Dear Mrs. Kennedy

Eight hundred thousand-that’s roughly the number of condolence letters former first lady Jackie Kennedy amassed in the two months following her husband’s murder. By the two-year anniversary of his death, the quantity had swollen beyond 1.5 million. Incapable of responding to every communication personally, Jackie made certain each was nevertheless granted acknowledgement.

You Must Never Be Fearful

Happy Rosa Parks Day, friends! On December 1, 1955, Rosa was detained in Montgomery, Alabama for refusing to give up a seat in her bus’s colored section for a white passenger. Though she wasn't the first black commuter to rebel against discrimination, her act of defiance signaled a decisive turning-point in the Civil Rights Movement. Rosa has subsequently earned the designations “First Lady of Civil Rights” and “Mother of the Freedom Movement.”

For more about Rosa Parks' bold defiance, check-out:

Rosa Parks Bus - The Story Behind the Bus - The Henry Ford

Document Deep Dive: Rosa Parks’ Arrest Records

How Jackie Kennedy Taught Us to Grieve

Last week, on November 22, 2013, Americans commemorated the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. Fifty years ago today, his traumatized widow Jackie, beckoned Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Theodore White to the family’s Hyannis Port compound for an exclusive interview. Following her husband’s murder, the erstwhile first lady intended to retreat from the public eye. Yet, before she withdrew, Jackie needed to speak to America one final time. She designated White, considered Kennedy-friendly, to be her mouthpiece.

After Jackie’s telephone call, White high-tailed it up north. Anticipating the exposé, his editors at LIFE kept the presses open; it cost $30,000/hour. As The New York Post remarked, to do this for a story that wasn't composed, based on an interview that hadn’t transpired was unheard of. Nevertheless, a heart-to-heart with the slain president’s spouse was the of news story a lifetime!

Chatting with Jackie, White characterized her bearing, “Composure . . . beautiful . . . dressed in trim black slacks . . . beige pullover sweater . . . eyes wider than pools . . . calm voice.” During the next 3.5 hours, she chronicled that horrific day just a week earlier, before disclosing her purpose. She was fearful of JFK’s legacy being minimized or tarnished by critics. Steadfast in her vision of how Americans should think of the country’s fallen leader, Jackie disclosed one of the couple’s favorite nighttime routines.

Before bed, JFK enjoyed playing albums, in particular the cast recording for 1960’s smash Broadway musical, Camelot. His favorite lyrics, crooned by Richard Burton, were, “Don't let it be forgot, that once there was a spot, for one brief shining moment that was known as Camelot.” On reflection, Jackie imagined those sentimental lines encapsulated her husband’s presidency. She affirmed, “There'll be great presidents again — and the Johnsons are wonderful, they've been wonderful to me — but there'll never be a Camelot again.”

By equating JFK with this contemporary version of the Arthurian myth, Jackie was conjuring the depiction of the 35th president that’s endured the last half century. This reinterpretation, inspired by T. H. White’s The Once and Future King, accentuated the futility of war, reimagining the fabled monarch as peace-seeking visionary. Accordingly, this is how Jackie envisioned Americans remembering their lost commander-in-chief, a crusader who’d forfeited his life in pursuit of global harmony.

Later, White divulged both he and publishing supervisors were reluctant to disseminate Jackie’s Camelot analogy, but she was unyielding. Additionally, he consented to letting his interviewee make adjustments to the essay. Around 2 a.m., with Jackie lingering nearby, White dictated his editorial over the kitchen telephone. With subscriptions around 30 mil., “For President Kennedy: An Epilogue,” was undoubtedly consumed by innumerable readers. Subsequently, as Jackie had desired, JFK’s presidency would be immortalized as unequalled Camelot.

Undeniably, Jackie’s comparison has faults. Though JFK professed “Mankind must put an end to war before war puts an end to mankind,” he similarly asserted “The cost of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it. And one path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender, or submission.” His participation in the calamitous Bay of Pigs Invasion and resolution to “draw a line in the sand” concerning Vietnam only further separates him from Jackie’s antiwar idealist. Furthermore, by reworking JFK into what James Piereson labeled “the consummate liberal idealist” whose accomplishments would always be unsurpassed, Jackie made it tougher for the grief-stricken nation to move ahead. If what she contended was true, and there'd “never be another Camelot,” where could the nation go but downwards?

From this unfathomable tragedy came Jackie Kennedy’s longest-lasting achievement. Had JFK lived, her most noteworthy accomplishment might be renovating the White House and infusing timeless glamour into the American presidency. Instead, her legacy’s become that of scrupulously manufacturing how Americans recollect her husband. It’s a vision of the much-loved president many continue to embrace, even revere, today.

For more about Jackie’s Camelot, check-out:

How Jackie Kennedy Invented the Camelot Legend After JFK’s Death

Inventing Camelot: How Jackie Kennedy shaped her husband’s legacy

The Kennedys, "Camelot," and the Making of a Legend

History Bitches Fieldtrip #6: Meridian Hill Park

Last Sunday, meandering back from lunch with George, he and I took a short-cut through Meridian Hill Park. As we caught-up, I paused to get a photograph of Meridian Hill’s Joan of Arc statue, the lone female equestrian sculpture in Washington, D.C. Paul Dubois’ life-size bronze figure depicts Joan, decked-out in complete body armor, gazing towards the heavens as she urges her charger ahead. Held aloft in her left hand there’s a sword. Taken in 1978, Joan's sword wasn't restored until three decades later in 2011. 

Episode #13: Abe Sada, Part 2

Some considered her living proof of the hazards of female sexuality; others esteemed her for revolting against the patriarchy. Tune in for Part II as Brittany and guest-host Farron unravel the legend and legacy of Abe Sada.

Episode #13: Abe Sada, Part 2 (Show Notes)

A newspaper piece regarding Abe’s crime;
Kichizo is pictured, too

Before Abe connived to murder her lover, Kichizo Ishida theirs was just your run of the mill “married supervisor embarks on love affair with comely employee” story. Roughly two months after meeting, the couple absconded for a prolonged tryst. The money ran out two weeks later. Kichizo returned home; Abe stayed with friends. During the separation, Abe became noticeably agitated. After seeing a play during which a geisha attacks her lover using a knife, she hatched a plan.

Episode #12: Abe Sada, Part 1 (Show Notes)

She perpetrated the crime of the century; cutting her name into her murdered lover’s thigh, Abe Sada left her brand on Japanese history, too. Born during a period when girls and women were compelled to obey patriarchal social customs, she revolted against the archetype.

Born in Tokyo’s Kanda neighborhood to a bourgeois family of tatami mat makers, Abe flouted conventions early. Throughout her youth and teenage years, she was infatuated by the glamorous, yet mysterious world of geishas. It was a scandalous preoccupation for a genteel, upper-middle class girl. Unsurprisingly, after her matrimonial prospects were seemingly doomed she utterly embraced the part of misfit.

The Unusual Suspects

Mary Jane Kelly

Considering today marks the death of Mary Jane Kelly, Jack the Ripper’s presumed 5th and last victim, I thought it'd be the perfect time for a quick blogpost about the crime's female suspects, a.k.a. Jill the Ripper or The Mad Midwife.

The hypothesis Jack the Ripper was in fact Jill the Ripper was first postulated by Detective Inspector Frederick Abberline of the London Metropolitan Police. His conjecture stemmed from testimony by Mrs. Caroline Maxwell. Mrs. Maxwell claimed she'd seen Mary Jane Kelly twice after doctors presumed she was murdered. The D.I. speculated the woman she'd observed the second time was actually the killer. The suspect might have disguised herself in Mary’s clothing after disposing of her own blood-soaked garments. Though Mary was discovered partially undressed, her clothing was left at the crime scene, folded neatly on a chair. Consequently, this premise doesn’t hold-up.

Thus It Be Ever With Assassins

Mary Surratt

Looks like someone just splashed-out $100,000 to purchase four photos capturing the last moments and hanging deaths of the Lincoln conspirators. The shots which include Mary Surratt, the 1st woman executed by the U.S., are named “Arrival on Scaffold,” “Reading the Death Warrant,” “Adjusting the Ropes,” and “Thus It Be Ever With Assassins.” Taken by Scottish photographer Alexander Gardner in Washington DC on July 7, 1865, the prints were thought to fetch somewhere between $20,000 and $30,000. They were sold by Swann Galleries, a New York City auction house.

No. 1“Arrival on Scaffold”

No.2 “Reading the Death Warrant”

No.3 “Adjusting the Ropes” 

No. 4 and “Thus It Be Ever With Assassins” 

For more about Mary Surratt, check-out:
History Bitches Fieldtrip #5: Mary Surratt's Boardinghouse and Mount Olivet Cemetery

Source

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz

As a teenager, Juana entered the court of
Viceroy Marquis de Mancera 

She’s commonly extolled as Latin America’s first noteworthy poet, and first published feminist of the New World. Born November 12, 1651 near Mexico City, Juana Inés de la Cruz revealed her devotion to and immense capacity for learning early on. She was reading and solving equations before five; at eight years old she’d composed her first poem. By the time she reached adolescence, she was conversant in Greek logic, and could speak, read, and write in both Latin and the Aztec language Nahuatl. Actually, her dedication to scholarship was so fanatical, every time she made an error in Latin she chopped-off her hair.

Manuela Sáenz

Remembered primarily as the lover of Simón Bolívar, celebrated leader of South America's crusade for independence, Manuela Sáenz was a revolutionary in her own right. Born December 27, 1797 (maybe), in Quito, Ecuador, Manuela participated in the liberation movement before meeting Simón. They met in 1822, after she left her husband in Lima, and returned to Quito. Theirs wasn't just a romantic partnership. She joined him on campaigns, delivering food, medicine, and partaking in combat. She fought in conflicts at Pichincha, Junín, and Ayacucho; at the recommendation of Simón’s second in command, she was presented the rank of colonel. Manuela demonstrated her fidelity again when she prevented Simón’s murder by launching herself at assassins, granting him the chance to escape. Consequently, she was bestowed the nickname, “The Liberator of the Liberator.” 

Gabriela Mistral

Poetess Gabriela Mistral was Latin America’s first (and thus far only) woman to receive a Nobel Prize in Literature. Born in Vicuña, Chile on April 7, 1889, her given name was Lucila Godoy y Alcayaga. At 15 years old, she became a schoolteacher and began composing poetry; several of her early poems concerned the suicide of her lover.  Gabriela continued publishing verse as she taught elementary and secondary students in Chile, the United States, and Mexico.

Las Hermanas Mirabal/The Mirabal Sisters

(L to R: Patricia, Marie-Teresa, and Minerva)

Las Hermanas Mirabal-Patria (b. February 27, 1924), Dedé (b. March 1, 1925), Minerva (b. March 12, 1926), and María Teresa (b. October 15, 1935)-are celebrated, national heroines in their home-country of the Dominican Republic. They challenged dictator Rafael Trujillo’s ruthless autocracy by helping launch the 14th of June Movement. As participants, the women (nicknamed Las Mariposas or The Butterflies) distributed anti-Trujillo pamphlets, ran covert protest meetings, and recruited regime members and/or their families to defect. Consequently, the siblings, and their similarly activist husbands, were incarcerated and tortured on multiple occasions.

National Hispanic Heritage Month

Confession time; caught-up in graduate school applications, I neglected to remember September 15th-October 15th was National Hispanic Heritage Month. So, this week I'm going to be posting about some bitchin’ Latina revolutionaries, poetess-scholars, and legislators. I'll be posting fun tidbits about history-making Latinas on Facebook, too. If you've got a favorite history bitch that I've overlooked, please contact me via the comments section or Facebook! And no, I didn’t forget this month is Native American Heritage Month; I'm on it.

Atonement: Remembering Japan's Comfort Women

Yesterday, the boys at Stuff You Should Know released a podcast covering revisionist history. A basic definition of historical revisionism is: the reconsidering of traditional historical narratives in light of new material, the rejection of false or subjective information, or the inclusion of forgotten/ marginalized perspectives. Listening to Josh and Chuck, I wondered how this subject affected women’s history. During a quick Google search, one issue that popped-up again and again was comfort women. I had a nebulous comprehension of the problem, and remembered glimpsing the occasional pertinent news story, but that was it. Researching the matter and its connection to revisionist history, I came to understand how it mutually exemplifies the contentious and imperative nature of reinterpreting conventional history.

The Most Terrifying Words You'll Ever Hear...

Presumably, a Nazi Bride School
newbie tricking-out her dorm room. Sigh,
those freshmen!

For my Halloween podcast and blog series, I've chronicled Lavinia Fisher-legendary highway-robber, Amelia Dyer-Victorian child murderess, and three pairs of sinister siblings. Accordingly, I had just sat down to write a post on Elizabeth Báthory, “The Blood Countess,” who supposedly bathed in her victims’ blood, when I stumbled over something even more disturbing. I've got three words for you, bitches: Nazi Bride School!

Earlier this month, researchers combing through Germany’s Federal Archive unearthed documents concerning the Reichsbräuteschule, or Reich Bride Schools. Though scholars knew of their existence, these matrimonial preparatory schools were (and remain largely still) shrouded in mystery. The recent discovery of a rulebook and certificate of completion, give historians further understanding of this shadowy facet of Hitler’s Third Reich. And y’all, it’s just as creepy as it sounds…

I'm So Excited!

Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!! You guys!!! AHHHH!!!! The official trailer for Amma Asante’s movie about Dido Elizabeth Belle was released earlier this week! 

The U.S. release date is May 2, 2014! Who’s coming with me?

She Blinded Me With Science!

October 15th was Ada Lovelace Day, “an international celebration of the achievements of women in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).” Get your nerdy girl groove on with “History, Bitches” by learning about the day’s namesake and four more pioneering lady scientists.

Episode #11: Twisted Sisters

They're selective mutes, murderous housemaids, and twins possessed by “folie à deux.” Tune-in to discover what makes June and Jennifer Gibbons, Christine and Léa Papin, and Sabina and Ursula Eriksson “twisted sisters!”

Episode #11: Twisted Sisters (Show Notes)

The Grady sisters from director Stanley Kubrick’s
horror masterpiece, The Shining (1980).

 Everybody knows the scene; it’s iconic. Little Danny Torrance is cruising on his tricycle through the corridors of the Overlook Hotel. Then, unexpectedly, he’s stopped by the appearance of the Grady sisters. Everything about them is unsettling, from their robin’s egg blue frocks and black Mary Jane shoes, to their ghostly entreaty to “Come and play with us...” I'm creeped-out just writing about it. Nevertheless, this episode’s subjects- June and Jennifer Gibbons, Christine and Léa Papin, and Ursula and Sabina Eriksson-could give those girls a run for their money!

The Pied Pipers of Victorian England

The British Medical Journal,
Vol. 1, No. 1577 (Mar. 21, 1891), p. 656

During the mid-late 1800s, reports like this could be regularly found inside the British Medical Journal. Baby farming, the custom of fostering or adopting-out a young child for money, was commonplace throughout Victorian England.  As continues to be the reality in many societies today, unmarried, pregnant women encountered considerable hardships. Unexpected and/or undesired children were a pecuniary encumbrance on typically already stretched resources. Family members regularly spurned these “unchaste” women, some children’s homes refused to admit babies conceived immorally, and the probability of marrying someone to help provide for you and a bastard child was laughable. Not to mention, aborting or deserting your baby was unlawful, illicit abortions could be fatal, and infanticide was punishable by death. For many women, the safest choice was putting the child “out to nurse” with a baby farmer; thanks be, there were plenty of them.

Episode #10: Lavinia Fisher (Mini-cast)

Was Charleston’s Lavinia Fisher America’s first woman serial killer? Tune-in to hear the grisly legend and discover the shocking truth.

Episode #10: Lavinia Fisher (Mini-cast) Show Notes

It’s doubtful this commonly-used
portrait actually depicts Lavinia Fisher

Google Lavinia Fisher and you'll likely come across references to her as America’s first woman serial killer. Though it’s not fact, the real story of Lavinia’s criminal escapades is just as scandalous.

Here’s the legend:

Lavinia and husband John operated a lodge, Six Mile House, outside of Charleston, South Carolina. The Fishers preyed on male customers travelling by themselves. Furtively, Lavinia would poison guests’ supper or tea using laudanum; later, when the man nodded-off, John would butcher them with his axe. Ultimately, one fortunate would-be victim named John Peoples got away; he alerted law enforcement. Searching the Fisher’s roadhouse, police unearthed many decaying corpses. Subsequently, Lavinia and John were arrested, tried for robbery and murder, and condemned to hang.

History Bitches Fieldtrip #5: Mary Surratt's Boardinghouse and Mount Olivet Cemetery

Mary Elizabeth Jenkins Surratt, c. 1850

This Saturday, my friend George (of Bricktop podcast and Eater DC fame) and I drove out to Mount Olivet Cemetery; I wanted to photograph Mary Surratt’s grave. On July 7, 1865, Mary was bestowed the unlucky distinction of becoming the first woman executed by the U.S. government. She received this “honor” for her reputed participation in the conspiracy to assassinate President Lincoln.

The Black Queen

Detail of Allan Ramsay’s
Charlotte Sophia of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1761-1762)

Researching Dido Elizabeth Belle, I stumbled across a tantalizing historical debate regarding Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Charlotte was Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, and subsequently Queen of the United Kingdom and Hanover, through her marriage to “mad” King George III. The controversy relates to Charlotte’s heritage and speculations she had black ancestry. Mario de Valdes y Cocom, historian of the African diaspora, is the chief, modern-day proponent of this theory. He contends the German-born Charlotte’s lineage can be traced to Portugal’s King Afonso III and his possibly Moorish lover, Madragana. Valdes y Cocom clarified in The Sunday Times exposé, “Revealed: the Queen's black ancestors”:

Although she is chronologically distant from Afonso III and his mistress, there is a surprising genealogical proximity between the two women and six lines of descent can be traced between them. What also contributed to the perceptibility of her African heritage was the highly inbred pattern of princely German marriage alliances.

There are contemporary references to Charlotte’s African-like features, too; for example, Christian Friedrich, Baron Stockmar wrote she possessed a “true mulatto face.” These characteristics are clearly noticeable in portraits by Allan Ramsay, a prominent abolitionist, and, by marriage, the uncle of Dido Elizabeth Belle.

Can't Hardly Wait!

Amma Asante’s (hooray lady directors!!) feature film “Belle,” about History Bitch Dido Elizabeth Belle recently premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Here are some reviews:

TIFF 2013 Review: 'Belle' Starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw

Belle: Toronto 2013 - first look review

The U.S. release date is May 2, 2014!

Remembering the "Four Little Girls"

Today marks the 50th anniversary of Birmingham, Alabama’s 16th St. Baptist Church Bombing. The “four little girls” who perished, Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley, were recently awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.

For more information check-out:

Birmingham Public Library Digital Collections

'Four Little Girls' Awarded Congressional Gold Medal

The Myth of Dido

Dido Elizabeth Belle (L) and half-cousin Lady Elizabeth Murray (R).
This picture currently resides at Scone Palace in Perth, Scotland.

Seeing her picture for the first time, I assumed she was a servant. Lucky for us, her status at Kenwood House, London was vastly more remarkable. Her name was Dido Elizabeth Belle, the charge and great-niece of William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield.

Dido’s father was British Navy officer, 
Sir John Lindsay

The year of Dido’s birth is alternately cited as 1761 and 1763. The daughter of rear admiral Sir John Lindsay and a possibly enslaved African woman, she was taken by her father to Kenwood. Kenwood was home to William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield and his wife Lady Elizabeth Finch. As Lord Chief Justice of the King’s Bench, Lord Mansfield presided over numerous cases regarding enslaved Africans. The Murrays had no children and besides fostering Dido, a second great-niece, Lady Elizabeth Murray resided there, too.

The Bitch with the Dragon Tattoo

Fantastic! Just when I’d accepted I could never be as cool as Mary Bowser, Dita Von Teese informs me I’m as not cool as Maud Wagner either. Who the heck is that?

Wait…that’s her? Crap-definitely not as cool!  So, who’s Maud Wagner, and what makes this History Bitch so freaky fresh? Frustratingly, there’s not much information regarding her life. The only facts I could locate come from non-academic sources, so take everything with a grain of salt.

Schoolhouse Rock!

Since yesterday was our first day of school, it seemed the perfect time for a post about some of history’s most celebrated women teachers. Just so you know, I refrained from including myself.

Hypatia (350 or 370 – 415 or 416)

A citizen of Alexandria, Egypt, a cultural and educational center of the Roman and Byzantine world, Hypatia was a philosopher, mathematician, and astronomer. Besides directing the Neo-Platonist school of philosophy, she taught and became a popular lecturer. Regrettably, Hypatia is famous not just for being one of the first women to study and teach philosophy, mathematics, and astronomy, but her barbarous death. Accused of spreading heresy and provoking conflict, she was murdered by a swarm of zealous Christians.
Source 1, 2

This Is My Jam!

In 1942, Rosie the Riveter made her debut in Redd Evans and John Jacob Loeb's song, "Rosie the Riveter." Check it out below. 

Making History, Working for Victory

Happy Labor Day, Bitches!

Inspired by i09’s post, “SciFi and Fantasy Ladies Pose as Rosie the Riveter for Labor Day,” I decided to write a quick post about the celebrated World War II and feminist icon.

So, here are some of the 5 best facts I discovered about Rosie:

Episode #9: Ada "Bricktop" Smith (Show Notes)

Discovering Bricktop’s story was like flipping through a yearbook belonging to the most popular girl on campus; everybody knew her. When a young Jelly Roll Morton couldn't decide if he should take-up pimping or piano-playing, she advised that he could do both! When Duke Ellington was playing small-time clubs in D.C., Bricktop secured his first gig in New York City. And when Josephine Baker rocketed to stardom overnight, Bricktop showed her the ropes.

Episode #9: Ada "Bricktop" Smith

F. Scott Fitzgerald said his real claim to fame was not penning “This Side of Paradise” or “The Great Gatsby,” but rather discovering Bricktop before Cole Porter. Tune-in to discover more about Ada “Bricktop” Smith, “Cabaret Queen of Paris and Rome.”

History Mystery Game: Ready, Set, Guess!

Okay bitches, I've posted five clues about our upcoming podcast subject. Now, it’s time to make your guess! But, what’s a game without a prize? So, the first person to correctly guess our History Bitch wins a copy of Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris.” You'll get a peek into the scene where our mystery gal reigned supreme; not to mention, it features other great History Bitches like Zelda Fitzgerald, Josephine Baker, Alice B. Toklas, and Gertrude Stein! To enter, head over to Facebook and reply to the contest post. I'll announce the winner on Monday when I release the podcast! Good luck!

History Mystery Game: Clue #5

Martin Luther King, Jr., accompanied by wife Coretta Scott King,
after receiving the Nobel Peace Prize.

In 1964, African-American Civil Rights trailblazer Martin Luther King, Jr. received the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway. While in Europe, he asked to meet our celebrated History Bitch. King declared her, “about the most fascinating person I have ever met.” How awesome is that?

History Mystery Game: Clue #4

Our History Bitch makes a brief “cameo” towards the end of this clip from Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris.” Can you find her?

History Mystery Game: Clue #3

Josephine Baker

When the Missouri-born Josephine arrived in Paris during the mid-1920s, our History Bitch was already a celebrated entertainer. According to Jean-Claude Baker’s biography of his adopted mother, “Josephine: The Hungry Heart,” our mystery woman had a brief romance with the famous chanteuse. Seriously, who could blame her? That’s one foxy lady!

History Mystery Game: Clue #2

Composed by George (music) and Ira (lyrics) Gershwin in 1928, “Embraceable You” was a signature piece for our History Bitch. In fact, John Steinbeck said listening to her sing it could take two decades off a man’s life! Check-out Judy Garland’s rendition of “Embraceable You” below and you'll understand why:

History Mystery Game: Clue #1

So, I've finished up show notes for the next episode, but I’m headed to San Francisco and can’t record until I'm back early next week. But, to get y'all excited, I thought we'd play a guessing game. Everyday I'll post a clue about our upcoming History Bitch. See if you can Sherlock who she is before I release the episode. Good luck! Post your guesses!

Clue #1: These famous guys and gals play supporting roles in our History Bitch’s story.

F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald

Cole Porter

Jack Johnson

The Duke and Duchess of Windsor

History Bitches Fieldtrip #4: Hillwood Estate, Museum and Garden

Several weeks ago, I visited Hillwood, the sumptuous, sprawling estate of Marjorie Merriweather Post. Marjorie wasn't just the spectacularly rich heiress to Postum Cereal Company (now General Foods Corporation), but a talented businesswoman, too. During her lifetime, she became the wealthiest broad in America, worth a mindboggling $250 mil.

Happy Birthday Maria Mitchell!

Because I didn't already love Google enough, today’s homepage doodle honors astronomer Maria Mitchell. She is the second woman scientists featured in just a week (July 25th was Rosalind Franklin)! To celebrate, check out these facts about the birthday girl...

Jane Austen’s So Money!

Fantastic news Janeites! The Bank of England has revealed Jane Austen is taking Charles Darwin’s place on the £10 note. Subsequently, this makes Jane only the 3rd woman, after Florence Nightingale and Elizabeth Fry, to grace British currency. Whatcha waitin’ for America?

(via The Mary Sue)

For more, check-out this video from The Bank of England:

Happy Birthday Rosalind Franklin!

Check-out these five cool facts about British biophysicist, Rosalind Franklin:

1. Rosalind’s father disliked the concept of women receiving university educations, and snubbed her admittance to Cambridge. Her aunt volunteered to pay, and ultimately her father conceded.

Jackie Ormes: Cartoonist “Wonder Woman”

Just in time for the end of Comic Con, I stumbled on a great Tumblr post on Jackie Ormes, the first African-American woman cartoonist. Considering how frackin’ groundbreaking/awesome she was, it’s a travesty of Catwoman (2004) proportions that she’s been forgotten. But we’re going to remedy that right now; hold onto your phasers y’all, I’m ‘bout to drop some knowledge!