene…
The Gilded Age in New York City (roughly 1870-1900) was a period of rapid industrialization and wealth accumulation, marked by opulent displays of wealth by tycoons like Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, and Carnegie, alongside stark social inequalities. This era saw the rise of grand mansions, including the famous “Millionaire’s Row” on Fifth Avenue, and significant advancements in architecture and infrastructure, driven by the wealth of industrialists and fueled by a flood of European immigrants. This is why you see shows like “The Gilded Age” or movies like “The Age of Innocence” amongst the extremely wealthy uptown in Manhattan, jockeying for social position and power, while the poor suffered in stark opposition in films like”Gangs of New York” downtown. Same time period with drastically differently experiences within New York City, across the United States, and even in the United Kingdom, where wealthy daughters of New Yorker’s were being married off to British men with titles as an exchange (the tv series “The Buccaneers” explores this, even “Downton Abbey” – another Julien Fellows production – touches upon this with Cora Crawley, as does the book “To marry an English Lord”.
While The Gilded Age strives for accuracy in its portrayal of New York’s high society of the 1880s, with stories and characters inspired by history, going so far as to include real historical figures, such as Mrs. Astor and Ward McCallister, while the Russells are entirely fictional, there is a clear comparison between them and the Vanderbilt family, who became wealthy in the same time frame. The show blurs the lines between fact and fiction, as original characters interact with historical figures, but, in each case, The Gilded Age proves its commitment to realism by not rewriting the past. Meanwhile, several real New York City buildings and mansions served as inspiration for the sets and storylines in HBO’s “The Gilded Age.” These include the Vanderbilt mansions, the Henry Clay Frick House, and various brownstones around Gramercy Park and Union Square, which influenced the design of the Brook-Van Rhijn house. Additionally, Newport mansions like Marble House and Belcourt of Newport also provided inspiration for the show’s opulent interiors. In more detail:
- Vanderbilt Mansions:The Vanderbilt family’s lavish homes, particularly those on Fifth Avenue and in Newport, were major influences. The “Petit Château” at 660 Fifth Avenue, inspired by French Renaissance architecture, and the Triple Palace (640 Fifth Avenue and 2 West 52nd Street) with its Doric and Corinthian styles, served as models for the Russell family’s opulent lifestyle.
- Henry Clay Frick House:The Frick Collection (formerly the Frick House) on Fifth Avenue, with its Italian Renaissance design, is another notable example.
- Newport Mansions:The show’s production designer drew heavily from the Newport mansions, such as Marble House, for inspiration for the Russell’s mansion interiors and Bertha Russell’s bedroom, according to the Newport Mansions,. Belcourt of Newport, with its unique architectural style accommodating horses and automobiles, also makes an appearance.
- Brownstones:The brownstones around Gramercy Park and Union Square, along with those in downtown Troy, were used as inspiration for the Brook-Van Rhijn house.
- Other Notable Buildings:The Metropolitan Opera House, the Metropolitan Club, and the Waldorf Astoria also offer glimpses into the Gilded Age’s grandeur and are reflected in the show’s settings
Shop inspired looks on my LTK + shop for travel essentials on my curated storefront
Synopsis: The American Gilded Age was a period of immense economic change, great conflict between the old ways and brand new systems, and huge fortunes were made and lost. In 1882, young Marian Brook moves from rural Pennsylvania to New York City after the death of her father to live with her aunts Agnes van Rhijn and Ada Brook. Accompanied by Peggy Scott, an aspiring writer seeking a fresh start, Marian inadvertently becomes enmeshed in a social war between one of her aunts, a scion of the old money set, and her stupendously rich neighbors, a ruthless railroad tycoon and his ambitious wife, George and Bertha Russell. Exposed to a world on the brink of the modern age, Marian must choose if she will follow the established rules of society or forge her own path.
