Heroine City: Recent Episodes
Heroine Media
Heroine Cityis a weekly podcast championing women in history. Placing women back into the history books with historian guests, our host, Lynsey Shaw shines a light on fascinating underrepresented narratives and revisits those deserving a fresh look.
Research and scholarly work underpin the discovery of women's stories that demand to be told. They and YOU are the bricks that build Heroine City around us!
Find out about our documentary-game and everything happening inside Heroine City at our website https://heroinecity.com.
If you are a historian with work that you would like to share, or a heritage site the would like to collaborate on an episode of the documentary-game, please get in touch with us at hello@heroinecity,com.
Dive into the world of pioneering portrait photographer Yvonde. 📸💥
Join Heroine City host, Lynsey Shaw, as she chats with Clare Freestone from the National Portrait Gallery about Yvonde’s incredible six-decade-long journey through photography and colour. 🚀
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Join us for season two of Heroine City. In today's episode, Lynsey Shaw welcomes her good friend and historian, Candace Scarborough, through the gates of Heroine City. Together they delve into the inspiring story of Mary Moriana, an enslaved African woman who fought for her freedom in late 15th-century London.
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That's the end of series one. Please do check out any episodes you missed and spread the word. We shall see you in the new year for more stories of fascinating women in history.
For updates on the exact series two launch date, please follow us on https://instagram.com/heroine_city and we shall see you there!
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In episode 20 of the Heroine City podcast host Lynsey Shaw chats with Professor Yunte Huang about film star, Anna May Wong, and his new book, ‘Daughter of the Dragon: Anna May Wong’s Rendezvous with American History.’
The Los Angeles born daughter of a laundry owner, Anna May Wong became the first Chinese-American film star of golden age Hollywood at the age of 17. Frustrated and vocal about the limiting roles she was given, as well as the ones she was looked over for, as a woman of colour in the Hollywood system, her reaction was to leave for a successful working stint in Europe. Wong continued to work throughout her four decade career achieving more firsts, as the first Asian-American lead in a TV series in 1951’s The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong. More recently, she became the first Asian-American to appear on US currency.
Yunte and Lynsey discuss Wong's life, achievements, travels and work.
Warning:
This episode contains discussion of suicide.
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Heroine City host Lynsey Shaw talks with English Heritage’s brilliant curator of collections and interiors, Dr. Tessa Kilgarriff about the life of Henrietta Howard. In episode nineteen they discuss the life of the eighteenth-century intellectual wit, builder of the Palladian style Marble Hill in Twickenham and mistress to King George II. Henrietta had a riches to rags to riches life that showed her determination, resourcefulness and tenacity in the face of an abusive husband and forced estrangement from her only child.
Tessa and Lynsey discuss the nuance in the life of a woman whose legacy goes way beyond the one role she played in the Hanoverian royal household.
Warning: Contains discussion of domestic abuse.
Welcome back to Heroine City, the podcast shining a light on women in history in all their various forms and flourishes.
In episode eighteen, we continue on our epic journey into the life of Parisienne ballerina turned Victorian heiress, Yolande Duvernay, with her biographer, Jenifer Roberts. In part two, host Lynsey Shaw and Jenifer discuss what happened next as Duvernay settled down to life with General Clairemont, his wife and family, and her vast English estates.
Warning: Contains discussion of abuse and sexual exploitation.
Welcome to Heroine City, the podcast shining a light on women in history in all their glorious shapes and forms.
In episode 17, we are discussing Yolande Duvernay, later Yolande Lyne-Stephens. Born in Versaille in December 1812, Yolande led an extraordinary life from a petit rat at the Paris Opera to heiress of one of the greatest non-aristocratic fortunes in Victorian England. In 1833 Duvernay danced at the Theatre Royal, London, where the young William Makepeace Thackeray described her as a ‘vision of loveliness’. Famous for her beauty and talent, she was infamous as the heiress to the Lyne Stephen’s fortune, with wealth to rival Queen Victoria. As a Parisian courtesan, the press had a field day when the heir to the Lyne-Stephens family fortune married his French dancer-mistress. Press attention continued after her husband died and, as his widow, she fought protracted court battles with extended family to keep her wealth and allowances while part of a scandalous throuple.
Jenifer Roberts is the author of Duvernay's biography, "The Beauty of Her Age,' a book that Julien Fellow described as 'a fascinating study of the power of money in nineteenth-century society.’ Jenifer Roberts joins host Lynsey Shaw to discuss Yolande's life and sex, scandal and money in 19th century France and England.
Warning: Contains discussion of abuse and sexual exploitation.
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In episode sixteen of Heroine City, host Lynsey Shaw continues the conversation about Kitty Fisher with historian Professor Cindy McCreery.
Following on from episode fifteen with author Joanna Major, they discuss Fisher's collaborations with Joshua Reynolds in context of his other work and put into perspective the importance of discussing Kitty Fisher's life today, its resonance and light her story shines on the female experience in the public domain both then and now.
Warning: Contains discussion of adult themes.
In episode fifteen of the HC podcast, host Lynsey Shaw talks with author and popular historian Joanne Major about one of her favourite women in history, Kitty Fisher. 18th-century courtesan, pioneering pin-up and, as Jo would argue, the first ever celebrity as we understand the term today. Fisher's story and her careful orchestration of her public persona, and what we would call today her 'personal brand' back in the mid 1700s, while still a teenager, has special resonance today.
Jo and Lynsey talk about Fisher's early life, her motivations, achievements, rivals, the controversy and contentions and her brilliant collaborations with painters, especially her pivotal and nuanced relationship with Sir Joshua Reynolds, ahead of the tercentenary of his birthday on July 16th, 2023.
Warning: Contains discussion of adult themes.
In episode fourteen of Heroine City, host Lynsey Shaw welcomes Professor Ted Vallance through the gates to talk about the 17th-century British political landscape and the role of women in the Civil Wars, in particular the fascinating lives and escapades of she-intelligencers Jane Whorwood and Lucy Hay, Countess of Carlisle. They discuss everything from band names to saucy letters from King Charles I and the myriad ways in which the wars opened up women's political roles and the idea of religious tolerance on a level never seen before.
Warning: Contains discussion of a sexual nature.
Part 2
'In 1859, at age fourteen, Florence Szász stood before a room full of men and waited to be auctioned to the highest bidder. But slavery and submission were not to be her destiny: Sam Baker, a wealthy English gentleman and eminent adventurer, was moved by compassion and an immediate, overpowering empathy for the young woman, and braved extraordinary perils to help her escape.' So states the blurb of Pat Shipman's 2004 book entitled To the Heart of the Nile.'The book is 'an unforgettable portrait of an unforgettable woman: a story of discovery, bravery, determination, and love, meticulously reconstructed through journals, documents, and private papers...'
In this week's Heroine City episode, host Lynsey Shaw continues her conversation with Dr. Pat Shipman about Hungarian born explorer Florence Baker (1841-1916).
Warning: This episode contains adult themes and discussion of violence.
'In 1859, at age fourteen, Florence Szász stood before a room full of men and waited to be auctioned to the highest bidder. But slavery and submission were not to be her destiny: Sam Baker, a wealthy English gentleman and eminent adventurer, was moved by compassion and an immediate, overpowering empathy for the young woman, and braved extraordinary perils to help her escape.' So states the blurb of Pat Shipman's 2004 book entitled To the Heart of the Nile.'The book is 'an unforgettable portrait of an unforgettable woman: a story of discovery, bravery, determination, and love, meticulously reconstructed through journals, documents, and private papers...'
In this week's Heroine City episode, host Lynsey Shaw talks with Dr. Pat Shipman about Hungarian born explorer Florence Baker (1841-1916). In this fascinating discussion Pat's relays her sources, admiration for Florence and Sam, her own career parallels and journey into bringing Florence's exceptional story back to life.
Warning: This episode contains adult themes and discussion of violence.
In episode ten of Heroine City, host Lynsey Shaw talks with Montaz Marche about Anne Sancho. Anne, a middle-class wife, mother, proprietor and second-generation migrant, born and raised in London, was better known as the wife of the famous African-British abolitionist, writer, shop-owner and composer, Ignatius Sancho. As part of her PhD research into the lives of black women in 18th-century London, Montaz has pieced together a three-dimensional perspective on Anne's life from the many mentions of her in Ignatius' letters. Montaz talks about the challenges, joys and methodology of her work, as well as a call to arms for future historians to harness the new ways in which she and other scholars are researching and illustrating marginalised voices from the past.
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This week, through the gates of Heroine City and into our very own pleasure gardens, host Lynsey Shaw talks with Professor Penelope Corfield about Women and the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. Together, they discuss the (literal) light and dark side of the famous summertime Georgian hang out. A heady mix of classes, music, surprises and rum punch, the era of 'Vauxhall,' as it simply became known, ran from the late 1600s to the early 1800s and was copied around the world from Paris to New Orleans. It launched careers and plunged reputations but it never ceased to entertain. From the demireps to Dickens, it was the place to see and be seen.
WARNING: Contains adult themes and discussion of sexual violence.
For more from Professor Penelope Corfield:
https://www.thegeorgiansdeedsandmisdeeds.com
https://www.penelopejcorfield.com/
Inside the gates on Heroine City for episode nine is the brilliant writer, Lucinda Gosling. Our host Lynsey Shaw discusses Mrs. Meyrick, nightclub queen of 1920s London. Frequented by royalty, film stars, jazz musicians and gangsters, Kate Meyrick's nightclubs, such as the Silver Slipper and No.43 were the talk of the roaring 20s party scene. But all of this came at a price. Luci discusses her work with Lynsey and the fascinating life of Mrs Meyrick from the prison stints to its smells!
For more info on Luci's work please go to https://www.lucindagosling.co.uk
Warning: This episode contains mention of suicide.
In this Heroine City episode host Lynsey Shaw talks with the historian Kate McCaffrey about Anne Boleyn, her formative years and the women who shaped, influenced and inspired her. They discuss the multi-faceted Anne, her childhood, her mother and sister, the women she learned from when she was in service at continental European courts and the women that protected her memory after she died. (Even Anne's dog, Pourquoi gets a mention.)
Kate has worked at Anne Boleyn's childhood home of Hever Castle, Kent for many years and is now assistant curator. Her groundbreaking MA work on Anne's Book of Hours, housed at Hever, saw her garner international attention and informs her continued work bringing fresh light to an old story from new perspectives.
The Catherine & Anne: Queens, Rivals, Mothers exhibition, which brings together Katherine of Aragon and Anne's Boleyn's Book of Hours is running at Hever Castle until November 2023.
In this episode, host Lynsey Shaw is joined by acclaimed author and journalist Shrabani Basu to talk about World War II wireless operator and special operations executive, Noor Inayat Khan.
Shrabani's books include For King and Another Country: Indian Soldiers on the Western Front 1914-18, Victoria & Abdul: The True Story of the Queen’s Closest Confidant (now a major motion picture,) and Spy Princess: The Life of Noor Inayat Khan. She has always combined her journalism with her love of history and all her books have evolved from her observations about the shared histories of India and Britain. Since the release of Spy Princess in 2006, Shrabani's Noor Inayat Khan Memorial Trust has successfully campaigned for a memorial to Noor in London’s Gordon Square, seen the release of a Royal Mail stamp in honour of Noor, and, in 2020, Shrabani unveiled the Blue Plaque for Noor Inayat Khan in London.
Noor's story is poignant, sad and incredibly inspiring. Noor actually means ‘divine light’ and we are happy to help shine a light on Noor's exceptional life and Shrabani's efforts to help keep Noor’s tale of loyalty, love and sacrifice alive for generations to come.
Warning: This episode contains discussion of violence and torture.
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With Lynsey Shaw inside the Heroine City gates today we have Claire Louise Amias. Actor, director and playwright, Claire is the star of her self-penned one woman show, The Masks of Aphra Behn, which explores the fascinating and pioneering life of the 17th Century spy and Restoration writer of its title.
Behn was the first professional female writer. After a failed marriage and a stint as a spy for Charles II, Behn began writing as a means to financial autonomy and lifelong independence. What followed was a prolific, trailblazing career during which she created the Restoration play, The Rover (1677) and, arguably, the first ever novel, Oroonoko (1688), the first in English to feature a black, enslaved African as its protagonist.
Virginia Woolf once famously wrote, “All women together ought to let flowers fall on the tomb of Aphra Behn . . . For it was she who earned them the right to speak their minds.”
A is For Aphra Statue Campaign: https://www.aisforaphra.org/
Find out more about Claire's work here: https://www.amonkeywithcymbals.co.uk/
In episode five of Heroine City, Lynsey Shaw is joined by Dr Euan Roger, lead curator at The National Archives, to discuss the fascinating Eleanor Cobham, Duchess of Gloucester. A sad tale of love magic, witchcraft and treason, Eleanor was imprisoned for the rest of her life and her marriage to Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester annulled after she was accused of using witchcraft 'in a treasonous way' and tricking him into marriage with 'love magic.'
Eleanor's story and its place in the timeline of women accused of treason is part of The National Archives current exhibition, Treason: People, Power and Plot running until April 6th. In the exhibition Eleanor's case sits within a legal evolution that led to the downfall of Anne Boleyn. Not only do we talk about Eleanor, whose story deserves to be wider known but two other women connected to the case, 'The Witch of Eye', Margery Jourdemayne and Kentish woman Juliana Ridligo. Both died as a result of the allegations, the former as a heretical witch and the latter after telling King Henry VI what she thought of him and his treatment of Eleanor while he was passing through Blackheath.
Warning: Contains discussion of violence
Inside the Heroine City gates for this episode we have the wonderful writer and comedian Kate Fox. Dr Kate, author of her 2022 book, 'Where There's Much, There's Bra: True Stories of the Women of the North of England' discusses northern English women of note, both past and present, with our host Lynsey Shaw.
In this episode they discuss Kate's work, 'northern' criteria, what that means, its associated stereotypes and paradoxes, and why she chose to highlight the women in her book following her PhD on the subject in relation to performance. Their stories, connectivity, and legacy of these women now sits inside the Heroine City as wonderful example of powerful collective female identity and why we need to always ensure that we keep alive the spirit of women who came before, while making a pathway for those that follow.
In this episode of Heroine City, Lynsey Shaw talks with Dr. Emma Southon about the rebellious Queen of the Iceni who took on the Roman Empire in 60AD, Boudicca. They explore the ways in which her story has been used over the years in British and Roman culture and the problematic use of her now as a feminist icon.
As Emma says, “history is sexy, and sometimes fun, and sometimes hilarious, just like people.” It is also challenging, controversial and subjective. On our mission to bring women’s narratives to the fore, here at Heroine City we will discuss the problematic heroines as much as those with seemingly straightforward stories, because all of them are inevitably complex and multifaceted, which is where the good stuff lies.
Please don't forget to share, subscribe and rate our podcast, and follow us on our instagram @heroine_city. We want to hear your suggestions on other fascinating women from the past.
Dr. Emma Southon's news, work and links can be found here: https://emmasouthon.com
Warning This episode contains discussion of violence.
In this episode Lynsey is joined by the wonderful Professor Elizabeth Foley O’Conner to talk about Pamela Coleman Smith. Pixie, as she was sometimes known, was an Anglo-American artist who was prolific in the mediums of painting, printing, and illustration. An occultist, non-conformist, born before her time, Smith practiced synaesthesia, with an ability to paint from visions induced while listening to music. Famous in her lifetime, she lived and worked within an elite group of late Victorian and Edwardian transatlantic artists, actors and writers who recorded, employed, and lauded her talent in its day. Often overlooked since the height of her fame in the early part of the twentieth century, Colman Smith’s struggle with finances meant that she died in the 1950s without the financial recognition her body of astounding work deserved. You will have seen her recognisable images, perhaps in the Rider Waite (now called Waite-Smith) tarot deck… now it is time to know the person who created them.
LINKS:
Pamela Colman Smith: Artist, Feminist & Mystic at Liverpool UC https://www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/books/id/55385/
Pamela Colman Smith: The Untold Story https://www.amazon.com/Pamela-Colman-Smith-Untold-Story/dp/157281912X
Colman Smith Blue Plaque Campaign link https://susanwands.com/?page_id=329
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We kick our first season off with the formidable Bess of Hardwick. A 16th century, Midland born squire's daughter who worked her way up to becoming a pioneering architect, dynast and the second most powerful woman of her time next to Elizabeth I. To talk with host Lynsey Shaw in the studio about their mutual adoration of all round badass Bess, we have expert Professor Lisa Hopkins from Sheffield Hallam University.
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Welcome to Heroine City, a world built from women in history. In this podcast, presenter, producer, performer, and self-confessed history geek, Lynsey Shaw speaks with experts and historians about women we need to know. Maybe their names will be familiar to you but their stories deserve a deeper or fresh delve. Perhaps their names will be completely new to you. Either way, this is a podcast dedicated to bringing historical women's narratives to the fore and putting them back on the radar and into the history books.
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