REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT IS CLOSED
Servants in NY circa 1900; Photo credit: Museum of the City of New York
Images of prosperous Gilded Age New Yorkers at home in the late 19th century reveal beautifully dressed families, expensive equipages, well-kept parlors, and tables laden with vases of flowers and sumptuous meals. But someone had to do the hard work of cooking and cleaning, and it certainly wouldn’t be the family living there. Join Esther Crain, author of The Gilded Age in New York, 1870-1910 and founder of the website Ephemeral New York, for a talk with visual images that peeks into how the upper classes navigated the domestic side of life—and how a rotating staff of maids, coachmen, butlers, governesses, and other servants managed the households inside the city’s old- and new-money mansions.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER:
Esther Crain, a native New Yorker, is the author of two books: The Gilded Age in New York, 1870-1910 and New York City in 3D in the Gilded Age. In 2008 she launched Ephemeral New York, a website that chronicles Gotham's hidden pockets and little-known stories. She speaks regularly on topics relating to New York City history, especially during the Gilded Age, and conducts walking tours that explore Riverside Drive, the Bowery, Gilded Age Fifth Avenue, and Ladies' Mile.
LOCATION: The Red Ballroom
TICKETS: $15 non-members; $5 members
Light refreshments will be served.