Program online cspan. Org history. Founded in 19203 the museum of the city of new yorks collection contains nearly seven or 50000 objects. We visited. To learn about the exhibit gilded new yorker. My name is jeanine i am one of the co curators of guilder new york, fashion, society and culture that is being shown here at the museum of the city of new york the show opened in november of 2013 and closes in october of 2014. In this a beautiful jewel box of a gallery we have assembled a variety of objects that help the public to appreciate the 1 in the original gilded age the period that filed the civil war from the 1880s through about 1910. And that period was characterized by great wealth, kind of like the. Com people of her own era. In those days the money came from various kinds of industry, mining, railroads, smelting iron and the rise of the modern corporation. All of those businesses yielded an enormous wealth at the same time there was Mass Immigration to the area. A time when new york was unified by all of its burros and total population was over three and half million people. With all of that mixture of people coming in the lower classes the rising upper class there was a desire to set oneself apart from the teeming masses. And so this. 1 of people decided to move up fifth avenue establish their own Beautiful Homes and import the greatest works they could from europe and hire Great American architects to design their home and add to the beauty within them and fashion their close and live their own beautiful life. So we can start here. This is a painting of cornelia or tal and her children. It is kind it in an capitalization of the whole story we like to present here. We have this lovely family minus their husband. We like to say the husband was off making his millions. At the same time they had everything they could produce, very lush interior. We have the children wearing garments that are not only sunday best but party best. The boys in velvet or costumes and the girls and expensive lace and satin. The mothers wearing a dress we believe is probably from the paris salon. The great french couturier of which you will hear more. And to have that you could travel to paris. That meant you could afford the long and very expensive trip. Shes wearing these beautiful pearls around her neck and wrists. At the time this was painted in the 1880s, it means they would have been natural pearls not cultural pearls for these are extraordinarily valuable in the 20th century the japanese developed the method of culturing pearls which meant anyone could buy pros and afford them. Not everybody could afford these here. And the little girl is holding an ostrich feather and which is probably her mothers. Again another symbol of the kind of wealth you could have these were very expensive of course. This kind of search for fancy feathers from the most exotic birds was the reason the Audubon Society was founded in 1905. There was a terrific consumption of these kinds of materials. And with the highs you have this fabulous screen from china which indicates the ability to buy things from abroad. I would also like to point out in the corner beautiful and large fern. Not to have ferns of this size means you have to have large windows. Many houses on the island of manhattan were not like that. Some houses of the purity barely had some light coming in. This means you had a house with great windows, beautiful air, sunshine that allow these to bloom and flourish. And the children within them. Lastly what are the children looking at . They are studying fashion plates. They are young consumers in training. So, lets continue now and think about the kinds of things these people purchase. So for the women of the era the most popular thing to buy would have been diamonds and pearls. Well have a look at that case now. Just like Marilyn Monroe used to say diamonds are a girls best friend, this is also true for ladies of the 19th century. In fact diamonds and pearls were considered the most popular kinds of joy to purchase because of their allusions to the aristocracy. And everybody wanted to be a little bit aristocratic. These were without question the most popular things to buy. I think that trend files to the present day when that young girl become 16 or 17. I think in some circles it still considered a nice thing to give a girl a strand of pearls. Its also a symbol of purity and freshness. So here we have more extorting examples of that period plays out two of my very favorite pieces. The first is this a long object which is called. [inaudible] its a little difficult to appreciate. An object would hold something. Diamonds and platinum gold and suffers not to mention fabulous pearls. Passive tiny circle at the end which is too small to hold to your wrist. Is too small for your wrist but its perfect for your finger. He would walk at a party with this and so i was at hoping to catch the attention of a bow of course. And then when you found someone you might want to chat with a lady or gentleman you could pull your retainer and offer them a mint. This was a very effective social tool that is not exactly a necessity of life shall we say. But a very beautiful one. The other object i really love it has a terrific story to go with it is this wonderful tr here. This tr is the only when i know survived of from tiffani and company. They made lots of seen lots of drawings but this seems to be the only one that survived. Fashion and jewelry in the previous generation meant as a fashion change of people would take stones out of their jewelry and remake them into new works. This is a wonderful and special survival but the story behind is just as wonderful. Its the whole rags to riches story that illuminates so many of the fortunes made during this period so this tr was purchased by a gentleman named george kemp. George was the son of an irish farmer who came here as far as we know with no particular prospects. Somehow he made his fortune in the pharmaceutical industry. He ended up with a house on fifth avenue, one decorated by tiffani and Company Associate artist by 1894 when his daughter julia was married he could send her off like a princess on her wedding day. That to me is the perfect opinion me of the great story of the gilded age. Weve just seen some wonderful pearls and diamonds. In this case over here we have a wonderful selection of colored gems to show you. Colored gems are a specialty and promoted by two companies in particular. Tiffani and company and marcus and company very important firms. One is very famous today. The other was a wellknown in its own time is becoming better known again today. The story about how colored gems became very popular. In part because tiffanys own gemologist. He worked for the American Geological survey as well as for tiffani. He had the chance to see lots of minds and when they are being discovered. Hes first on the scene to say i see some great amethyst in this mind that be wonderful for tiffani. He would cable tiffani and tell them. They would get first dibs on the material. They were often first out there with great, great material. Through this they were able to introduce colored gems. In a way i like to think they seduce the american public. These are really fabulous pieces and who could resist a beautiful colored object like these. The amethysts you see in this bracelet and the other amethyst behind it. Both of these by tiffani and company. But the Marcus Company was very, very good with colored stones. I want to share a particularly beautiful example. This one at the center which has garnet very colored with pearls. And in an animal that is translucent. It shows through your skin. Another great marcus and Company Example is this extraordinary piece. This is a Morning Glory pendant and necklace. I dont know if you can see it well enough but considered as stainedglass window in miniature. The wires themselves are supporting this enameled glass. It would be very brilliant on someones skin. It would seem natural and if you are really wearing flowers. Another wonderful example is this wonderful circular pendant was a beautiful watery green at the center. But around the border. In the gilded age men liked jewelry and the finer things just as much as women. To prove it we had this things like flasks by tiffani and company with the fabulous seahorse here many of those would reflect their sporting interests. We have some wonderful cufflinks here. We have horses on them as well as horse racing and coaching are big part of life and that. For many gentlemen it was about the hunt. It was a wonderful set here of hunting buttons that been at the museum for many, many years. They are made of motherofpearl they are engraved with these wonderful themes of horses and dogs and foxes and such. They are almost domestic scenes of hunting as well. Its a gentleman and his horse, a dog. They are really charming. Another case they are fishing, yachting, and this charming Little Pocket knife which is rupees and diamonds on one side and sapphires on the other. Those accessories are often given out as a gift at parties. Their common sorts of gifts that were given back and forth. The most interesting piece in the case is this large cane. It is a curious thing shows a leg at the handle. It would be almost scandalous. So first of all were looking at something that a somewhat salacious. We look further. I found one as first exam this object it had a secret compartment behind the engraving. Low and behold there is a little naked lady inside. There she is, she looks like she could belong to a famous painting. But i dont think thats really the intent for that piece here. What i did learn is the cane was owned by an osteopathic surgeon. This was a gift among surgeons perhaps. Gentleman always had handsome dresser sets. This is a portion of one here that was retailed by Theodore Starr another great retail firm and new york. This going to john d rockefeller. Were very delighted to have that in that museums collection collection and on view for the public. We have a wonderful case first ladies have a lot more accessories that gentleman but we had a very handsome selection here. Things like dresser sets that you see on the rights. They have flasks that would have been made probably by eight cameo company in england. And then given a silver cap and sold here in new york by Theodore Starr. Then we things like calling card cases. I will draw your attention to this wonderful tiny frog leather case. If you look closely you will see matching decorations. There are tadpoles swimming around in the gold decoration with the wonderful diamonds to associate as well. And then of course close to get into close like these are exceedingly tiny would have to have a ladies maid. So most of the people in this room who owned these objects have lots and lots of servants. A ladies maid was an essential part of the repertoire of service for you to have eight made to help you get into this. Using a couple of implements. The first of which is this glove stretcher. You would squeeze or insert this into one of the fingers and then squeeze the end thereby stretching the glove. And then once youre ladies made had got it all way up to your elbow, then she had to help you get it buttoned. There are little tiny buttons among the wrist. For that you need this little tiny glove button or which would have been inserted through the buttonhole and easier to grasp the button and pull it through. So all of this takes so much work. Imagine headed dress and change several times a day, such work. I am phyllis curator of costumes and textiles that museum of the city of new york. And co curator of gilded new york. I really focus in my work on a very Significant Holding of clothing that was worn by new yorkers during the course of its history. Perhaps our most important micro collection with utter large collection is that of materials designed by Charles Frederick worth and john to philippe worth are the house of worth. Which was the most significant concern and paris. During the peak of the gilded age, not only that it was the most prestigious label to where. And now, looking from our perspective where names and garments are very, very significant at some wonderful to look at the clothing that really began the entire trend and wirth was the inventor. By the 1880s in new york, owning a gown by wirth meant many things. It meant that you had obtained a position of prominence in society as well as wealth. It also meant you made annual or more frequent trips to paris to purchase gowns. And this was because short wirth did not make house calls but everything was made on the premises was designed specifically for a client. And it was composed of a modular parts. But the cost of the garment was astronomical. Before you left they would sign off on the way that you looked. And very frequently accessorized you with the way you felt should be seen by your public. The gown which is behind me is a really amazing example of fancy dress costume. Wirth was somebody who never cut any corners in his construction. The dress here was worn to the William K Vanderbilt ball and march of 1883. Fancy dress was a last hurrah for the public to dress up and celebrate before lent. It was held on tuesday. The amount of money spent by those who attended was on father venmo. This particular ground was entitled electric lights. It was born by ms. Cornelius vanderbilt the Second Period he is extraordinarily intense and its embroidery. It is totally coated with silver threads, with silver and gold bullion on, with the beads, with tensile, two different colors of silk, satin and then a wonderful Midnight Blue velvet which is part of the gown in the back and its train. But the motifs and the embroidery really define the dress and are reflecting the title of the dress. This was a time when electricity was the miracle of the age. In the 1883 vanderbilt ball coincided with the opening of the first power station by Consolidated Edison and new york city. And to celebrate there are a lightning bolt all over this dress. It is really incredible because if you look at it without knowing when it was made, stylistically you could tell. But the surface application he would not be surprised if you were told it was made in the 1920s at the peak of our art deco. It preages that by 40 years. There is also a legend about what mr. Vanderbilt did well wearing this dress at the ball. She reportedly carried a handheld torch that was patterned by a battery that was illuminated. She would strike a pose like the statue of liberty. This would have been because at the time the ball was held the arm and the torch had been brought hear from france and were being circulated to raise funds to build the pedestal for the statue of liberty. So everybody it was a very familiar with the image of the handheld torch. So, when her photograph was taken by morse studios to document the events, she is actually depicted holding a torch. They have done a little bit of maneuvering on the image to make it look as if its glowing. We had the shoes that she wore it with the dress. The stockings that are actually embroidered with silver sequins on tiny little seed beads. The photograph of her and her husband really speak to how theatrical the costuming of this event was. It was predominantly costume to buy the of worth at tremendous expense. Other objects here, we have a pair of opera glasses. Again opera was a great opportunity to be seen very, very publicly and up massive expanse of space. You go to the opera and have obviously a wonderful evening gown. He would have something fascinating in your hair to draw attention perhaps a perfect strand of pearls. Or by this time, diamonds that had been found earlier on in the citys history of the nations history. But after the mid part of the 1h century, diamonds were acceptable again. Everybody was addressing in such a royalist a matter it did not matter it was secondary to the priority list. The fans we have here are feather fans. They are little horrifying for my contemporary standard because many of the birds that gave their feathers for these fans were endangered by the feather gathering that took place at that time. Which ultimately culminated in the formation of the national Audubon Society in the early 20h century that hopefully put a stop to this kind of carnage. The top fan is indeed comprised of american bald eagle feathers. It was sold and made by the parisian house of deville roy. Which was close to Charles Frederick worth. So again when he went to paris you would order your downed would provide you with the appropriate access amaze of your gown. Perhaps remarkable fan of the group is one of the eye of the artist feathers that have natural eyes to them, very much the same way peacocks have eyes to their feathers. But this one is so extraordinary in the way the feathers are crafted but it almost looks as if they are hand painted but they are not. Thats the way they come from the bird and tortoise shell sticks. Finally a fan that is far more delicate. It is of white foul feathers with peacock eyes at the top. Of the finest hand carved ivory that was carved in china. There are a lot of great paintings of women in this exhibition, some by americas others by french or italian. The french artists were coming to the United States to do fashion portraits, society portraits. Our in many cases they were coming to paris to have their gowns fitted and they started while stopped at cartier to buy their jewelry which was located nearby. While they were added they would have their portraits done. I like this when this is mrs. Isaac stern. Mrs. Stern is shown here with her gloves. We like to have that its right next door a gloves case had a fantastic fan. We have fabulous fans in the show. Shes probably wearing a worth gown. The story behind the sister and her brothers were apart which is a very famous new york in 1950 or later. They action modest beginnings as well. They were a family from buffalo. They were in the mercantile business. Not successful but after the civil war they came here, they establish their store beginning with dry goods until they became a very welltodo department store. By the time this painting was done which was the 1870s mrs. Stern is a woman of means. I love to see that. She has this wonderful wrap with fervor. Shes got her pearls and then she has this very prominent brooch. We have all looked at this and feel it is a specific portrait of a piece of jewelry. This is a piece mrs. Stern loved very much. Sometimes like to speculate, did she fight in paris will she was having a portrait done and said you have to have it promenade displayed . Or did she buy it later and had an artist at it later . Regardless of how it came about theres no question. This is a unique piece of jewelry she owned. She wanted a portrait painted is much as she wanted her face done. I just love this piece. Its one the examples of gilded aid unchecked age. [inaudible] our contemporary public is absolutely mesmerized by those who are glamorous, rich, famous and beautiful. Most of the material in this gallery were owned by individuals who everybody emulated in their day. In our ego centric manner and the cult of glamour. I think its very important to know that au contraire, we did not do it. There wasnt a echelon of social figures and theatrical figures who were constantly in the press, who were constantly interviewed. Whose clothes and jewels were described in great detail in the latter part of the 19th century. Just as feverishly as the public follows our contemporary celebrities. It was given a gift
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