Museum of Femininity

In this episode we explore the dangerous lives of 3 incredible women who performed in the circus in the early 20th century. They are; trapeze artist Lilian Leizel, Wild cat performer Mabel Stark and world renowned equestrian May Wirth. Each of these women dominated their art form and garnered fame and respect in a period in history where there were few freedoms for women. 

Images
Instagram @themuseumoffemininty 

Sources 
https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2020/07/100-years-ago-the-women-who-ran-off-with-the-circus/
https://www.circusesandsideshows.com/performers/lillianleitzel.html
http://www.circopedia.org/May_Wirth
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/23/obituaries/mabel-stark-overlooked.html

In this episode we discuss the lives of three incredible artists; Berthe Morisot (1841-1895), Mary Cassatt (1844-1926) and Marie Bracquemond (1840-1916) who together made up the "les trois grandes dames" of impressionism.

We will take you through the story of the impressionist movement from the inaugural exhibition in 1874 up to the final show in 1886, exploring how women contributed to some of these exhibitions and the movement as a whole. In addition, to learning about their backgrounds and career developments, we will also examine their choice of subject matter and techniques, questioning what this can tell us about attitudes towards women in the 19th century and how this evolved over time. 

The lives of Cassatt, Morisot and Bracquemond are inspiring with great triumphs but also moments of frustration and sorrow. They are each so different and distinct in their styles, but with some overlapping experiences, which are fascinating to unpack. 
They truly deserve to be held up in high esteem as some of the greatest and most significant artists in the Western cannon.

Images  follow us @themuseumoffemininity on Instagram

Sources
The Story of Art without Men by Katy Hessel
The art of the Impressionists by Janice Anderson
https://www.marycassatt.org/biography.html
https://www.americanheritage.com/mary-cassatt
https://www.biography.com/artists/mary-cassatt
https://philamuseum.org/collection/object/104447
https://www.christies.com/en/stories/10-things-to-know-about-berthe-morisot-8c5e46a6c16e417c902cf1f3e9054d23
https://francetoday.com/culture/art_and_design/berthe-morisot-and-edouard-manet/
https://francetoday.com/culture/art_and_design/berthe-morisot-and-edouard-manet/
https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/art-and-design/visual-art/the-last-manet-julie-manet-was-the-living-legacy-of-impressionism-1.4722755
https://www.theartstory.org/artist/bracquemond-marie/
https://thewomangallery.com/marie-bracquemond-1840-1916/
https://www.artandobject.com/articles/marie-bracquemond-most-important-impressionist-youve-never-heard

Music credit Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/theo-gerard/impressionist
License code: TOW5RQSJZLCAZRS6

In this episode we explore the role of women in the 1381 Peasants Revolt  in England, from rebels to hapless victims, alongside the timeline of events during this important part of British history, which arguably became the blue print for all civilian uprisings from then on.

Images Instagram @themuseumoffemininity

Sources

Normal Women by Philippa Gregory
https://www.worldhistory.org/Peasants'_Revolt/
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/story-of-england/medieval/
The Imaginary Society: Women in 1381, Sylvia Federico, Journal of British Studies, Vol. 40, No. 2 (Apr., 2001), pp. 159-183 

In this episode we delve into the real life of Maria Von Trapp (1905-1987) and the Trapp family singers. Here we see the story of a determined and bright young woman born into difficult circumstances, go from aspiring nun, to beloved governess, wife, member of a successful touring and recording band and then fictionalised character immortalised on the silver screen.  As well as this we will compare the true story with the Broadway and Film musical 'the Sound of Music'. 

Images - Instagram @themuseumoffemininty 

Sources 
https://www.womansworld.com/posts/entertainment/maria-von-trapp-cameo-166676
https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2005/winter/von-trapps-html#:~:text=While%20Maria%20was%20grateful%20that,1978)%2C%20she%20wasn't
https://archive.org/search?query=the+sound+of+music
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_von_Trapp

In this episode we explore the history of the Matchstick Women strike in 1888, which saw 1400 women walk out of the Bryant & May factory, in protest against their treatment. This included poor pay, a highly unreasonable fining system which penalised women for taking breaks, and the lack of support around preventing and supporting women who were inflicted with the deadly disease 'Phossy jaw' which was caused by inhaling toxic particles in the factory. 
We hope to shine a light on the impact of socialite and campaigners article on Bryant and May, as well as exploring the role the workers played themselves, which in past years has been overshadowed. 

Images 
Instagram - @themuseumoffemininty 

Sources
https://www.historyextra.com/period/victorian/match-girls-strike-1888-east-end-victorian-women-cause/
https://www.bradford.ac.uk/news/archive/2018/meet-the-matchstick-women--the-hidden-victims-of-the-industrial-revolution.php
https://www.matchgirls1888.org/sarah-chapman

Welcome back to the Museum of Femininity, in this episode we will be exploring the life and art of photographer and painter Dora Maar.
Dora Maar is perhaps most recognisable for her turbulent affair with Pablo Picasso and for being one of this muses and the subject of his iconic weeping woman series. Although we will be exploring some of this history  of their relationship and the impact the breakup had on Maar's life and mental health, we aim to focus mainly on her artistic achievements. We will explore her experimental approach to photography and particularly photomontages, which were fantastical and filled with atmosphere, as well as her success as a career woman creating innovative beauty adverts during the boom of print media. 
In addition to her remarkable body of work we will also spend some time exploring her persona and fiery passionate nature, which made her such a charismatic person to be around. All in all there is much more to Dora Maar than Picasso, so I hope you enjoy learning more about her life with me. 

Images - Instagram @themuseumoffemininity 
Sources 
Women artists and the surrealist movement by Whitney Chadwick
The Story of Art without Men by Katy Hessel
https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-surrealist-photographer-picassos-muse
https://www.theartstory.org/artist/maar-dora/
https://www.ft.com/content/0ee21c42-05a6-11ea-9afa-d9e2401fa7ca

In todays episode we explore the role women played in Medieval European Society, with a focus on Anglo-Saxon Queens and their political and religious influences, the power and respect bestowed on wise and visionary abbesses and nuns and artists who produced embroidery that was praised throughout Europe. 

Images - Instagram @themuseumoffemininty

Sources 

Femina: A New History of the Middle Ages, Through the Women Written Out of It

Book by Janina Ramirez

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/histories/women-in-history/queen-bertha-historical-enigma/
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/whitby-abbey/history-and-stories/st-hild/
https://www.bl.uk/people/queen-emma
https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Aethelflaed-Lady-of-the-Mercians/
https://www.historyextra.com/period/norman/bayeux-tapestry-where-make-how-long-who-when-stitch-penises-visit/
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Hildegard
https://www.arthistoryproject.com/artists/hildegard-von-bingen/scivias-i3-god-cosmos-and-humanity/

Welcome back to the museum of Femininity. In this episode we will be exploring the life of Helen Keller (1880 - 1968) and American author, activist and lecturer who was also Deafblind. We will be exploring her remarkable life including her prolific body of written work and her achievements in educations, as well as her incredible partnership with teacher Anne Sullivan, who was instrumental in Keller learning to communicate as a child and as an educator who was also visually impaired has an interesting story in her own right. 
In this episode we aim to capture some of Keller's personality and celebrate the barriers she overcame as well as analysing some of the more troubling aspects of her life, particularly around her desire to marry at the age of 36 and the resistance this decision  provoked in her family and loved ones. 
I am not an expert in this subject and much of what I discovered when I was reading for this episode I learnt for the first time. I expect there is much of Helen Keller's story left uncovered so I encourage you to read deeper if this topic interests you.

Images Instagram @themuseumoffemininty

Sources
https://time.com/5918660/helen-keller-disability-history/
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Helen-Keller
https://www.afb.org/about-afb/history/helen-keller/biography-and-chronology/biography
https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/helen-keller-relationships-love-and-identity/18982/#:~:text=In%20June%201916%2C%20when%20she,couple%20made%20plans%20to%20marry.

In this episode we wrap up our marriage series by analysing the tradition of marriage in the Victorian era (1837-1901).
We will explore the role of marriage in society, why people married and if attitudes to marriage evolved as the century progressed. Through examining such traditions we hope to shine light on the lives of women in Victorian society and how they navigated gender norms and expectations.

Instagram @themuseumoffemininity 

Sources
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/story-of-england/victorian/
https://spartacus-educational.com/Wmarriage.htm
https://www.historyextra.com/period/victorian/how-to-celebrate-victorian-wedding-dresses-food-honeymoon/
https://www.brides.com/what-is-a-bridal-trousseau-1860910#:~:text=From%20Victorian%20times%2C%20the%20trousseau,if%20skilled%20with%20a%20needle.

In this mini episode we examine the fascinating story of Boudica (30AD - 61AD) warrior Queen of the Iceni people who led a successful yet blood thirsty campaign against Roman forces who were ruling Britain in this time. 
In addition to the historic events we will also address how Boudica has been portrayed in art and media and how this reflects the culture of the time. 

Instagram @themuseumoffemininty

Sources
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/story-of-england/romans/
https://www.worldhistory.org/Boudicca/
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Boudicca