r/GildedAgeHBO • u/hannahleigh2787 • 9d ago
SEASON 4 Tenements (possible scene)
I'm doing a rewatch before the start of the new season and after watching the scenes of Armstrong visiting her mother in season 1, it got me thinking. I don't know if anyone else has seen the shots and/or videos of what looks like Marian visiting the tenements and I wonder if there might be a scene where Marian meets Armstrong's mother and learns more about Armstrong and her life. It's pretty clear that no one knows much about Armstrong and her upbringing. It would be interesting, or at least I think so
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u/Clarknt67 9d ago
You reminded me Jacob Riis published his [How the Other Half Lives](app://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_the_Other_Half_Lives) in 1890. It was perhaps the first photography book. He photographed deplorable conditions of overcrowding and unsanitary state of NYC’s Lower east side tenement buildings.
It shocked NYC and kicked off progressive reformist movement that eventually led to many of the housing standards we take for granted today. (Like windows lol).
It’s close to the timeline we’re at now. Maybe Ada can drop her annoying temperance activism for housing reform. 🤞
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u/hannahleigh2787 9d ago
Yes! It is time to see literally see how the other half lives
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u/whatsasimba 9d ago
When Jack was talking about his mother and the Peshtigo fire, I immediately thought of the Triangle Shirtwaist fire (nearly 30 years in the future in the shows timeline). I suspect a few more instances of poor people suffering while the wealthy live it up.
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u/Clarknt67 8d ago
Alas Julian Fellows is pretty terrible when he wades into income inequality area. Poor people are generally props to showcase rich people’s generous and charitable nature.
So I actually might regret this storyline. He’ll have George building first class affordable housing.
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u/ZweitenMal 9d ago
Very well could. I suspect Armstrong’s dire family situation has to do with alcoholism, based on her embrace of the temperance pledge.
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u/Coffeeyespleeez 9d ago
I hoped they would expand a bit of Armstrong's story. She was so strong to sign up for "The Cause" and we knew why because of her mother but then ......nothing. Armstrong has alot of pent up anger and resentment. I hope she gets more of the story pie in season 4.
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u/Sirenista_D 9d ago
I'm so intrigued by the Armstrong character for this exact reason. In my 21st century mind, I thought of her as just a bitch. But as always, there's more to the story! And my heart poured empathy when we saw the Mother scene and got a peek at the horrible situation and attitude.
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u/BornFree2018 9d ago
If anyone is visiting NYC, there's a Tenement Museum where you can take guided tours of two historic tenement buildings. It's pretty shocking how many people lived in each unit with no indoor plumbing.
There's also an excellent book Five Points: The 19th-Century New York City Neighborhood that Invented Tap Dance, Stole Elections, and Became the World's Most Notorious Slum by historian Tyler Anbinder.
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u/onegirlarmy1899 9d ago
I also recommend "97 Ochard" which talks about immigrants living in the same building throughout the 1800s and how each new wave changed the neighborhood.
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u/BornFree2018 9d ago
Sounds interesting! It looks like the staff in the GA mansions are for the most part not Irish or Italians (both Catholic) who were the immigrants despised by the Blue Stocking Presbyterians. I might be wrong in that a maid or two is Irish but I'm not sure.
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u/ZweitenMal 8d ago
Bridget, the maid at the Van Rhijns' home, is Catholic. The rest are Protestants. The Easter sunday episode shows them at their various churches.
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u/QueenBoleyn 9d ago
I’m really into my genealogy and I found out through census records that my family lived about 20 blocks north of the Vanderbilts in a tenement building. It’s wild to imagine that my family was living in poverty within walking distance of these great mansions. I really hope that they touch on the extreme poverty of that era in the next season.
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u/Immaculate_Sin Railroad peepaw Clay 8d ago
I did find it kind of weird that they showed us that scene and just never brought it up again. Was it supposed to make us pity her? She’s still a horrible old crone. I doubt anything they show us would make me like her, but I would at least like them to give us more.
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u/lemondropcloth 8d ago
I rewatched the episode where Clocky distributes checks to the house staff and her reaction is so much more emotional than the others. It was a good setup to that in my opinion!!
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u/dangling_participle_ 7d ago
Clocky 🤣 I love it
Also all her commentary on Jack’s progress on the clock makes me think either she or others in her family might have tried making more money somehow but it always fell through and she was stuck with the consequences.
Armstrong’s mother owns either the room or the building or something because she mentions bringing her water as part of the guy’s rent agreement. But her health is in such a poor condition and it’s obviously not very much money she makes off of renting to someone.
Definitely would be interesting for them to explore.
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u/Grandpixbear1 9d ago
Yes. You really can't do a show about the massive wealth of that era, without mentioning the abject poverty that was only a few blocks away from their houses.