The Information Age was introduced with the advent of the computer in the second half of the 20th century. But long before that, new technologies (the telegraph, phonograph, photography and even the sewing machine) were revolutionizing communication, connecting and shrinking the world, and creating the vast fortunes which define the Gilded Age. Matthew Bird of the Rhode Island School of Design will discuss the technologies involved, the fascinating accidents of progress and the people responsible, and will explore how the real Information Age was actually a 19th-century phenomenon.
Are we living in a second Gilded Age? With this question in mind, Dr. Michael Patrick Cullinane of Dickinson University, host of the popular podcast “The Gilded Age and Progressive Era,” will explore the transformative years of the late 19th and early 20th centuries when migration, technology and mass production changed everything and left a lasting legacy for our world today.
This exhibition offers a close-up look at more than 100 objects from the Newport Mansions that many visitors might not notice while touring the houses. Yet these objects are among the treasures of the the Preservation Society’s collections. They were crafted in many different countries and periods, but all of them were collected and appreciated during the Gilded Age (approximately 1865 to 1915). Visiting Curator Ulysses Grant Dietz also aims to answer the question: Why did people of the Gilded Age desire such things?
Shop Local and get buzzed in to browse historic 18th & 19th century American art and more at William Vareika Fine Arts on Bellevue Avenue in Newport Rhode Island. Bill is a writer, lecturer, community activist, preservationist, philanthropist and an absolute pleasure to stroll through the captivating scenes. You are certain to find a treasure for your beloved household.
