The real Mrs. Astor, ruler or rebel?

Caroline Astor, known just as Mrs. Astor, has often been thought of hands down as the most well-known

and powerful person in Gilded Age society.

She ruled with an iron fist clad in a soft calf-skin glove from Paris, of course.

With a wave of her bejeweled hand, you were either in or you were out. And if she chose not to know you, well, you just might as well pack up

your social climbing dreams and take the next train to Toledo. But just who was this woman that ruled over the

Gilded Age elite? Well, we have a few images of her from photographs and a dramatic, notable

painting, and lots of accounts of the lavish dinners and balls that she gave. But do we really know

her? I'll be joined on today's show by New York historian and creator of the masterful blog

Daytonian in Manhattan, Tom Miller, who has some fascinating insights and opinions on this

grandest of grand d'aum's imperious and perhaps imperiled, and we'll share with us just

who this woman really was.

Music Hello, I'm Carl Raymond, the host of the Gilded Gentleman History podcast, where every two weeks we sit down for a nice cup of tea and a chat about the world's upstairs and downstairs in the grand drawing rooms and dodgy alleyways of America's Gilded Age, France's Belle-Ipac and England's late Victorian

and Edwardian eras. I am deeply honored to be joined for today's show by one of the New York

architectural and social historians I admire

the most, Tom Miller. If you're a follower of Tom's extraordinary blog Daytonian in Manhattan,

you will share my admiration. And if you haven't yet discovered it, I encourage you to sign up today

so you don't miss a single post. He posts the unique history of a different

building every single day, except Sunday. Tom began his blog writing about buildings and locations

throughout New York's history back in 2009, and astonishingly, now has over 3,500

posts. Tom is also the author of two books of architectural history, seeking New York and seeking

Chicago. Welcome, Tom. I am so happy to have you with me today. Thank you for having me.

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