The Gilded Age Revisited
The Gilded Age (1865-1914) was a rich and complex period in American culture, which played a critical role in shaping the modern world we live in now. Vast industrial fortunes, monumental architecture, and the emergence of the United States as a world power mark the era.
Read more about the Gilded Age
Servants in Newport
In 1999, The Preservation Society of Newport County initiated an oral history project, "Keeping House." It began as a community effort appealing to locals who knew of individuals that worked at the Newport mansions. Information and leads came forth from people who were domestics at the mansions and relatives of former domestics. Documenting their stories opened a fascinating personal perspective on behind the scenes life in Newport's great houses of the Gilded Age and encapsulated a unique social and cultural group in Newport.
Following are several brief profiles of servants who worked in Newport's houses, some of whose stories can be heard in the new audio tour of The Breakers. We thank everyone who shared their stories and photographs for this important research project.
Read the Domestic Profiles
What's a traditional Victorian mother to do when her precocious little girl grows into a young woman with modern ideas? Find out in this engaging exploration of the relationship between Gwendolen King Armstrong and her mother in an exhibition of fashions, accessories and letters.
Learn more about Gwendolen King Armstrong