Episode 136: Mary Seacole
Mary circa 1871, with medals she didn’t earn, but it wasn’t illegal for her to wear and they really do spiff up her outfit, don’t they?
Episode 135: Louise Brooks
Louise Brooks was a dancer, an actress, a film historian, critic and writer. In this episode, we also remember her for her perfect bob, her iconic flapper image, and the many ups, downs and farther downs in her life.
Episode 134: Gilded Age Servants and Heiresses
Consuelo Vanderbilt, the Duchess of Marlboro, one of the women we cover in this episode.
As we got excited about the upcoming Downton Abbey movie, we thought back to the Gilded Age heiresses who inspired both the original TV show AND our podcast. Julian Fellowes and Beckett Graham both read the same book which prompted each to pursue projects based on it. Mr. Fellowes* created Downton Abbey and Mrs. Graham thought, “I should make a women’s history podcast!”
Episode 133: Isabella of Castile, Part Two
Artist unknown, via wikicommons
Isabella and Ferdinand; she before he. The couple ruled together, but she was the one who created a centralized government in what is now modern-day Spain, and together they ended an 800-year holy war. It was she who funded slick sailsman (little nautical pun there), Cristoforo Columbo, to set sail to the Indies and it was she who hauled him back after he robbed, pillaged, enslaved and brought European illnesses to the indigenous people of Not-the-Indies. It was she who gave birth to five children, and she who supported the arts and education in her country.
Episode 132: Isabella of Castile, Part One
For a woman who was never supposed to rule, she did a mighty job of it. Isabella not only took the crown, but she also fought to keep it and when it was placed permanently on her head–she rewrote the rules of how her country was run and became the most powerful ruler of her day.
Whoa. That story is going to take two episodes to cover!