Gilded City: Scandal and Sensation in
Turn-of-the-Century New York by M. H. Dunlop is an in-depth study of the
themes that permeated the lives of the rich and poor during the Gilded Age
(1880-1910). The author explores the unspoken social principles that under-gird
the cultural life of New York City during the glittering Gilded Age.

Gilded
City is organized around the cultural theme that structures Gilded Age
society. Dunlop breaks the book up into seven chapters each representing a
particular theme and social principle. Each theme is illustrated by an in-depth
look at specific incidents that epitomizes the theme and principle. Chapter 1
explores the theme of conspicuous consumption by the rich as entertainment for
the masses. To illustrate the theme, the author compared two events in the
social life of the Bradley Martin family – the marriage of Cornelia, their
16-year old daughter, to the fourth Earl of Cravens (18 April 1893) when
stampeding crowds eager to see the bridal party and to steal a memento caused
destruction and injury and the Martin’s costume Ball at the Waldorf (10
February 1897) – when spectators denied the right to view the guests and their
costumes by boarded up windows and limiting access to nearby sidewalks so
violated the principle of consumption and spectacle that the public turned
against the Bradley Martin family. Chapter 2 looks at the theme of Art.
American art was considered to be poor in quality and being an artist was to
opt for poverty. To be “artistic” during the gilded age was to import and own
foreign, preferably French Art. Private galleries for social display were the
rage. Chapter 3 explores the theme of collecting or the decorating principle of
“Victorian clutter”. William Merritt Chase’s studio epitomized this style of
interior design. Chase filled his studio with all manner of intriguing object
d’art in multiples and interesting artifact including a shrunken head. When it
was discovered that he was really penniless, the public turned out for the
auction of his collection – not necessarily to buy but simply to look. Chapter
4 explores the theme of the American class structure based not on family
lineage or title, but upon wealth. Shopping for extravagances was one means of
asserting one social position. Unfortunately, many without money created the
illusion of wealth by dressing and shopping beyond personal means. Meanwhile,
the wealthy took up the sport of private “slumming” tours to observe poverty
without having to actually touch or interact with it. Chapter 5 explores the
era’s obsession with youthful girls (under 20-years of age) as desirable sex
objects. The “Seeley Dinner” (19 December 1896) epitomized this obsession by
testing the limits of permissibility at a stag party that not only violated the
social principle of “look, but don’t touch” but violated the even greater
social principle of a mutual social pact of “don’t tell”. Chapter 6 explored
the themes of entitlement and gratitude. The wealthy felt that they were
entitled to their wealth. In fact, if a wealthy individual lost their wealth or
even feared such a loss was imminent, madness could occur. On the other hand,
the poor were expected to accept their impoverish state and to manifest
gratitude to the wealthy for any expression of benefice no matter how meager.
If a poor person expressed discontent at their lot or demonstrated ingratitude
to the wealthy, the individual was considered to be insane. The representative
incident occurred in 1893 at the height of the “Great [1893] Depression” when
Crank George Roeth began firing a pistol in the air and yelling “Down with the
Rich” in Delmonico’s Restaurant. Crank, from whom the expression “crank” would
come, was unemployed and suffering from starvation. He was declared insane and
confined to a mental hospital not due to his criminal actions, but due to his
expression of discontent over his poverty. Chapter 7, the final chapter, looks
at the issue of power and control. As stated in the previous chapter, the
wealthy expected the poor to be amenable to their will and to demonstrate
gratitude to them. Ingratitude and lack of deference was socially unacceptable
and the recalcitrant needed to reformed or be removed from social contact.
Destruction of “recalcitrant” possessions, inanimate or living, was not outside
the realm of options. Pets and other animals suffered greatly under this social
principle. The execution of Tip, an elephant at the New York City Zoo,
epitomizes this principle. Tip, a trained circus elephant and gentle carrier of
children, seemed to have taken a disliking to his new unskilled and abusive
overseer who had a habit of beating him, mistreating him for sport, and
starving him. Tip repeatedly reacted negatively towards the man, but continued
to behave gently with others and to be obedient for his former trainer. Tip,
however, refused to “reform” his attitude towards the overseer and at the man’s
insistence was executed.

Gilded
City is a distillation of the author’s research of New York City newspapers
from 1880 through 1910. Dunlop read each issue of eight New York City
newspapers because for the most part the newspapers were not indexed. While she
was initially searching for social commentary reflecting on the social issues
of the era, she discovered that the often insignificant incidents and episodes
of daily life gleamed from the social calendar and criminal pages were more
telling and illustrious of her themes. In this way, she began to collect the
numerous events and incidents used to illustrate the social themes and
principles of the book.

M.H. (Mary Helen) Dunlop is a
retired professor of English at Iowa State University. She has a B.A. in
English from St. Catherine, a M.A. from Marquette, and a Ph.D. from George
Washington University. Her area of
special interest is 19th-century American literature and culture. She is the
author of Sixty Miles from Contentment:
Traveling the Nineteenth-Century American Interior (1995) and numerous
scholarly articles. Gilded City: Scandal
and Sensation in Turn-of-the-Century New York (2000) is her latest
publication.

Gilded
City: Scandal and Sensation in Turn-of-the-Century New York by M. H. Dunlop
is engrossing and readable social history written for the layperson. While her
approach has been labeled as “sensational” by some, I personally found her
style to be much more interesting and enjoyable to read than the average dry
social history text. I highly recommend this book for academic library and
nightstand!

© 2002 Su Terry

Su Terry: Education:
B.A. in History from Sacred Heart University, M.L.S. in Library Science from
Southern Connecticut State College, M.R.S. in Religious Studies/Pastoral
Counseling from Fairfield University, a M.Div. in Professional Ministry from
New Brunswick Theological Seminary, a Certificate in Spirituality/Spiritual
Direction from Sacred Heart University. She is a Licensed Minister of the
United Church of Christ and an Assistant Professor in Library Science at
Dowling College, Long Island, NY. Interests in Mental Health: She is interested
in the interplay between psychology, biology, and mysticism. Her current area of
research is in the impact of hormonal fluctuation in female Christian mystics.

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