NEWPORT, RI .- In honor of Newport's Coaching Weekend, the NMAI is re-releasing its virtual exhibition Gilded Age Splendor in Golden Age Illustrations!

The selection of artworks encapsulate the Historical importance and glamor of the Gilded Age.

The Gilded Age in American history refers to the period spanning roughly from the 1870s to the early 1920s, an era characterized by significant economic growth, industrialization, and the accumulation of immense wealth by a small portion of the population. As the economy grew at an unprecedented rate, only a small percentage of the country benefited from the financial influx. In fact, only two percent of American households reportedly owned more than a third of the country’s wealth, and the top ten percent owned three-quarters of it. The working class suffered tremendously, but the rich Americans flourished, and lived lavishly as a result.

The term "Gilded Age" was coined by Mark Twain who was making fun of the upper class and their overly opulent styles, even if it was merely for the surface appearance of wealth and extravagance. Frequently, objects were simply painted or coated to appear as if they were made of gold, when in fact it was merely for show. It was a period of both tremendous economic growth and significant social challenges, setting the stage for future reforms and changes in American society and politics.

Newport, Rhode Island, served as a seasonal epicenter of the wealthiest of Americans during The Gilded Age. A short trip from the economic center of New York City, the country’s elite transformed the “City by the Sea” into its Gilded Age playground, and it remains as a monument to this period in American History to this day. This exhibition offers a visual journey through the themes and narratives of the Gilded Age, within the setting of Newport itself. The illustrations will provide historical context and immerse viewers in the opulence, ambition, and social dynamics of the time. The exhibition celebrates the significance of American Illustration in capturing this transformative period in history.