New Year Old World: Gilded Grandeur on the Upper East Side 

How sad that all those lovely mansions were torn down...The buildings had so many character...not the ugly steel and glass ice cube trays that are standing in the city now

What a great spin on History???

It's insane that these great houses were all torn down. It wasn't actually that long ago. 130 years is nothing but they've nearly all disappeared.

The ' The Gilded Age ' TV Show brought me here :D As a german, all this is soo interesting to me , so thank you for a wonderful lecture, I really learned so much !

This was an outstanding lecture. If more people were socially conscious, everyone could live like kings and queens in my opinion. 😃

I love listening to you. You have a nice voise and cover your stories like a pro and know what your talking about. There are some that do not. thank you.

In the mansions, the scale of the chairs to the ceiling height gives a good indication of just how big the rooms were. Also, how large the paintings were.

Fantastic Share.

These old houses, while gorgeous in their time, were never energy efficient or healthy inside. It's a shame they had to be torn down, but between impossibly expensive to heat and the mold and no one needing a home that size anymore, it does make sense they'd go derelict and be torn down. I do wish a new building would be erected in their stead though that was also architecturally significant though eco-conscious, energy efficient, and beautiful in the same old-world way, just built for today's world.

I could have lived in those beautiful mansions in NYC during the gilded age but would never live in NYC, no matter how luxurious, today. It’s a cesspool.

It's so thrilling to see these beautiful old mansions and hear the stories about them.

This is a fabulous presentation. Thank you!

how could these pieces of art be destroyed.

Why was the Vanderbilt mansion even allowed to be torn down? It’s absurd to think all that building had to offer and nobody rejected or fought to save it. It’s a treasure

A superb documentary. And yes, we should never forget the stone and marble sculptors, the craftsmanship of the decorators who, for the most part had recently arrived from various European countries, and were the main contributors to the famously called Gilded Age !

This was so much fun to watch! I appreciate all the hard work put into this documentary. It kept me engaged the entire time and I hated that it was over at the end ☹️ Thank you!!

What a terrific presentation! Thank you so much for providing this for the public.

I love seeing NYC history

I could never live on the upper East side NOW, never mind back then. But I’m enthralled by stories from that period, and NYC.

This was very enlightening information, as I find this period in history fascinating. I put destroying beautiful architecture and interior design on the same level as destroying art, such as the Mona Lisa. Once it's gone it can never be replaced, especially from this period. We'll never see the likes of those artisans who came in great quantities from Europe with their skills. The focus on our world now is technology; not art and creating beautiful things. I wonder if they would have been so quick to destroy these beautiful structures back then had they known the art of creating these homes would be lost to time.

Thank you so much for a wonderful talk Gary Lawrance. I love the history of grand houses/ mansions here in the UK, but is was very interesting to learn about former mansions and their occupants in New York from your talk. You have inspired me to do more research on this subject in the future. Thanks again :-)

Amazing how radically NYC has changed from the 1800s. Love to dive back in time. Thank you, sir. Lovely stories.

There is a sermon in all those fascinating facts. I appreciate your not preaching; but rather just showing us the beauty. It was very enjoyable.

Friends are good. History rocks!!!

I’m amazed at how they built so many huge houses , how long did it take to build one ? And then they didn’t have the equipment to build like we do now .

Great talk Gary! Wonderful!

Great story. Thank you.

Very interesting. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

Wonderful documentary...Thank you for sharing it.

Because that's America especially nyc tear down the past until the future or present because scary then it's sell and buy the past( nostalgia) for comfort.

Wow, great presentation! But you are right, it is a shame that these buildings were eventually torn down... Too bad, also, that color photography hadn' t come along in full force, I'd seen a couple of colorized photos of the interiors, and there write one or two in your presentation. Would be interesting to see these photos in color, but they are still amazing in black and white. Thank you very much!

When artisans and laborers worked for pennies. The skill and craftsmanship put into these architectural masterpieces could never be achieved now. Persons of their trade back then were passionate artists. Today they are not.

Enjoyed, TYVM!

What an amazing Channel and Organization this is! I just discovered you here and am blown away by the history and photos of these (mostly) lost treasures. Thank You for your work and passion!

Really great job. Totally fascinating!

I read somewhere, in regards to the Clarke mansion, that the tower was a quarantine wing! And that the staircase was actually dragged out, on a barge, and dumped in the sea. They tried to sell it, though no takers. Great viewing, thank you!

Thank You for sharing, you are very knowledgeable. Beautiful era !

Beautiful rooms with majestic vibes but how sad that only a "few" were able to enjoy this type of luxury. Maybe that's another reason why these mansions didn't survive because there was such a divide on the haves and have nots. The distinction was made clear in the sand. There are many lessons to be learned here.

Your commentary is just perfect and makes this so interesting. I was able to get a new copy of the book Mansions of the Gilded Age: 1879-1901 and was thrilled to find it autographed by the authors! The 60's was such a destructive era, both culturally and architecturally. It seems every beautiful edifice of the 19th century was destroyed in the 60s, which didn't contribute anything to our history.

NARRATOR IS VERY GOOD!

Excellent presentation. Having traveled to NYC many times never knew about these losses. Also, always wondered why the decorative plinths over the Met entrance appear to not be finished. What was supposed to be there? Saw previous video on Duke mansion that looks out over the top of Metropolitan Museum and never noticed before. Mr. Lawrance is great.

Well done!

I need a time machine! It saddens me so much that all these beautiful structures are no longer here for us to view.

I really think u all should focus on the Lynnewood hall Guilded Mansion in P.A.

Love the fashion of the time and the exterior facade of these old buildings…not so much the interiors. Too busy with too much going on It makes me feel so less envious, and appreciate living in this modern time period. But that’s just me. I loved every minute of this video…nice to learn about the people who built our nation. 🤗❤️🇺🇸

That pearl necklace would be worth over $15,000,000.00 today!!!

Very intriguing thank you so much

A fine video lecture. Did the owners of the mansions use the main staircases or had elevators hidden away that they actually used ? At least some of the mansions still existed as museums, schools and offices. George Gould also owned the Wabash Railroad that ran to Chicago and St. Louis. The railroad had a fabulous railroad station in Pittsburgh that lasted from 1904 until it was torn down in the 1950s.

It's lovely to see Franny Eberhart, and looking so well. It's been ages. I knew her from my time at Historic House Trust. And hi Gary! I like the beard. Good program. Loved seeing the Salomon house, as I hadn't seen interior shots before. Thank you for this very interesting talk.

Really interesting. Thank you!

This is fantastic.

Thank you very much for your lecture!

Wonderful lecture, a real pleasure to watch

It breaks my heart that many of these buildings were torn down. I also can imagine the cost of upkeep for these homes. I do wish current billionaires could have purchased some of these homes for upkeep, vs building their own homes. Historical homes are now just pictures.

A major contribution to their demise was the inheritance taxes which began in 1900 and in 1913, the 16th Amendment was ratified, permanently legalizing an income tax. These taxes put a major dent in these personal fortunes making the extravagant lifestyles of the wealthy less and less viable.

It's haunting to think of the splendor that John Jacob Astor lived in compared to the horrendous way he died in the frigid North Atlantic where his wealth was of no use. It was said he had $30K in a money belt when his body was recovered and taken to his elaborate coffin aboard the recovery ship. Until it was found, his son was insistent that the wreck be raised in order to facilitate its recovery. I guess if you have unlimited funds, anything is possible?!

Awesome

Really amazing! Nice explanation!

Wonderful show! I have family from NY whose name is Gould. I have some of their engraved silver. I will need to look it up!

this is fascinating thank you!

You got the Vanderbilt ball wrong. Mrs. Astor's daughter, Carrie, was practicing in a quadrille that was to be presented at the ball. At the last moment, Alva "suddenly realized" that she couldn't be, as she hadn't met Mrs. Astor. Mrs. Astor then was driven to the mansion and the Vanderbilts were IN.

The house where I spent the happiest years of my youth was probably built around 1910 and though nowhere near the splendor of these gilded palaces, was gracious and elegant much like the houses that lined Orange Grove Ave (millionaire's row) in Pasadena, California. It was torn down about 1960 to build a horrendously ugly 60s moderne appartment block. If only people still insisted on beauty. Maybe not quite the over the top guilded age standards but a little beauty and grace.

Still confused, i can't comprehend this destruction.. You had no war, no issues like we had here, why.. ? Why to destroy so much beauty.. ? Its like imagine destroying Vienna.. :) unbelievable

It is very weird that Americans, who, when in Europe, marvel at the amount of ancient buildings, once at home never hesitate to demolish most of the USA's more "historic" buildings.

WHEN THESE MANSIONS WERE GOING TO BE TORN DOWN, WHAT BECAME OF THE FURNITURE? WHERE DID THAT GO? THE LIGHT FIXTURES I AM WONDERING.

I would enjoy living in 1890's NY but not today.It has lost so much of its beauty.

So sad, they are gone now..

It just hurts me to see all of these torn down. We keep losing so much architecture. I may not have a gilded age mansion, but I have painstakingly restore my 1940 house back to its original details. Everyone wants cheap, fast and flat houses.

I thought the staircase at 660 Fifth Avenue was Caen stone, not marble. Why is the front door of 1 West 57th Street boarded up?

Gilded Age - the gilding being a few fancy people, while the rest were in poverty. A debatable topic.

Trovo che sia un vero peccato distruggere l' antica New York , palazzi così magnifici un vero peccato. Si potrebbero ricostruire per ritrovare la storia di un tempo

Its sickening how many of these propertys were destroyed across the nation and being only 20 to 30 years old at some of them! All of that time and skill it took to design and build those beautiful places. I Just don't understand

what store did Mr. Stewart own ?

This was wonderful, I'm fascinated by the architecture of that era. Although it truly hurts my heart to see all these gorgeous mansions being destroyed. What a monumental waste!! I have a question, I was wondering if anyone knows what was on the lot where the MASTERS Apartment building at 310 Riverside Drive was built in 1929? It falls right in that time frame when so many stunning mansions were destroyed and apartment buildings were erected. It has quite a fascinating history and I wondered if perhaps the previous mansion was owned by anyone connected to it. Nicholas and Helena Roerich's former home and they were very intriguing people!!

Do plans exist for the floors above the second floor of the Clark Mansion ?

I had trouble with the audio. Too much bass. I loved the pic though.

A.T. Stewart = dept store on The Ladie’s Mile!

We lament their loss for the sake of architecture, but from a societal view, these mansions were built by the extreme wealth amassed before the passage of the federal income tax law of 1913. Built during the age of industrialization and it's accelerated rape of our natural resources, they represent a legacy we are now coming to terms with in the form of dispproportionate wealth, pollution and climate change.

You should show Monmouth university former Wilson hall shadow lawn mansion . I went to school there . The building is pretty opulent

Did the Astors have homes in other countries? What were the homes like if she did have homes in different t cou tries.

You know two presidents from brazil

If you another of these check your audio.

It is appalling that these magnificent homes were torn down so rapidly and frequently! Did no one have any sense of cultural history. It is simply insane.

So you, americans, destroyed these beautiful houses... for ugly skyscrapers.. ? Confused European here... very confused :)

All I can say is Sad 😞 Sad 😞 😞 that these treasures were destroyed..

“Most of the people in the family didn’t receive a very large cut of what they should have had.” You mean, WOULD have had. I don’t think we can say they SHOULD have had this.

✝️Eternal Father I offer Thee the most precious blood of Your Son, Jesus, in union with all the Masses being said all over the world this day, for the souls in purgatory🔥 ( especially Astor’s, Gould’s, Vanderbilts Friends of the Upper East Historic District🗽🇺🇸 )💎🎩👑 St. Gertrude the Great prayer she saw a vast number of souls leaving purgatory as she prayed this prayer often daily ✝️ “Read Me Or Rue It” Book imprimatu🇻🇦📔 Only we can help our friends into heaven ✝️in purgatory 🔥

Tartarthia!

I find it interesting that you all seem to believe that these houses were built in the mid 1800s with the tools they had and they built such architecture that it cannot be duplicated today. Clearly these buildings were built long before these few people that are wandering the streets. Why are there empty streets and these huge opulent houses. Even when there are people on the street there are two few to live in these massive homes. Which is going This is the result of a reset. And you can look at the picture of The plaza Hotel and tell it was partially buried in a mud flood. The new plaza Hotel there is no way no way at all that the new plaza Hotel featured in this picture that I'm looking at now. No scaffolding can get that high. They did not have cranes. There's no way any of this architecture was done in the mid 1800s because it would have taken probably 10 to 20 years to build one of these buildings and probably would have taken 30 or 40 years to have built the new version of The plaza Hotel that you just showed. This is a reset. These people inherited this life. They walked into a life that was somehow abandoned previously and took over. There's no way that if you made a fortune by the time you were 40 and you died when you were in your 60s or '70s that in 30 years you could imagine the amount of Art and furniture that is in these houses. These people inherited these houses and they inherited everything in it from a previous reset. Check out Josh Pawlak YT Channel Jon Levi YT channel

stolen grandeur you mean .where did these people get these this from where???????

Thumbs up, despite that the narrator (who clearly know his history) could not read very well, and stumbled over a number of easily pronounced words and names.. and the uncomfortable stammer, being unusually difficult to wade through, the information was fantastic, and the information sound.

help people with hunger

The queen of society was a hypocrite. If you weren't from old money she looked down on you. But no one mentions her family was not old money.

Sad it’s not in colour

Show me a men selling or buying the past that he disregarded and I'll show you a man scared for his future.

What is meant by "social background"? Is this code for white, European, Protestant hegemony? It would seem so, since I don't see many Catholics, Jews, Blacks, or non-Western Europeans represented. I'm happy that these fine families had their day, because clearly, their time has passed.

New York è una città fantastica peccato che molte architetture del passato siano andate perdute, era decisamente più interessante costruire il nuovo non al posto dell' antico . Piange il cuore vedere andati perduti molti begli edifici sarebbero potuti essere un' ottima attrazione turistica. Gli americani dovrebbero bloccare queste distruzioni e conservare il loro passato

old tartaria

"mud flood"

I love this video. Beautiful photos, drawings and narration. Just wish you hadn't put your head in the video. Your head is distracting.