It is clear this is based on Alva Vanderbilt who had the nerve to build a limestone house amongst brownstone homes. Alva was determined to make her mark and spent like crazy to achieve that goal. She “sold” her daughter to British royalty to lord it over the old money.
That was pretty common actually. The new money were desperately trying to get a foothold in society and buy class. The noble families of England were, in some cases, running out of money as they didn’t adapt to new ideas. So the industrialists would marry their children off to aristocrats and both would get what they want from it.
I am looking forward to this show getting into deeper issues and growing in popularity as much as Downton Abbey (which I loved!) Thanks for commenting.
The interesting thing about this period is that it's a facade of a wealthy prosperous society. When in reality there was a huge wealth disparity, most Americans and new immigrants were actually quite destitute and struggling to make it. Yes, there were black elites who lived in a mostly segregated world, but many black people were negatively affected with the end of reconstruction and the extension of slavery, lynchings, race massacres, and more horrible atrocities due to racism. Leading to the great migration and even more racist unrest.
According to the HBO behind-the-scenes video for the Russell Family, the patriarch, George, is inspired by Jay Gould, a very wealthy industrialist from those times. :)
@@shirahime23 Yet, another behind the scenes HBO video has Carrie Coon (who plays Bertha Russell) stating that Bertha Russell is "the historical counterpart" to Alva Vanderbilt. th-cam.com/video/WcNYYZ3eJJ0/w-d-xo.html Thanks for letting us know, though :)
@@fabulouswomeninhistory Good day to you. That's a fair piece of trivia--which I'll be looking into, moving forward. :) Thank you for including the link in your response, I appreciate it. Cheers to sharing interesting information about the fascinating people some of the characters in the show were directly influenced by. All my best (and you're welcome)!
@@samanthastark8810 Yes, the Astor's in this TV series are real people of history. So far we have met Mrs. Astor and her daughter Carrie which gives us a hint of a plot line to come concerning the ball. We'll have to see how it plays out. Thanks for your comment!
I wish instead of showing the lazy stereotype of struggling African Americans this show had gone further to show some of the ACTUAL African American elite families that existed at the time in New York. An example would be The Downing dynasty, who literally created the concept of Oyster fine dining houses in New York City and were fabulously wealthy as well as patronised by the city's leading families and European royals. When Thomas Downing passed away he was one of the wealthiest men in the entirety of NYC, his children were educated in Europe etc...
Wow, that is very interesting! Have to do some research but this sounds like it would be good for a video in this period. Thank you so much for this enlightening comment. Anybody reading this, please let me know if that is of interest to you...
The number of people whom were considered socally acceptable in high society was 400 because thats how many people could fit comfortably in Mrs. Astors ballroom. #flex
Did another video on the gilded age th-cam.com/video/fcZ_A2o17UY/w-d-xo.html about Mrs Astor's new mansion with a ballroom enlarged to hold 1200 people & just in time. In it you will see how competitive the ballroom parties were. Thanks for commenting. Love hearing them all.
I think there is more to that than the size of her ballroom. It has to do with a man named Ward McAllister . He was the instigator of defining who was and wasn't of the elite group and, I understand that we will see him coming up in future episodes.
Great video. I can’t wait for your video on Alva. I think one of the things that get overlooked about her is has had the right lineage for those circles but she didn’t have the resources as her family had lost all their money. But her lineage and the Vanderbilt’s money made her a force to be reckoned with. She is rather a fascinating character. I don’t believe she was at all like the character on the Gilded Age who I find to be very whiny. Both her and her husband take turns throwing temper tantrums each episode. It was the efforts of Alva that is the reason the Vanderbilts made it into high society. The Vanderbilts has been the richest family not only in New York but on the US for 2 generations before Alva arrived on the scene. Money alone didn’t afford them the right to the 400.
Thank you for your well thought out comment. The show is going to make as much drama as they can out of history, or course, but so far, I like the show. Alva is certainly an multi-faceted woman whose times dictated a lot of her choices and actions; which is why, I am sure, that she fought so hard for women to have the vote. Not everyone know this about her and especially at this stage of the show. Certainly not in season one. We will have to see. Thanks again.
I think the 400 was also a direct reference to the number of people Mrs. Astor’s ballroom could hold. So not only were they the most important people of the city, they were also the ones who got invites to invites to the Astor’s; allegedly.
I think this Gilded Age is so fascinating! The use of money was uninhibited by these ladies until the government started to tax them. I know this sounds rude but the actual photographs of these two formidable women especially as they age makes me think of the unflattering word "battleaxes". They were ruthless especially Alva who sold her daughter to the British aristocracy
The reason why it was old money vs new money is because they brought the cultural belief and mentality from Europe, particularly England, that money and title/family blood equalled status. Money alone did not give you status. Apparently it’s still that way for the most part in England.
It is still that way in the US well. Old money just went underground. High society doesn’t want to be associated with popular culture. You really have to know who these old money families are in order to follow them. They stay out of the public’s eye. Remember in either the Crown or Downtown it was said, “there are 2 way to enter high society. By birth or by ability”. Ability is never about money. Anyone can make money. It is about their ability to fit in to high society/old money. America has done a good job at masking that our ecosystem as well is based on class not money.
@@tammybenay your comment reminds me of the crazy rich Asians trilogy. The true old money families wouldn’t be caught in tabloids or magazines etc. they keep their circles tight and hushed.
@@tammybenay You are so correct. My grandmother had old money and had friends who still lived in plantation era homes. They were lil old ladies who always had their own tight circle.
@@queencerseilannister3519 I bet they are so cute and unassuming. We had our very own age of conspicuous consumption in the late 80’s and 90’s. When gold was no longer backed by the dollar and later the tech boom made a lot of rich people ultra wealthy. People were literally fighting it out to be more wealthy and famous. While the old money families did what they always do, ignore them and go on about their business as usual. They are guarded by generations of unspoken rules, customs, and etiquette that a person who is “just rich” would never know. You can’t just buy your way in to their favor. That is why I am having issues with the Russells character on the Guided Age. They aren’t even trying to earn respect. They are being bullies.
I think it would have been a better story to have Mrs. Russell be from a wealthy Southern (Pictish) family instead of being from a Farming Gaelic (Irish) family. It would have given the great story even more realistic depth.
It was conspicuous consumption at its absolutely worst. Why do we rever these people? They were the 1% of the day that watched as many in the other 99% starved, were homeless, and suffered in countless other ways.
@@asm2614 True that, but where are the series about people like Jacob Riis, Jane Adams, Eugene Debbs and the like- people who advocate peace, working class values, socialism, the strength of unions, etc. They are also part of our history. We hear about the rich but no little of working class history; we hear about capitalism but nothing about alernative economic systems and when we do, these are painted like the boogy man. It is a reverence if this is what we see on TV while the other parts of our history remain invisible.
@@towanda1067 I suppose that’s why it’s called the Gilded Age now. We can see its shallowness through the lens of time. There was nothing golden about it, and I think so far the show has shown the greed and snobbery that was de rigueur. I myself do not abhor capitalism, but we would need another series in order to fit in all the other things you mentioned rather than just tack it on to this one. This show is just for entertainment not necessarily edification. Maybe they can make a series from the other perspective.
Thanks for the explanation on "the real women" of the 19th century's New York society. I am recently introduced to "The Gilded Age," and appreciate any content that helps me understand it.
It would be awesome if they tied this show into Downton Abbey. Countess Grantham was an American “dollar princess”. So her mom would have been a peer of some of the families 🤔🤔
Originally, The Gilded Age was envisioned to be a prequel to Downton Abbey but Julian Fellowes changed his mind and decided to focus the story differently. I am just finishing up a video on Consuelo Vanderbilt historical counterpart to Gladys Russel in the GA who was a dollar princess of that era. It will drop tomorrow. Thank you for your comments and glad you are here!
I would enjoy a video about the prosperous Black families and their contribution to The GILDED AGE. It is a part of history of which I am completely ignorant and would like to be educated.
This historic background explanation is really very good, it gives more knowledge how society worked. I've watched The gilded age and appriciate the real historic background to the make believe. Thanks for that.
If I am remembering correctly, married women of the time did not have complete control over their finances. So, Mrs. Astor’s husband could control her money.
That is true. It wasn't until the mid-20th (the1950s through the 1970s) century that married women were allowed to have their own bank accounts. ~ Anastacia in Cleveland
You showed a photo of Alva’s daughter Consuelo but you didn’t label it as such and it seemed like she was Alva. Documentaries alway lose credibility when photos are presented or labeled wrong.
Educational but one-sided. Would love to see a fuller exploration of the immigrant and newly emancipated labor force that propped up these elitist families.
Good insight. I think that is what Julian Fellows and co producer Erica Dunbar are attempting to do in the Peggy Scott character. Just completed her video th-cam.com/video/joYx1VA8oRU/w-d-xo.html here.
Glad HBO included other individuals in the series like Founders of Red Cross. Astor visit to Vanderbilt mansion with a artist rendering. Must have been some serious insignificant chit chat going on. You can pick a fight with me but hands off of my child. Mothers rich or poor protect their children. Gilded Age also known as no income tax years. Rich men were actually bailing out government and funding social services and charity.
The Gilded Age of the late 19th Century was not limited to the USA. It helped initiate the glorious Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 in Russia. Let's hope that the current Gilded Age of the 21st Century initiates a second Bolshevik Revolution, this time worldwide!
My mother's family is from those echelons. They're not that freaking great. I mean seriously, look at the reality of her life, Mrs. Astor was really nothing more than a rude stuck-up snob who got MUCH worse when she married someone rich.
The narration is excellent. Sorry, but the photos are going off the rails. I realize that some are just to show the era, but others show up when you are referencing a specific person/thing: Your first photo of William K Vanderbilt is actually his son Willie K Junior. Also, after the photo of William there is a photo of someone that is not Alva. Why the photo of William's brother Cornelius' mansion? The photo of the staircase is from Alva's Newport "cottage" Marble House, not her 5th Avenue chateau.
Which one? There were 4 of them. The 4th (who died on the Titanic ) was her son. 3rd was her husband's brother, 2nd was her husband's uncle (and the feeble minded skeleton in the closet), and the First was her husband's grandfather (who gained a lot of his fortune in the opium trade)
I love this show!! Thanks for this historical background. It’s so interesting. By the way, Mobile, Alabama where Alva was born is pronounced “mo - BEAL”. 😉
This show is trying too hard to be like Downton Abby and Bridgerton. As someone enjoying British aristocracy, seeing it trying to happen in America with the minor storylines of the housemaids, just feels like HBO's desperate attempt to capture the attention. Nope. It's overplayed and boring.
Actually "The Gilded Age" seems to be a take on "The Age of Innocence", and it doesn't do that bad a job. Christine Baranski as Agnes Van Rhijn isn't exactly out of place, and though she hold her own, she is no Granny Mingott. Granny Mingott would never be caught "out", and if she was, she wouldn't notice, and no one else would either. They had better not! The black girl, Denée Benton as Peggy Scott is totally out of place and order. Black people were invisible in that era, and to introduce them, especially in the superfluous way they have here is only to introduce racism - which they have here, which is cumbersome and totally drags down the story line.
Well thought out comment and great observation. Yes, I am pretty sure that The Age of Innocence was an inspiration for Julian Fellowes, the writer. I am thinking of doing a video on Edith Wharton. She literally moved in the same circle as her characters and was a friend of Carrie Astor. Definitely a fabulous woman worthy of a video. Thanks for your comment!
@@fabulouswomeninhistory Gee thanks! I love the story, I love the history and the times. I especially love those ole' Matrons' who'd seen it all, and knew life, and love and liberty, and yes, Granny was my favorite. The world wasn't new yet, but it was about to be born and these were the hand maidens, midwives and doctors. Cheers!
This video literally is a reading of the Wikipedia page for Mrs. Astor. This isn’t creative or original at all. Just plagiarism with slide show. Not cool.
You didn't see the episode with Agnes Van Rhijn's nephew, Oscar played by Blake Ritson? He is gay and already have seen scenes of him with his lover. Not sure which episode now, but it is there!
I feel like this society was defined by overblown high school cliques lol. It’s very interesting, I’m loving this series!
That is a good analogy. Thanks for your thoughts.
Cliques which were a tad bit excessive in what they spent to agrandize themselves.
It is clear this is based on Alva Vanderbilt who had the nerve to build a limestone house amongst brownstone homes. Alva was determined to make her mark and spent like crazy to achieve that goal. She “sold” her daughter to British royalty to lord it over the old money.
She was certainly ambition and power hungry. More on her in a forth coming video.....
Consuelo Vanderbilt married the Duke of Marlborough, a very Aristocratic family, but not royal. It was a very unhappy marriage.
That was pretty common actually. The new money were desperately trying to get a foothold in society and buy class. The noble families of England were, in some cases, running out of money as they didn’t adapt to new ideas. So the industrialists would marry their children off to aristocrats and both would get what they want from it.
The Biltmore Mansion in NC is built by William C Hunt as well.
@@jaimicottrill2831 right on! They were called the Dollar Princesses
I'm already hooked on this show it is well written. I studied the Gilded Age in college.
I am looking forward to this show getting into deeper issues and growing in popularity as much as Downton Abbey (which I loved!) Thanks for commenting.
I am hooked too. This is a great show
Isn't it? As a writer, I can't get enough...
Im Canadian, so I didn't even know this era was a real thing until now! Wow!
The interesting thing about this period is that it's a facade of a wealthy prosperous society. When in reality there was a huge wealth disparity, most Americans and new immigrants were actually quite destitute and struggling to make it. Yes, there were black elites who lived in a mostly segregated world, but many black people were negatively affected with the end of reconstruction and the extension of slavery, lynchings, race massacres, and more horrible atrocities due to racism. Leading to the great migration and even more racist unrest.
Even today, the buzz goes to the Kardashians....people love to watch the wealthy and their foibles.
👍 THE GILDED AGE SEASON 2 IS HERE !!! New Plot Lines With Even More Drama Ahead! Teaser/Trailer ► th-cam.com/video/jix7QY-iMIE/w-d-xo.html
According to the HBO behind-the-scenes video for the Russell Family, the patriarch, George, is inspired by Jay Gould, a very wealthy industrialist from those times. :)
I do believe the Astor's are real.
@@shirahime23 Yet, another behind the scenes HBO video has Carrie Coon (who plays Bertha Russell) stating that Bertha Russell is "the historical counterpart" to Alva Vanderbilt. th-cam.com/video/WcNYYZ3eJJ0/w-d-xo.html Thanks for letting us know, though :)
@@fabulouswomeninhistory Good day to you. That's a fair piece of trivia--which I'll be looking into, moving forward. :) Thank you for including the link in your response, I appreciate it. Cheers to sharing interesting information about the fascinating people some of the characters in the show were directly influenced by. All my best (and you're welcome)!
@@samanthastark8810 Yes, the Astor's in this TV series are real people of history. So far we have met Mrs. Astor and her daughter Carrie which gives us a hint of a plot line to come concerning the ball. We'll have to see how it plays out. Thanks for your comment!
I wish instead of showing the lazy stereotype of struggling African Americans this show had gone further to show some of the ACTUAL African American elite families that existed at the time in New York. An example would be The Downing dynasty, who literally created the concept of Oyster fine dining houses in New York City and were fabulously wealthy as well as patronised by the city's leading families and European royals. When Thomas Downing passed away he was one of the wealthiest men in the entirety of NYC, his children were educated in Europe etc...
Wow, that is very interesting! Have to do some research but this sounds like it would be good for a video in this period. Thank you so much for this enlightening comment. Anybody reading this, please let me know if that is of interest to you...
I think that this would be a terrific subject for a video! ~ Anastacia in Cleveland
Indeed! Baron Fellowes has very limited knowledge compared to his ego.
@@fabulouswomeninhistory would love a video on this topic
I too, would enjoy a video on this topic
The number of people whom were considered socally acceptable in high society was 400 because thats how many people could fit comfortably in Mrs. Astors ballroom.
#flex
Did another video on the gilded age th-cam.com/video/fcZ_A2o17UY/w-d-xo.html about Mrs Astor's new mansion with a ballroom enlarged to hold 1200 people & just in time. In it you will see how competitive the ballroom parties were. Thanks for commenting. Love hearing them all.
It is said that the number was 400 because that was the number of people who would fit in Mrs. Astor's ballroom.
I think there is more to that than the size of her ballroom. It has to do with a man named Ward McAllister . He was the instigator of defining who was and wasn't of the elite group and, I understand that we will see him coming up in future episodes.
I also heard that was the criteria---Interesting to see how the rich lived and what they thought then as opposed to now
Great video. I can’t wait for your video on Alva. I think one of the things that get overlooked about her is has had the right lineage for those circles but she didn’t have the resources as her family had lost all their money. But her lineage and the Vanderbilt’s money made her a force to be reckoned with. She is rather a fascinating character. I don’t believe she was at all like the character on the Gilded Age who I find to be very whiny. Both her and her husband take turns throwing temper tantrums each episode. It was the efforts of Alva that is the reason the Vanderbilts made it into high society. The Vanderbilts has been the richest family not only in New York but on the US for 2 generations before Alva arrived on the scene. Money alone didn’t afford them the right to the 400.
have you read a well behaved woman? its about alva vanferbilt and how she was an amazing woman actually and her flaws and successes
Thank you for your well thought out comment. The show is going to make as much drama as they can out of history, or course, but so far, I like the show. Alva is certainly an multi-faceted woman whose times dictated a lot of her choices and actions; which is why, I am sure, that she fought so hard for women to have the vote. Not everyone know this about her and especially at this stage of the show. Certainly not in season one. We will have to see. Thanks again.
I think the 400 was also a direct reference to the number of people Mrs. Astor’s ballroom could hold. So not only were they the most important people of the city, they were also the ones who got invites to invites to the Astor’s; allegedly.
Yes this is the understanding of how the number of the New York high society elite was set.
More on that in the video on Ward McAllister /Mrs Astor's Mr McAllister.
I think this Gilded Age is so fascinating! The use of money was uninhibited by these ladies until the government started to tax them. I know this sounds rude but the actual photographs of these two formidable women especially as they age makes me think of the unflattering word "battleaxes". They were ruthless especially Alva who sold her daughter to the British aristocracy
To me, they were women who were bound by society and did what they could to survive and thrive. Hey! Thanks for joining the conversation!
The reason why it was old money vs new money is because they brought the cultural belief and mentality from Europe, particularly England, that money and title/family blood equalled status. Money alone did not give you status. Apparently it’s still that way for the most part in England.
It is still that way in the US well. Old money just went underground. High society doesn’t want to be associated with popular culture. You really have to know who these old money families are in order to follow them. They stay out of the public’s eye. Remember in either the Crown or Downtown it was said, “there are 2 way to enter high society. By birth or by ability”. Ability is never about money. Anyone can make money. It is about their ability to fit in to high society/old money. America has done a good job at masking that our ecosystem as well is based on class not money.
Thanks for your comment. Very insightful.
@@tammybenay your comment reminds me of the crazy rich Asians trilogy. The true old money families wouldn’t be caught in tabloids or magazines etc. they keep their circles tight and hushed.
@@tammybenay You are so correct. My grandmother had old money and had friends who still lived in plantation era homes. They were lil old ladies who always had their own tight circle.
@@queencerseilannister3519 I bet they are so cute and unassuming. We had our very own age of conspicuous consumption in the late 80’s and 90’s. When gold was no longer backed by the dollar and later the tech boom made a lot of rich people ultra wealthy. People were literally fighting it out to be more wealthy and famous. While the old money families did what they always do, ignore them and go on about their business as usual. They are guarded by generations of unspoken rules, customs, and etiquette that a person who is “just rich” would never know. You can’t just buy your way in to their favor. That is why I am having issues with the Russells character on the Guided Age. They aren’t even trying to earn respect. They are being bullies.
I think it would have been a better story to have Mrs. Russell be from a wealthy Southern (Pictish) family instead of being from a Farming Gaelic (Irish) family. It would have given the great story even more realistic depth.
It was conspicuous consumption at its absolutely worst. Why do we rever these people? They were the 1% of the day that watched as many in the other 99% starved, were homeless, and suffered in countless other ways.
👍
It was an age of horrors, built on violence.
You don’t have to revere them, but it is part of our history.
@@asm2614 True that, but where are the series about people like Jacob Riis, Jane Adams, Eugene Debbs and the like- people who advocate peace, working class values, socialism, the strength of unions, etc. They are also part of our history. We hear about the rich but no little of working class history; we hear about capitalism but nothing about alernative economic systems and when we do, these are painted like the boogy man. It is a reverence if this is what we see on TV while the other parts of our history remain invisible.
@@towanda1067 I suppose that’s why it’s called the Gilded Age now. We can see its shallowness through the lens of time. There was nothing golden about it, and I think so far the show has shown the greed and snobbery that was de rigueur. I myself do not abhor capitalism, but we would need another series in order to fit in all the other things you mentioned rather than just tack it on to this one. This show is just for entertainment not necessarily edification. Maybe they can make a series from the other perspective.
Great video. It adds lots of amazing context to the TV show. Particularly to foreigners (I'm Brazilian).
Thanks!
So glad it is helpful. I love period pieces like this and I am glad you do as well! Thanks for commenting!
Anderson Cooper is a Vanderbilt, his mother was “The poor little rich girl”… Love Grandma Debbie
This is true. Thanks for commenting.
Part Vanderbilt and he honestly doesn’t care about that part of his family.
@@AlphaOmeg-y3h his mother was Gloria Vanderbilt and he loved and celebrated his mother. He was/is very proud of her.
@@AlphaOmeg-y3hhow would you know? Are you his conscience? Lolol 🤣
@@joannehanna2590 he says it in interviews all the time. Are you that dense?
My great grandmother always referred to Mrs. Astor as lady Astor
Thanks for the explanation on "the real women" of the 19th century's New York society. I am recently introduced to "The Gilded Age," and appreciate any content that helps me understand it.
Thanks for being here and joining the conversation.
It would be awesome if they tied this show into Downton Abbey. Countess Grantham was an American “dollar princess”. So her mom would have been a peer of some of the families 🤔🤔
Originally, The Gilded Age was envisioned to be a prequel to Downton Abbey but Julian Fellowes changed his mind and decided to focus the story differently. I am just finishing up a video on Consuelo Vanderbilt historical counterpart to Gladys Russel in the GA who was a dollar princess of that era. It will drop tomorrow. Thank you for your comments and glad you are here!
Brilliant video. So informative & enjoyable. Loving the new series too
Glad you enjoyed it
I would enjoy a video about the prosperous Black families and their contribution to The GILDED AGE. It is a part of history of which I am completely ignorant and would like to be educated.
Thank you for the suggestion. I will add it to my list!
Watch the BOSS documentary by Henry Louis Gates Jr.
This historic background explanation is really very good, it gives more knowledge how society worked. I've watched The gilded age and appriciate the real historic background to the make believe. Thanks for that.
So nice of you
The gilded age was what we can call “A show of greed”. No matter what it displayed, it all came down to wealth.
They never discussed how they made their money either. A wealthy southern family made money in horrific ways.
True Malene. So much info to cover about this era and the people who lived it and their history.
Yep, that is why Mark Twain coined the phrase.
Old money starts as new money and in time new money becomes old money
A philosopher in our midst! Thanks so much for your thoughts!
FYI the 400 refers to families, not people.
Thanks for this insight. :)
If I am remembering correctly, married women of the time did not have complete control over their finances. So, Mrs. Astor’s husband could control her money.
That is true. It wasn't until the mid-20th (the1950s through the 1970s) century that married women were allowed to have their own bank accounts. ~ Anastacia in Cleveland
I learnt tonight, that her son died one of her sons died on the Titanic, along with the Co-founders of Macy's.
You showed a photo of Alva’s daughter Consuelo but you didn’t label it as such and it seemed like she was Alva. Documentaries alway lose credibility when photos are presented or labeled wrong.
Really enjoyed this series. Marathoned it to the end of the first season.
We all love it too! Thanks for joining the conversation!
Really enjoyed the movie The Guilded Age. Is there going to be anymore?
JF has a sense of humor cause Mr Rakes certainly turned out to be a RAKE.
And Marian and Larry need to be together
Next season!
That was so interesting and educational. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!
It's a shame those magnificent homes were torn down. I would love to have seen their opulence.
Agreed!
Go 2 Newport RI
Educational but one-sided. Would love to see a fuller exploration of the immigrant and newly emancipated labor force that propped up these elitist families.
Good insight. I think that is what Julian Fellows and co producer Erica Dunbar are attempting to do in the Peggy Scott character. Just completed her video th-cam.com/video/joYx1VA8oRU/w-d-xo.html here.
She wasn't from Mo-BYLE, Alabama ... she was from Mo-BEEL, Alabama.
Potatoe PoTAto
I’m from Birmingham and the pronunciation of Mobile grated on my ears terribly!
@@fabulouswomeninhistory absolutely nobody says potahto
It is Potato.
Pronounced: Mo beal. It's not a mobile hanging from the ceiling.
Mrs Astor was the mother of John Jacob Astor. The richest man to die on Titanic. Possibly the richest man in the world at the time.
Yes, even the rich suffer loss. Thanks for joining the conversation!
Thanks, great vid. Subbed.
Alva has always reminded me of a grumpy bulldog.
Thanks for your thoughts.
Glad HBO included other individuals in the series like Founders of Red Cross. Astor visit to Vanderbilt mansion with a artist rendering. Must have been some serious insignificant chit chat going on. You can pick a fight with me but hands off of my child. Mothers rich or poor protect their children.
Gilded Age also known as no income tax years. Rich men were actually bailing out government and funding social services and charity.
This is very cool to learn.
Glad you like it!
Interesting that this show and the show “1883” are set during the same time in history.
I read an interesting piece on the Ringer website making a contrast. Very interesting. Thanks for noting that.
The Gilded Age of the late 19th Century was not limited to the USA. It helped initiate the glorious Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 in Russia. Let's hope that the current Gilded Age of the 21st Century initiates a second Bolshevik Revolution, this time worldwide!
💯👍👏💪
Omg one of the men at the tables was in Mansfield Park
My mother's family is from those echelons. They're not that freaking great. I mean seriously, look at the reality of her life, Mrs. Astor was really nothing more than a rude stuck-up snob who got MUCH worse when she married someone rich.
Money does have a way of doing that. Thanks for joining the conversation!
The narration is excellent.
Sorry, but the photos are going off the rails. I realize that some are just to show the era, but others show up when you are referencing a specific person/thing: Your first photo of William K Vanderbilt is actually his son Willie K Junior. Also, after the photo of William there is a photo of someone that is not Alva. Why the photo of William's brother Cornelius' mansion? The photo of the staircase is from Alva's Newport "cottage" Marble House, not her 5th Avenue chateau.
Where would one find pictures of these things? The inside of the Vanderbilt's 5th manse, for instance? I'd love to see!
Exactly.
I’m thinking is she related to J.J. Astor
Her husbands brother John Jacob Astor II. I did another more in-depth video on Mrs Astor, coming out tomorrow. Thanks for your comments!
Which one? There were 4 of them. The 4th (who died on the Titanic ) was her son. 3rd was her husband's brother, 2nd was her husband's uncle (and the feeble minded skeleton in the closet), and the First was her husband's grandfather (who gained a lot of his fortune in the opium trade)
Disgusting waste of money while people were starving.
And it continues today.
I love this show!! Thanks for this historical background. It’s so interesting.
By the way, Mobile, Alabama where Alva was born is pronounced “mo - BEAL”. 😉
Mobile, AL is pronounced Mo-beel.
Prounounced skimmer-horn in NY
Thanks! :)
How many of these women we’re READY MEN?
I find it elitist that this is aired on HBO instead of PBS. We "poor" plebes can not afford to pay for premium cable channels!
Thanks for your thoughts.
I am happy and thankful i wasnt born of that time.
Thanks for your thoughts.
This show is trying too hard to be like Downton Abby and Bridgerton. As someone enjoying British aristocracy, seeing it trying to happen in America with the minor storylines of the housemaids, just feels like HBO's desperate attempt to capture the attention. Nope. It's overplayed and boring.
The American Guilded Age 🤤🤤🤤
Schermerhorn
Why did they not include all the different accents of the various people who lived in New York at the time . Disappointing
Great video but please replace the voice with someone more human. This ruins it for me. I cant.
Mobile, Alabama
Pronounced "Mo - Beel' 🤦🏼♂️
Great series.
Yes, I am growing to like this series esp after Ep 3.
Actually "The Gilded Age" seems to be a take on "The Age of Innocence", and it doesn't do that bad a job. Christine Baranski as Agnes Van Rhijn isn't exactly out of place, and though she hold her own, she is no Granny Mingott. Granny Mingott would never be caught "out", and if she was, she wouldn't notice, and no one else would either. They had better not! The black girl, Denée Benton as Peggy Scott is totally out of place and order. Black people were invisible in that era, and to introduce them, especially in the superfluous way they have here is only to introduce racism - which they have here, which is cumbersome and totally drags down the story line.
Well thought out comment and great observation. Yes, I am pretty sure that The Age of Innocence was an inspiration for Julian Fellowes, the writer. I am thinking of doing a video on Edith Wharton. She literally moved in the same circle as her characters and was a friend of Carrie Astor. Definitely a fabulous woman worthy of a video. Thanks for your comment!
@@fabulouswomeninhistory Gee thanks! I love the story, I love the history and the times. I especially love those ole' Matrons' who'd seen it all, and knew life, and love and liberty, and yes, Granny was my favorite. The world wasn't new yet, but it was about to be born and these were the hand maidens, midwives and doctors. Cheers!
This video literally is a reading of the Wikipedia page for Mrs. Astor. This isn’t creative or original at all. Just plagiarism with slide show. Not cool.
Bless your heart.
Why no LGBTQ characters? Everyone knows LGBTQ folks lived in The Guilded Age and it would be historically accurate to include a caste member
You didn't see the episode with Agnes Van Rhijn's nephew, Oscar played by Blake Ritson? He is gay and already have seen scenes of him with his lover. Not sure which episode now, but it is there!
Utter nonesense.So derivative of Upstairs Downstairs,Downton Abbey,etc.