The phrase “upstairs, downstairs” can have different meanings depending on the context. The context in question here is as a social class distinction. Historically, it refers to the division between the wealthy upper-class residents ("upstairs") and their working-class servants ("downstairs") in grand houses.

A couple of years ago, I read Below Stairs by Margaret Powell. Published in 1968, this is a memoir of her life as a kitchen maid and later a cook in grand houses in early 20th-century England. Her vivid and often humorous account of working "downstairs" helped inspire the TV series Upstairs, Downstairs.

I remember watching Upstairs Downstairs every week with my parents in the early 1970s. I was fascinated by the stark contrast and interplay between the two social strata.

I also love the satirical black comedy mystery movie Gosford Park (2001), which was written by Julian Fellowes. This masterfully reflects the upstairs-downstairs theme by exploring the intertwined lives of the aristocratic guests (upstairs) and their servants (downstairs) in a 1930s English country house. The fact that the servants not only cater to their employers' needs but also possess intimate knowledge of their secrets drives much of the film’s intrigue and humor.

Julian went on to create Downton Abbey (2010), and he acknowledges that both this and Gosford Park were strongly influenced by Upstairs Downstairs.

More recently, Julian created the American historical TV series The Gilded Age. The term “Gilded Age” itself was coined by Mark Twain to describe the late 19th century. The Gilded Age was a period in American history from the Civil War to the early 20th century. It was a time of rapid economic growth, industrialization, and immigration, but also of political corruption and wealth inequality.

Set in the 1880s, the TV series (watch this trailer) focuses on the clash between “old money” families like the Astors, and “new money” families like the Vanderbilts (portrayed as the Russell family in the program). Now, in addition to the “upstairs, downstairs” element, we also have the “old vs. new money” dynamic. It’s GREAT. I love it!

My wife (Gigi the Gorgeous) and I are eagerly awaiting the third season, which should start sometime later this year. While watching the first two seasons, we were constantly fact-checking on our iPads. One thing you can say about Julian is that he certainly does his research. Characters that initially seem larger than life, like Ward McAllister, turn out to be perfectly represented. And plot twists like a woman who was instrumental in the completion of the Brooklyn Bridge after her husband, who was the engineer in charge, became bedridden turn out to be based on fact (the woman in question was Emily Warren Roebling).

The reason I’m waffling on about all this here is that Gigi gave me two books for Christmas: Astor: The Rise and Fall of an American Fortune and Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty, both written by Anderson Cooper (whose mother was one of the most prominent figures of the storied Vanderbilt family) and Katherine Howe.

I don’t want to give anything away here. All I can say is that both these books are treasure troves of trivia. In addition to learning about the families themselves, we are treated to a detailed description of the evolution of New York City from the time the original Astor, John Jacob Astor, arrived in 1784. The amazing (and gratifying) thing to me is how these books serve to confirm the authenticity of The Gilded Age.

Reading these books has only served to deepen my appreciation for how well The Gilded Age brings history to life—upstairs, downstairs, and everywhere in between.