I'm sure many of you, like us here at the Gilded Gentleman, have been watching the new Julian Fellow series,

The Gilded Age, which premiered at the end of January on HBO.

Of all the fascinating characters in the show, whether real or imagined, to me, the most fascinating of them all, isn't really even human.

Well, not one human anyway. It's the city of New York. The Gilded Age,

that post-Civil War period, roughly from 1870 up to the turn of the century, was a time when New York

City was rapidly transforming into a dramatic, modern city. New rules and possibilities were everywhere from how one moved around the city

to technology, including that revolutionary introduction of electricity. And of course, new rules

that governed all aspects of society. As we wind down from the first season, I wanted to take a look at the city itself

during this period and what we see and what we don't see in the show. And to do that, I've

brought together two of my go-to experts as my guests today. So put on your golden spectacles

for a unique walk back in time.

Hello, I'm Carl Raymond, the host of the Gilded Gentleman History podcast, where every two weeks I take you under the velvet ropes and behind the glittering facades of social culture in America's Gilded Age, France's Bel-Epac, and England's late Victorian and Edwardian era.

This debut season, we have been heavily focusing on aspects of America's Gilded Age.

So to look at New York, this fascinating metropolis, there is, in some ways, no better

historian to show us the city than a licensed

New York City tour guide. I'm a licensed New York City tour guide myself, and I lead tours through

Bowery Boys walks, but so do my expert guests today, my esteemed colleagues, master tour guides,

and good friends, Emma Gess Consolice, and Jeff Dobbins.

Emma, you will remember, join me just recently for my show on Ladies Mile and the glamour of Gilded Age shopping.

Emma is an experienced guide, lecturer, and author.

She has a doctorate degree in Italian Renaissance art and is taught classes on history,

art, and the architecture of New York City. She is also an official New York City tour guide

...