The Most Unimaginable Excesses of Rich People Living In The Gilded Age (USA)
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The lives of wealthy families during the Gilded Age were nearly unimaginable today. How so? To get a glimpse, look around one's hometown and see where the enormous, glorious mansions of the late nineteenth century have been converted into private or public museums - or are peeling and rotting away.
In most cases, it is simply too expensive to keep them as private residences. Imagine how wealthy a handful of mid- to late-nineteenth-century families had to be to maintain such lavish appearances. The wealth disparity during the Gilded Age was so extreme that it is often compared to what modern society refers to as the "one-percent" class.
When was the Gilded Age?
During the 1870s, the United States experienced a period of gross materialism and blatant political corruption, which inspired important novels of social and political criticism. The Gilded Age (1873), written by Mark Twain in collaboration with Charles Dudley Warner, is the source of the period's name. The novel paints a vivid and accurate portrait of Washington, D.C., and is filled with caricatures of many of the day's leading figures, including greedy industrialists and corrupt politicians.
| The term refers to the economic boom that occurred between the end of the Civil War in 1865 and the turn of the twentieth century. "Historically, the era ended around 1910, but the era of great wealth lasted until the late 1920s," says architect and author Gary Lawrance, who founded and runs the Facebook groups Mansions of the Gilded Age and The Gilded Age Society. The groups have approximately 275,000 members combined. |
How rich were people of the Gilded Age?
Every man was a potential Andrew Carnegie during the "Gilded Age," and Americans who achieved wealth celebrated it like never before. In New York, the ruling class spent their leisure time at the opera, the theater, and lavish parties. The New York Riding Club held formal horseback dinners at Sherry's Restaurant. Mrs. Stuyvesant Fish once hosted a dinner party in honor of her dog, who wore a $15,000 diamond collar.
| While the wealthy wore diamonds, many others wore rags. In 1890, 11 million of the country's 12 million families earned less than $1200 per year; the average annual income of this group was $380, well below the poverty line. Rural Americans and new immigrants flocked to cities. Tenements dot urban landscapes, teeming with crime and filth. |
The millionaires' lives appeared immodest to those who worked in Carnegie's mills and in the nation's factories and sweatshops. In 1879, an economist observed "a widespread feeling of unrest and brooding revolution." Throughout the turn of the century, the country was wracked by violent strikes and riots. The middle class was terrified of "revenge carnivals."
Where did rich people in the Gilded Age live?
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They lived in Biltmore Estate which stretched across nearly 200,000 square feet of luxury.
The great estates of the Gilded Age were not all located in New York City or Newport, Rhode Island. The superrich were inspired by northern winter climates to build homes in more southern climes for their winter abodes and festivities. The Biltmore Estate, located near Asheville, North Carolina, was built between 1889 and 1896 by George Washington Vanderbilt II. The estate is vast, spanning nearly 11 miles. The construction of the main house, which has nearly 200,000 square feet, was so large that an entire working village was built nearby to house the workers, manufacturers, and supplies. A three-mile railroad spur was even built just to transport construction supplies to the site. Over 1,000 people were hired.
The Vanderbilt family still owns the Biltmore, which is the largest privately owned home in the United States. The house and grounds are open to the public for a fee to help with the high cost of modern maintenance and expenses, and a number of ticketed events are held on the site throughout the year.
The United States' Only Solid-Gold Toilet Adorned A Robber Baron's MansionThere are toilet seats made of solid gold. And, without a doubt, the Robber Baron families would be among the owners. The Garretts, a railroad tycoon family, purchased the palatial Evergreen estate near Baltimore, Maryland, in 1878. They immediately began remodeling and making the space even more magnificent than before. One improvement was the construction of a theater, complete with stage, seating, and a ticket window, for the matron of the house to perform for her guests. A gold bathroom, which still exists today, was probably the most ostentatious update - in a home full of ostentation, mind you. The bathtub itself is encrusted with 23-carat gold leaf. |
The Marble House was created to outstaff, outdress, and outparty the competition.While most Americans and Europeans struggled to make ends meet, the Gilded Age elite competed over who had the biggest, most, best... of anything and everything. Possibly the most important of these were their homes. Newport, Rhode Island, was prime real estate for 19th-century affluents, and some families worked hard to outdo their neighbors. For example, when Cornelius Vanderbilt built The Breakers, he was attempting to outdo his brother, William K. Vanderbilt's, latest showplace, Marble House. The latter Vanderbilt designed and planned his Marble House in order to "outstaff, outdress, and outparty" his brother and other Gilded Age gentlemen. The competition was so fierce that the super-home rich's construction was regularly covered in the local newspapers. According to the Newport Mercury, Marble House had 500,000 cubic feet of imported marble, as well as paneled walls depicting Classical gods. Some walls were even covered in 22-carat gold leaf, which was meticulously applied by hand. |
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Most Unimaginable Dining Excesses Of Wealthy Families During Gilded Age
Dinner Parties Involved Dogs In $15k Collars And Lakes Inside Restaurants
Delmonico's in New York City was the go-to restaurant for showing off for much of the nineteenth century. On the premises, endless lavish parties and dinners were held, with courses lasting from late afternoon into the early hours of the following morning. One of Delmonico's most elaborate shows involved the creation of an indoor, landscaped garden, complete with a $10,000 lake in the center. Swans were brought in to swim and glide through the lake while guests dined. Mrs. Stuyvesant Fish's dog, adorned in a $15,000 collar for the occasion, was the guest of honor at a different (but equally opulent) dinner party.
Diamond Jim And Lillian Russell Had Gourmet Eating Contests
Everything in the Gilded Age was extravagant, including food consumption. Those people had massive appetites, and the waistlines to prove it. But that wasn't such a big deal back then. Wealthy men were expected to be portly as a symbol of their status, and wealthy women were encouraged to flaunt their bountiful figures. It's doubtful that the Gilded Age thought about the millions of people, including children, who went hungry every day across the country. Railroad tycoon "Diamond" Jim Brady and then-A-list actress Lillian Russell are two notable eaters from the Gilded Age.
Restaurant owner George Rector, Brady's contemporary, is said to have said that Brady was "the best 25 customers I ever had." Brady would start each day with an elaborate lunch, often including two lobsters, deviled crabs, clams, oysters, and even beef, despite the fact that he seemed to be a big fan of seafood. Dinner may consist of far more than lunch.
Extreme dining took place on horseback
The majority of Gilded Age meals were elaborate affairs that were almost always held indoors. There were, however, a few notable exceptions. Naturally, the more bizarre, elaborate, and costly, the better. In some cases, the meal would be served on horseback. Imagine finishing those endless, rich courses while keeping your mount steady and juggling china, crystal, and silver! Some guests described the experience as one of the most heinous forms of torture. C.K.G. Billing, a millionaire, once hosted a horseback dinner at a swanky New York restaurant. Even the horses were treated like millionaires, with their own individual bags of oats provided. All of this came at a steep price. Billing's bill came to $50,000. |
Dinner Parties Involved Dogs In $15k Collars And Lakes Inside RestaurantsDelmonico's in New York City was the go-to restaurant for showing off for much of the nineteenth century. On the premises, endless lavish parties and dinners were held, with courses lasting from late afternoon into the early hours of the following morning. One of Delmonico's most elaborate shows involved the creation of an indoor, landscaped garden, complete with a $10,000 lake in the center. Swans were brought in to swim and glide through the lake while guests dined. Mrs. Stuyvesant Fish's dog, adorned in a $15,000 collar for the occasion, was the guest of honor at a different (but equally opulent) dinner party. |
Most Unbelievable Clothing Excesses Of Wealthy Families During Gilded Age
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Sheets were changed twice a day, and clothes were changed at least three times
Another form of excess among the very wealthy during the Gilded Age was the display of as many elaborate outfits as possible, as well as the presence of as many servants - performing very specific tasks - as possible. A Gilded Age household, for example, required the family to change their clothing several times or more per day. Until just before lunch, morning suits and dresses were required. Then, something lighter for the afternoon; then, something more formal for supper; and finally, for any evening social activities at home or elsewhere. If you intend to go hunting, hawking, or riding during the day, extra outfits would be required. After all, one must maintain appearances.
Family members or guests may need to nap or rest at different times of the day. As a result, bed sheets would need to be changed at least twice per day. The underpaid, overworked staff worked in the absence of electric washing machines and dryers.
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Jewels Were In-Demand And Over The Top
If Gilded Age wives were outraged by their husband's nefarious activities in upscale brothels, they could take solace in their husband's money. After all, no self-respecting Robber Baron would want his woman to walk around looking unkempt. Gilded Age ladies literally dripped in jewels and other finery to that end. Famous jewelers of the time, such as Marcus & Co. and Tiffany & Co., created a plethora of gleaming, glistening works of art from ebony to diamonds, sapphires, pearls, emeralds, aquamarines, enamels, and, of course, much silver and gold. What couldn't be created with these precious metals and stones? Tiaras, pendants, elaborate necklaces, watches, dresser sets, earrings and bracelets, and other accessories are available. There's plenty to keep a lonely wife warm. |
Most Unbelievable Traveling Excesses Of Wealthy Families During Gilded Age
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If one could afford it, one of the main goals of life during the Gilded Age was to see and be seen in the most luxurious ways possible. The advent of the rail age was no exception. Private railroad cars, some of which were lavishly decorated, were the most fashionable mode of transportation by the 1870s. No ordinary wooden coach seats would suffice. The very wealthy boarded their own rail cars, which had velvet-lined walls, plush upholstery, and decor reminiscent of a fancy parlor at home. These private cars had bedrooms, running water, and a private restroom.
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