Gilded Age Scandals

This program focuses a spotlight on the scandalous behavior and intrigues of the very rich at the turn of the century. Staatsburgh’s owners, Ruth and Ogden Mills, were models of respectability, but the transgressions of their friends shocked and titillated Edwardian Society. Stories of sex, mayhem and ill-begotten money were not only whispered in the drawing rooms but were front page news in the newspapers of the day. The talk will discuss a celebrity murder, scandals that reached as high as the king of England and the President of the United States, and the tale of the famous society figure who told his distraught bride on their wedding night, “Your money is your only asset in my eyes.” Presented by Donald Fraser from Staatsburgh State Historic Site. Registration required.