Explore the archive
Explore Gilded Age families through the people, enterprises, estates, and philanthropy recorded in this archive. The Flagler and Harkness collections bring their family stories together; The Southern Gilded follows estates and land preservation in South Carolina and Georgia.
1830–1930
Standard Oil and the Making of Florida
From foundational partnerships in the North to the railways and hotels that opened Florida’s Atlantic coast, the Flagler story traces an ambitious enterprise and its enduring civic and philanthropic legacy.
Stories in this collection
1818–1950
Quiet Visionaries, Monumental Philanthropy
Understated VC partners behind Standard Oil, the Harkness family channeled industrial wealth into a legacy of giving that helped shape American medicine, education, and the arts.
1700–1940
Majestic Estates and Lowcountry Preservation
Explore the sporting estates of South Carolina and Georgia, and trace how some Gilded Age retreats became part of a lasting story of land conservation.