Though The Frick Pittsburgh is a historical museum, it always stays current—up to and including what’s hot on TV now. Interim Director of Learning and Visitor Experience Kelsie Paul has hosted “The Unofficial Gilded Age After Show” since the HBO drama starring Louisa Jacobson and Christine Baranski debuted in 2022. On June 22, The Gilded Age will be coming back for its third season. So, in preparation, Paul is hosting an evening at Clayton on Wednesday, June 11 to recap the show and make predictions for the upcoming season.
“For us, one of the most fun things about watching HBO’s The Gilded Age is looking for all of the historical Easter eggs—the historical truths that are nestled into the fictional drama. Some of them are obvious, but others are easy to miss—the ultimate ‘iykyk’ kind of thing,” Paul said. (For those unfamiliar, that’s if you know, you know).
What Happened on Season 1 & 2 of The Gilded Age?
HBO’s The Gilded Age follows a young woman, Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson), who moves from outside of Philadelphia to New York to live with her wealthy “old money” aunts after her father’s death. The show explores the conflicts between the Dutch and English old money and the new money entrepreneurs who represent astonishing wealth and unprecedented social change.
Though The Gilded Age is fictional, the show does feature some real-life historical figures including socialite Caroline Schermerhorn Astor and journalist T. Thomas Fortune. The Russells, a new money family played by Carrie Coon and Morgan Spector, are loosely based on the Vanderbilts. The Fricks have yet to make an appearance, but there’s still time.
Paul’s podcast features textile experts, historians, and conservationists who add extra historical context to the show. The flourishes and fancy of costume dramas can be a sort of escapism, and no judgment there. But The Gilded Age is highly relevant in a time of widening wealth gaps and in-fighting among wealthy elites.
Experience The Gilded Age in a Gilded Age Home
For the event on the 11th, Paul hopes to connect with other fans of the show and catch up on what happened in the previous season. You’d be forgiven if from October 2023 to now, you’ve had other things on your mind. The new season will take place in winter of 1884. The showrunners teased that it will cover arranged marriages and divorce, women’s suffrage, and power struggles between the central families. But Paul will break all of that down for you in the Evening at Clayton event.
In the meantime, check out TABLE’s article on the china, crystal, and silver used by the Fricks at Clayton. Much of it comes from the 1880s, and may look stylishly familiar to Gilded Age viewers.
Evening programming at the Frick allows for a behind-the-scenes look at Clayton for historic home nerds who want more than the guided tour offers. An evening event means you can see the house after hours and spend more time with individual details. “In a lot of ways, Clayton is a real-life version of some of the sets of the HBO show, but right here in Pittsburgh,” Paul said. “What better place to get a refresher on what happened in season two and get excited for what’s coming next?”
Tickets are available in advance via the Frick Pittsburgh.
Story by Emma Riva
Photography courtesy of the Frick Pittsburgh
Subscribe to TABLE Magazine’s print edition.
