Additional information
by John Tauranac (Author)
The 1890s was the tail end of the Gilded Age. It was not a "Golden Age," it was a veneer, and although the decade is specifically called "The Gay Nineties," the gaiety was generally reserved for the top ten percenters. If you were a common working stiff--or worse, a common working "stiffette"--life was not so gay. Most New Yorkers played by the rules of the game, although some fudged a bit. Others, along with the managements of some businesses and some administrations of the municipality, played by totally different rules, successfully gaming the system to their advantage. The few who fought for truth and justice generally went down fighting. These are New York's scoundrels, scalawags, and scrappers.
Author Biography
John Tauranac writes on New York City's social and architectural history, and he taught the subject at NYU's School of Continuing & Professional Studies. His books include Manhattan's Little Secrets; the three editions of New York From the Air; The Empire State Building: The Making of a Landmark; and Elegant New York. Wearing another hat, Tauranac designs maps. He was the creative director of MTA's 1979 "New York City Subway Map," and he is still designing maps for clients and for the eponymous Tauranac Maps. He lives with his wife, Jane Bevans, on Manhattan's Upper West Side and in West Cornwall, Connecticut.
