January 24 will be the 150th birthday of New York City author Edith Wharton.
Pat Ryan has written a retrospective for the New York Times mingling historical perspective on Wharton’s work with insights into the American fascination with British aristocracy as evidenced in the popularity of the mini-series “Downton Abbey” currently in its second season on PBS.
Check out the accompanying slide show for marvelous photos of people and places of Wharton’s era.
I reviewed Wharton’s famous 1921 bestselling novel, The Age of Innocence, here last year.