Episode 279: Grandma Moses

Anna Mary Moses spent the last twenty years of her life as a beloved and celebrated artist after a hobby became an occupation in the most astonishing way.

Anna Mary Moses was born when Abraham Lincoln was president and died when John Kennedy was; she lived through one Civil, and two World wars, and was one of the first women in the US to legally vote. Because her life was so full, she didn’t take up painting as her primary hobby until she was in her 70s, and was on a rocketship of world fame as a celebrated artist until she was in her 80s.

Anna Mary circa 1864
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Episode 277: Martha Gellhorn

Circa 1941 via JFK Library

Martha Gellhorn was one of the most influential war correspondents of the 20th century. Over the course of a 60-year career, she reported from nearly every major global conflict – the Spanish Civil War, World War II, Vietnam, and more. In her work, she focused a compassionate eye on the lives of ordinary people caught up in turmoil beyond their control, and this made her coverage uniquely powerful. Her personal bravery, determination, and skill as a writer made her a legend.

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Episode 276: Sarah Rector

The image used most often of a young Sarah, but is it? Some members of her family don’t believe it is. Maybe Sarah, circa 1912, public domain

Once upon a time, an eleven-year-old girl named Sarah Rector struck it rich with a discovery that was perfectly timed for the rise of the automobile and the expansion of American manufacturing. After hitting the jackpot, she had to escape the minefields of greed, racism, politics, and public opinion to build a satisfying life for herself at last.

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