-
The First Transcontinental Railroad
For the first time in American history, there was a railroad that connected east to west. Gold was discovered in California, and the Government was eager to find a means of transportation between the east and the west. This made it urgent to build a Transcontinental railroad. There was debate between the North and the South regarding where the line should be made but fortunately an agreement was made to construct it in a central location running from Omaha, Nebraska to Sacramento, California. -
The Brooklyn Bridge
Construction on the Brooklyn Bridge signified a shift in industry for the US. More real estate and business opportunities were populating and thus called for the need of efficient transportation. Unfortunately an efficient route connecting Manhattan to Brooklyn did not exist. J Roebling constructed the first steel suspension bridge in order to connect the two New York cities. It is aligned with the Gilded Age as the development of the bridge paved the way for more opportunities for corruption. -
The First Vitascope
The Vitascope became a new way to display moving pictures on a screen to the public. Viewers could see films, boxing matches, horse races, and even the Spanish American War. This access made it easier for gamblers to conduct their business and increase levels of corruption. The Gilded Age was a term koined by Mark Twain, which meant that though things seemed favorable on the surface the environment was riddled with corruption which the vitascope helped to expose through film and increase. -
Portrait of Willie Gee
Robert Henri's portrait marked the start of a transition from impressionist art to art that depicted the realities of American society. Before this portraits were normally symbolic of wealthy, influential families that wanted to mark their legacy. Willie Gee was the opposite of that. He was a newspaper boy and the son of a former slave. The apple in his hand depicted democracy and a changing time in the political arena. Aschan artists focus on illustrating the ugly truths and not a facade. -
The Armory Show
The Armory Show was the 1st major exhibit of Modern Art in the US that depicted impressionist art. It showcased techniques such as bronze casting and elegant colors that made the art more appealing than reality, given the state of society at that time. Art during the Gilded Age served as a means of escape from a crumbling corrupt society crippled with violence and unfettered capitalism. This shifted the view of Americans as they were not used to looking at abstract art. -
The Masses
John Sloan was an active socialist who contributed illustrations which were powerfully drawn, politically radical, and forthright in their socialist critique of inequality. Sloan's cover illustration commemorates the Ludlow Massacre, when Colorado National Guard troops and Colorado Fuel & Iron Company camp guards attacked striking miners and their families in Ludlow, Colorado, in April 1914. Here the miner shoots back at the troops who murdered his family. Sloan addresses the class struggle. -
Houston Street
George Luks painted working-class subjects and scenes of urban life, the hallmarks of Ashcan realism. captures Jewish immigrant life through Luks's vigorously painted representation of shoppers, pushcart peddlers, casual strollers, and curious onlookers of the ethnic variety that characterized turn-of-the century New York. Paintings during this time were more focused on social injustices and the current social structure and not just the glamor. Art became the voice of the unheard people.
