PRESS RELEASE
On Sunday, June 2, 2024, 2-4 p.m., The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum will feature renowned food historian Becky L. Diamond and a special presentation and tasting titled, “Dining in the Gilded Age,” based on her book, The Gilded Age Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from America’s Golden Era.
This illustrated talk will be held at Stepping Stones Museum for Children’s Multimedia Gallery, 303 West Ave., Norwalk, CT. To reserve tickets, attendees can visit the Events page on the Museum’s website at www.lockwoodmathewsmansion.com. Admission is $15 for members, $20 for non-members. A tasting and refreshments will be offered following the presentation.
LMMM Trustee and Lecture Committee Chair Kathy Olsen said, “Ms. Diamond’s fascinating and entertaining presentation will take us to the glittering and extravagant world of Gilded Age parties, while offering us a taste of what it was like to be a guest at one of these exciting and storied events.”
The American Gilded Age and its extreme extravagance continue to be a source of wonder and fascination. Lecture goers will travel back in time to lavish banquet tables set with snow-white linen tablecloths, delicate china, and sparkling crystal glasses. They will hear entertaining stories about Gilded Age celebrities and the types of social occasions they hosted such as ladies’ luncheons, dinner parties, and debutante balls. LMMM attendees will learn about the epicurean pleasures associated with this era, from rich soups and juicy roasts to luscious desserts and holiday favorites. Copies of the book, The Gilded Age Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from America’s Golden Era, will be available at a discount.
Becky Libourel Diamond has been a librarian, research historian, and a prolific writer about food since 2008. Her publications include: The Thousand Dollar Dinner and Mrs. Goodfellow: The Story of America’s First Cooking School. She has also written about food and history for Eaten Magazine, Newtown Lifestyle, Dianne Jacob’s Will Write for Food blog, BookPage, Table Matters: The Journal of Food, Drink and Manners, The Historical Cooking Project, IFIS Food and Health Information, Prose Media and Philadelphia’s Mütter Museum. Becky Diamond holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Rider University, Lawrenceville, NJ and a Master of Library Studies from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ. She lives in Yardley, PA. Visit her at www.beckyldiamond.com.
LMMM’s 2024 Lecture Series is made possible in part by: The DiNardo & The Aiello Family Fund, John R & Dorothy D Caples Fund, and Elliott Tuckel. LMMM’s 2024 programs are made possible in part by LMMM’s Founding Patrons: The Estate of Mrs. Cynthia Clark Brown; LMMM’s Leadership Patrons: The Sealark Foundation; and LMMM’s 2024 Season Distinguished Benefactors: The City of Norwalk, The Maurice Goodman Foundation, and Lockwood-Mathews Foundation, Inc. For more information on tours and programs, please visit www.lockwoodmathewsmansion.com, email info@lockwoodmathewsmansion.com, or call 203-838-9799.
