The late 19th century in America saw the emergence of a new social phenomenon —perhaps not entirely new— a class of young men who chose not to follow a traditional path to marriage. They were the bachelors.

The choice was driven by a number of reasons and the social image of many of these men ranged from "rake" to "artiste" and many variations in between. Literature and the media all attempted to characterize the curious, mysterious, yet often dramatic lives of this new social class.

Author and historian R. Tripp Evans joins the Gilded Gentleman to examine Gilded Age bachelor culture, specifically focusing on several of the most famous, notably Ogden Codman, Jr., and Henry Davis Sleeper, who pursued careers in interior design. In doing so, they not only helped to define a new style for a growing modern America but also defined their own personal legacies.

The legacies they left are now historic house museums open to the public, where today's visitors can see their vision and begin to understand their legacies.

R. Tripp Evans is the author of "The Importance of Being Furnished: Four Bachelors at Home".

This episode was edited and produced by Kieran Gannon.

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On the morning of November 7, 1878, it was discovered that the tomb of wealthy Gilded Age merchant A. T. Stewart had been opened and his body taken.

Although this was shocking, the idea of graves being opened and bodies stolen was not new, and in fact, it became a fairly common occurrence during the 19th century and before. Bodies were snatched for a variety of reasons, including ransom, but more often to serve as specimens for the expanding medical profession to use in research and training.

In this episode, cemetery historian and tour guide James Henry takes us on a journey through the 19th century, sharing tales of the most infamous bodysnatchers, Burke and Hare in 1820s Scotland, the attempted body snatching of President Abraham Lincoln, and the lengths 19th-century folk went to to ensure their loved ones' graves were safe from criminals.

Additionally, we'll examine how the practice of body snatching influenced writers such as Mark Twain, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Charles Dickens.

And James shares the mysterious ending of the curious tale of just what happened to the body of A.T. Stewart.

This episode was produced and edited by Kieran Gannon

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Celebrities ranging from Oscar Wilde and Sarah Bernhardt to Mark Twain and Walt Whitman all made their way to the top-floor studio in Manhattan’s Union Square—with its tiny elevator—to have their images immortalized by Napoleon Sarony, America's most famous photographer during the Gilded Age.

Sarony’s genius lay in his ability to stage a photograph using poses, costumes, and makeshift sets, all designed to allow the essence of his subject to emerge. As a result, the portraits he created of so many of the era’s leading figures have become their defining, iconic images.

But who was Napoleon Sarony himself? In this episode, Dr. Erin Pauwels, author and scholar, joins The Gilded Gentleman at the table to discuss the subject of her latest book Napoleon Sarony’s Living Pictures and to delve into Sarony’s eccentricities and genius. The show also explores questions of copyright and branding, revealing how, largely through Sarony’s work, the modern media celebrity image factory was born."

This show was produced and edited by Kieran Gannon.

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