What'shername

Mar 20 2025 81 ep. 2k

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Women's History Podcast

History Society & Culture

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THE INDOMITABLE SPIRIT Artemisia Gentileschi

Self-Portrait as the Allegory of Painting (La Pittura) c1639Royal Collection Trust UK Artemisia Gentileschi was one of the most famed and respected painters in 17th century Europe. But after she died, her story (and many of her works) were lost – and over the years, Artemisia has become better known for what was done to her than for what she did. Award-winning artist Lindsay

BONUS EPISODE: A Night of Celebration LIVE

What’sHerName goes LIVE! To launch our new book, What’s Her Name, A History of the World in 80 Lost Women, former episode guests convene in London from all over the world for a Night of Celebration! In rapid-fire succession, brilliant 3-minute performances of poetry, song, story, and dance take us chronologically through the history of the world. The magic is punctuated

THE VOYAGER Hannah Masury Howe

image from the Wellcome Trust In 1867, a ship bound for California with 400 Chinese passengers signalled distress as it drifted in the Pacific Ocean. The ship’s captain was a woman, and her mutinous crew had refused to sail the ship even though they were running out of water. How did Captain Hannah Masury Howe come to be in such a predicament, and how could she possibly save

THE WILD CHILD Alice Roosevelt

Alice Roosevelt with her chihuahua Leo. She also had a pet raccoon, a hyena, a “small bear named Jonathan Edwards,” a Pekingese that was a gift from the Chinese Empress Dowager Cixi – and of course, Emily Spinach. When Alice Roosevelt’s dad became President of the United States, her family became the center of attention for the entire country (and the world)

THE BOSTON BRAHMIN Ethel Gibson Allen

Ethel Gibson Allen and Freeman Allen circa 1925 Come with us to peak Gilded Age America! We’ll watch a charmingly unconventional love story unfold, cure yellow fever, stare at some incredible wallpaper, and explore fascinating reasons why women should NOT vote. Katie takes us on location to Ethel Gibson Allen’s Boston mansion, now the Gibson House Museum. Learn more a

THE CLEANING LADY Seraphine of Senlis

How did a lifelong cleaning lady become one of the most beloved painters in French history? In 1905, the voice of the Virgin Mary told orphaned, uneducated maid Seraphine to paint, and she obeyed. Her small French town was on the front line of both world wars, and through it all she painted her kaleidoscopic view. She died penniless and unknown, but when a film about her aired on F

A COUNTRY HOUSE CHRISTMAS Phyllis Sandeman: 2022 Christmas Special

Portrait of The Hon. Phyllis Elinor Legh SandemanUnknown artist, 1915 The darkest time of year inspires us all to reflect on the meaning and power of Home. Experience Christmas in a grand country house through the eyes of an Edwardian child in this charming reading of Phyllis Elinor Sandeman’s memoir, A Country House Christmas. Performed by returning favorite guest Jay Stelling.

THE NURSE Mary Seacole

Mary Jane Seacole c 1850simage in the public domain What would it look like to live a life without fear? Mary Seacole’s story may hold the answer! She spent her life rushing from one catastrophe to the next, doing anything she could to ease human suffering – without a single thought for her own safety. From disease-infested Panamanian goldmines to the horrific battlefi

THE POISONER Goeie Mie

Maria Catherina van der Linden-Swanenburg – aka Goeie Mie The most prolific poisoner of all time couldn’t possibly have been a woman. Right??! Goeie Mie, “Good Maria,” was such a selfless and kindly nurse that desperate folks in 19th-century Leiden called her when they were sick, knowing she’d come even if they couldn’t pay. But they got worse…and worse, and usual

THE GRATEFUL DUCHESS Harriot Mellon

Portrait of Harriot Mellon Beauclerk, Duchess of St Albans by Sir William Beechey The richest, most famous person you’ve never heard of is Harriot Mellon. An icon of the stage in Regency England, she rose from abject poverty and abuse to become the wealthiest woman in the country. More surprising still: she was the sweetest, most wholesome soul you’ll ever meet. Katie interview