In 2013, John Cooper, an expert on Oscar Wilde, made a surprising discovery. While researching aspects of Wilde's famous 1882 American lecture tour, he came upon a lengthy article written and copyrighted by Wilde in 1885 on his philosophies of dress.

What made this unique was that this significant piece of writing by Oscar had seemingly been forgotten or lost to history.

This episode marks the publication of a new edition of John's book Oscar Wilde on Dress which includes the original essay, as well as extensive background and supplemental material to put not only the essay but also Oscar's life into perspective.

Wilde was passionate about the dress reform movement in the late 19th century, which sought to liberate women from the constraints of a male-dominated society. This fascinating essay, along with John's commentary and additional resources, sheds new light on how Oscar thought not only about dress, but about larger issues of beauty, freedom, and gender.

Find more about John Cooper's book "Oscar Wilde on Dress"

This episode was produced and edited by Kieran Gannon

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Ulysses S. Grant, one of the most important and consequential presidents, is also one of the most misunderstood.

Ulysses Dietz, Grant's great-great grandson, joins The Gilded Gentleman to share his perspective on the lives of Grant and his wife Julia.

Ulysses discusses how the couple approached the beginnings of the Gilded Age from both a social and politicial standpoint, expounding upon the story from Grants’ transformation of the White House to establishing their lives in the ballrooms of the Vanderbitls in New York City.

This episode was produced and edited by Kieran Gannon.

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As the new feature film Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale opens worldwide, we see for the final time the elegant, glamorous and always dramatic world of Lord and Lady Grantham and their family. We also have a chance to look back at the evolving fashion and hairstyles of Downton's characters as they have evolved from the series debut set in 1912 up to this final film set in 1930.

Joining The Gilded Gentleman table to trace this fashion history is listener favorite Dr. Elizabeth L. Block, who takes us from the high Edwardian style we saw with Violet, the Dowager Countess, to the body hugging slinky styles of Coco Chanel we see on Lady Mary in this latest film.

We also explore the flapper look, the influence of war years on fashion and how the great cultural forces such as the Ballets Russes all influence the styles of the Crawley sisters. And we even take a look downstairs and talk about how styles for domestic staff were shifting as well.

This episode was produced and edited by Kieran Gannon.

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