Episode transcript:

"To stand at the edge of the sea, to sense the ebb and flow of the tides, to feel the breath of a mist moving over a great salt marsh, to watch the flight of shore birds that have swept up and down the surf lines of the continents for untold thousands of years ... is to have knowledge of things that are as nearly eternal as any earthly life can be." - Rachel Carson

Born in 1907 in Springdale, Pennsylvania, Rachel Carson grew up in the hills overlooking the Allegheny River. It was there that she fell in love with nature after many walks in the area with her mother, observing the natural landscapes and the wildlife. And it was also there that, in her youth, she fell in love with writing, winning several awards. She published her first story in a children's magazine at ten years old, and around that time began telling people that she wanted to be a professional writer. 

While her family was not well off, her mother insisted that Rachel attend college to become a writer. She entered intending to study English but changed her major to biology in her sophomore year. After graduating, she continued her studies, earning a master's degree in zoology. Then, she began a doctorate. But because of the Great Depression and with her father's passing in 1935, Rachel dropped out, taking a job with the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries to help support her family.

At work, she wrote radio copy for educational broadcasts. A year later, after receiving the highest score in the civil service exam, she became a junior biologist in the organization. But because of her writing talent, she was asked to continue writing, a role in which she would eventually grow to become Editor-in-Chief of all service publications.

Outside of working in her government job, Rachel began writing articles for publications around the U.S. Those articles evolved into books. And all these works, beloved by many, would influence how people understood and talked about nature. Amongst many impacts, she brought the word ecology to everyday life. And she spurred an increased awareness and concern for living organisms, the environment, and the inextricable links between pollution and public health. This work also had policy implications, as she challenged those using harmful pesticides, leading to a national ban on DDT and other pesticides.

Rachel passed away from breast cancer on April 14, 1964, at the age of 56.

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Original post: A Snapshot Biography of Rachel Carson

Sources:

Story transcript & sources: https://historicalsnaps.com/2023/09/21/snapshot-marian-anderson-biography/

Transcript and original post: Langston Hughes: writer, “My People” & other works

Episode photo source: National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; acquired through the generosity of Elizabeth Ann Hylton, NPG.2011.101 

Snapshot biography of Jesse Owens on Historical Snapshots

Our snapshot biography of actress and inventor, Hedy Lamarr:

Some said Hedy Lamarr was the most beautiful woman in the world. Some said she had the most beautiful face they had ever seen. Some just stopped talking mid-sentence, in awe, when she walked into a room.

Born in Vienna, Austria, in 1914, Hedy was an only child of two loving and devoted parents. She spent time with her mother learning about the arts, and with her father, they explored the city, often stopping to learn about the workings of different machines they came across. Her father spent much time teaching her, developing in her a love and understanding for technology. By five years old, Hedy was taking apart and reassembling gadgets like music boxes at home.

But it was acting that captured young Hedy’s heart. Enamored with the art, dedicating herself to the craft, she began to play roles in films. And by her late teens, Hedy was a star.

Soon she married. Her husband, infatuated with the star, treated her less like a wife and more as a prize. “I was like a doll. I was like a thing, some object of art which had to be guarded—and imprisoned—having no mind, no life of its own,” she said. Unhappy in her marriage, one night, she dressed as a maid and escaped abroad, where she filed for divorce.

Life took her to the U.S., where just as in Europe, she became a famous actress. She wowed audiences with beauty and charm and sophistication. Yet, Hedy, intelligent and curious, wanted to do more.

With World War II taking place and understanding the dangers of life under a Nazi regime from her experiences living in Europe, she got involved in the war effort. Working together with a fellow inventor, they filed a patent for a radio guidance system that Allied torpedoes could use to defeat the threat of blocking or interfering with wireless communication.

Ultimately the U.S. Navy did not use their innovation. But the principles from the designs are now incorporated into modern Wi-Fi, CDMA and Bluetooth technology. Hedy was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2014.

Original post on Historical Snapshots.

Story transcript:

“There is nothing so beautiful as the free forest. To catch a fish when you are hungry, cut the boughs of a tree, make a fire to roast it, and eat it in the open air, is the greatest of all luxuries. I would not stay a week pent up in cities, if it were not for my passion for art.” – Edmonia Lewis

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Most people didn’t know her age; she kept those details a mystery. But no one questioned her remarkable talent. For as a sculptor, Edmonia Lewis was one of the best. People traveled from all over the world to see her art and watch her at work.

Edmonia was born in New York sometime around 1844. Like her age, details of her upbringing and parents are sparse. Edmonia’s mother was of mixed African and Native American descent and was known for her weaving and craftsmanship. Her father was of African American descent and was known for being a writer.

Both of her parents passed away by the time Edmonia was nine years old. Afterward, aunts raised her and her older half-brother. But while family life came with much tragedy, Edmonia experienced some financial fortune through her half-brother. He ventured to California during the Gold Rush, where he struck gold and became wealthy.

Her half-brother used part of his wealth to fund Edmonia’s education. He paid for her to attend Oberlin Academy Preparatory School and then Oberlin Collegiate Institute (now Oberlin College). But she experienced much turmoil in college. She was accused of poisoning two classmates, and while the charges would be dismissed, Edmonia was beaten nearly to death by locals. About a year later, Edmonia was accused of stealing from the college – a charge ultimately dismissed. And then came another accusation, aiding and abetting a burglary. With that, Edmonia decided to leave college without graduating.

Edmonia moved to Boston, where she began working in sculpting. While her talents came with some recognition, opportunities were sparse. In her words, “I was practically driven to Rome in order to obtain the opportunities for art-culture, and to find a social atmosphere where I was not constantly reminded of my color. The land of liberty had no room for a colored sculptor.”

Edmonia settled in Rome and opened a studio. She worked, and with time her art, which often portrayed Native American and African American themes, became well-renowned. Of all her pieces, “Forever Free,” a sculpture of an African American woman and a man with broken chains, arguably became her most famous piece. And as her work became prominent, Edmonia herself found much fanfare. People, including numerous celebrities, visited her studio from all over the world.

Edmonia cared deeply for art. She dedicated much of her adult life to work, never marrying or having children. She passed away in London in 1907.

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Sources are available on original post at Historical Snapshots.

The short story of Anne Sullivan, who after overcoming much hardship in her early years, became a teacher, governess and friend to Helen Keller.

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Sources are on original post at Historical Snapshots. Source for episode photo: Popular Science Monthly Volume 63 - Wikimedia Commons.