They Spent How Much? The Gilded Age Ball and Wealth Inequality - Nooks and Crannies of History

The Gilded Age — a time of industrialization, great depression, robber barons, high unemployment, and high society — is the setting for the most lavish, expensive, and exclusive costume party thrown at the time. The Bradley Martin Ball was the end-all-be-all for the rich high society of the Gilded Age. It also showcased the huge divide between the haves and the have-nots.

The Bradley Martin Ball reflected the high level of wealth inequality and signaled the end of such excesses as the public became enthralled with, and then acutely aware of, the ludicrous expenditures. The Bradley Martin Ball was the beginning of the end of the Gilded Age.

Nooks and Crannies of History is dedicated to indulging your curiosity with interesting stories from the past. Guided by three Public Historians who work for Brucemore, Nooks and Crannies of History is part of Brucemore's Artisan Studio.

The Artisan Studio’s dual mission inspires community interaction with history, preservation, and the arts and serves the underserved artist community.

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TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 - The Notorious Ball
00:39 - Introduction
01:01 - What is the Gilded Age
02:42 - Wealth Disparity in NYC
03:48 - Meet Bradley Martin
05:19- Lets Throw a Ball
06:36 - The Backlash Begins
08:39 - The Event
10:14 - What it Cost
11:28 - Wealth Inequality Today
12:26 - Thank you for watching

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RESEARCH:
Primary
- Memoir: Things I Remember, Frederick Townsend Martin
- Newspaper Article: The New Gilded Age: 2750 people have more wealth than half the planet
- Newspaper Article: The Bradley Martin Ball: Dr. Rainsford’s Criticism of Lavish Expenditure
- Newspaper Article: Pulpit Interest in Public Good
- Newspaper Article: Bradley Martin Feels Better
- Newspaper Article: Protest Against the Big Ball/The Public and the Ball
- Newspaper Article: Benefits of the Bradley-Martin Ball
- Newspaper Article: Pulpit Utterances for and Against the Expenditures of Wealth for Pleasure
- Newspaper Article: Mrs. Bradley Martin’s Costume for her Ball
- Newspaper Article: Bradley Martin in Henry III Garb
- Newspaper Article: Insane Patients Dance in Costume
- Newspaper Article: Now for that Greatest Ball
- Newspaper: New York Journal, February 11, 1897
- Newspaper Ad: Riker’s Expectorant
- Newspaper Article: Beatrice Daily Express, Beatrice, Nebraska
- Newspaper Article: Kansas City Journal, Kansas City, MO
- Newspaper Article: The Hocking Sentinel, Logan, Ohio
- Newspaper Article: The Record Union, Sacramento, California
- Newspaper Article: Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette
- Newspaper Article: Wichita Daily Eagle
- Newspaper Article: The Daily Herald
- Newspaper Article: The Redwood Gazette
- Newspaper Article: The Beaver Herald
- Newspaper Article: Little Falls Weekly Transcript
- Newspaper Article: The Meridional
- Newspaper Article: The Morning Times
- Newspaper Article: Mexico Weekly Ledger
- Newspaper Article: The Morning News
- Newspaper Article: Rock Island Argus
- Newspaper Article: Dakota Farmers’ Leader

Secondary:
- Article: New York has a Ball: The Bradley Martin Extravaganza
- Article: Gowns and Mansions: French Fashion in New York Homes during the Late Nineteenth Century
- Article: The Gilded Age in American History
- Webpage: The Gilded Age
- Webpage/Video: Defining the Era – The Gilded Age
- Webpage/Video: A New Gilded Age: Income Inequality in the United States Today
- Podcast: Stuff You Missed in History Class: Bradley Martin Ball
- Webpage: Rise of Industrial America, 1876-1900
- Webpage: America’s Gilded Age: Robber Barons and Captains of Industry

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VISUALS:
- New York Public Library: https://www.nypl.org/research/collect...
- Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/
- Brucemore Collections: https://www.brucemore.org

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