Popular Culture of the Gilded Age

By no one in particular

● The Gilded Age was an age of greed, corruption, and questionable ethics. But there was some good.

● Higher income and affordable transportation

allowed for new forms of recreation to be developed.

● As well as new forms of clothing to emphasize their elaborate wealth.

Introduction

Recreation

Circus ● Circuses became popular and drew

people in with promises of an entertaining break.

● One of the more famous circuses was the Barnum and Bailey traveling circus.

● One of its founders P.T. Barnum was good at business and bringing in the crowds to compete with competitors.

● Vaudeville was a ton of acts put together into entertaining shows.

● The acts included ventriloquists, dancers, singers, and a variety of different acts.

● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQ6Zh6UbQ-I

Vaudeville Theatre

● Do to cheaper means of transportation it became possible for people to travel to watch sports which were highly popular.

● Baseball was the most popular it became a professional sport in the middle of the 1980’s.

Spectator Sports

Bicycling ● Bicycles became highly

popular during this time.

● Specifically for women because it gave them a sense of independence.

● New loose fitting clothes were developed for women to ride in.

Movie Theatre

● Movie theatres although simplistic were popular.

● By the early 1900’s there were 10,000 movie theatres throughout the country.

● People paid low prices to watch movies but the sheer amount made up for it.

What do you think fashion was like?

Important Figure

Caroline Astor ● Renowned Socialite

● Powerful Influence

● Dubbed herself “The Mrs. Astor”

Vanderbilt Story

Fashion

Womens Fashion

Upper Class● Upper class women had

rich and opulent dressing styles.

● Their dresses were big and along with them they wore a type of corset to make them smaller.

Lower Class Women:● Workable and

rather simple clothing.

● (Finding lower class fashion or knowledge is much harder)

Mens Fashion

Upper Class ● Men were dressed for

success often in suits.

● Suits were like the cell phones of today; a basic requirement.

Lower Class Men ● Essentially anything

they could work in. ● Cheap

Divides

Upper Class

● The upper class took part in opulent fashion.

● Recreation was especially taken to the extremes for showing off.

Middle Class

● The middle class was really a driving force.

● With enough

income for recreation they had a drive to get out of the city and be entertained.

Lower Class

● The lower class played games when they had free time.

● Most of their time was spent surviving.

Bibliography

"Entertainment In The Gilded Age." 123HelpMe.com. 27 Feb 2015 <http://www.123HelpMe.com/view.asp?id=156816>.

McBeath, Carter John. "Caroline Astor." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2015. Web. 25 Feb. 2015.

"Jay Gould." Photos/Illustrations. Library of Congress. American History. ABC-CLIO, 2015. Web. 25 Feb. 2015.

"Fashion in the Gilded Age." Photos/Illustrations. American History.ABC-CLIO, 2015. Web. 25 Feb. 2015.

Cable, Mary. American Manners & Morals: A Picture History of How We Behaved and Misbehaved. New York: American Heritage Pub., 1969. Print.