High society, sometimes simply society, is the behavior and lifestyle of people with the highest levels of wealth and social status. It includes their related affiliations, social events and practices. Upscale social clubs were open to men based on assessments of their ranking and role within high society. In American high society, the Social Register was traditionally a key resource for identifying qualified members. For a global perspective, see upper class. The quality of housing, clothing, servants and dining were visible marks of membership.
Caroline Astor and her guests, drawing, 1902
Mrs. William Astor painted by Carolus-Duran in 1890, presented at the 1894 Great Portrait Exhibition
"Portrait of Lady Helen Vincent" by J.S. Sargent, 1904
Marius af Schultén (on the right), a Finnish architect and artist with his siblings in Helsinki, 1910
The Social Register is a semi-annual publication in the United States that indexes the members of American high society. First published in the 1880s by newspaper columnist Louis Keller, it was later acquired by Malcolm Forbes. Since 2014, it has been owned by Christopher Wolf.
The Social Register was born out of the Gilded Age. Pictured is the Gilded Age mansion, Biltmore, in Asheville, North Carolina.
