Museum of Femininity

Spotify link to episode https://open.spotify.com/show/6K0HqpO1z56qXAK92HoJbk?si=qcelX2uLSI60QkTfQKE8zw

Apple link to episode
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/museum-of-femininity/id

196w

In this episode we look back at the life of Ellen Terry (1847-1928) who was a famous and much loved stage actress, known for starring in Shakespearean Plays and popular modern comedies

Her career spanned many decades and is perhaps best remembered for her professional relationship with Henry Irving at the Lyceum Theatre. In addition to her opulent Jubilee celebration in 1906, which was 6 hours in length! 

In addition to celebrating Terry's career we also delve into her interesting personal life, which can shine a light on the way women in this professional were viewed and how Ellen was consistently set a part from other women. She was married 3 times, had children out of wedlock and had many unusual romantic affairs. Here we cover her first marriage to artist George Frederic Watts who was 30 years her senior, while she was merely 16 and her last marriage at 60 to a man 30 years her junior. Indeed Terry lived a very unconventional life but was extremely hardworking and hugely talented as well as a warm and passionate person and excellent friend. This is something we can see through her paper courtship with playwright George Bernard Shaw. 

All in all Terry's life is peppered with fascinating relationships, career highs, personal breaks, moments of quiet living and then many periods of adventure and travel. Today she is immortalised through Blue Plaques and startlingly memorable portraits which you can still visit today. 

To view photos and paintings mentioned in this episode please visit our Instagram page @themuseumoffemininity

Sources 

https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw06269/Ellen-Terry-Choosing

https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/sargent-ellen-terry-as-lady-macbeth-n02053

https://www.harpenden-history.org.uk/harpenden-history/people-2/writers-entertainers/ellen_terry_1847-1928

https://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/display/2008/dame-ellen-terry-1847-1928

https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/set/126/Ellen+Terry+Jubilee+Souvenir+by+Window+%26+Grove

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ellen-Terry

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/blue-plaques/ellen-terry/

In Part 2 of Lee Miller's story we explore this remarkable woman's life as a war correspondent, wife, mother and gourmet chief.

She was a truly inspiring and fascinating individual full of creativity, passion and complexity. 

I hope you enjoy this episode!

For images please visit @themuseumoffeminity on Instagram

Please also find our sources for this episode below

The Lives of Lee Miller by Anthony Penrose

Lee Miller Archives https://www.leemiller.co.uk/artists/lee-miller/

https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/lee-millers-second-world-war

In this episode we explore the fascinating lives of three important female artists who were key members of the Impressionist movement in the late 19th century. 

Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt and Marie Bracquemond 

I was deeply moved by the stories of these women, their creativity and resilience and their incredible legacies. I hope you enjoy exploring their lives with me. 

This is a re-upload due to past episodes being lost as a result of this it may take me some time to restore the list of sources I used in this episode. I will be more careful in future to keep a record of this outside the episode description! 

In this episode we delve into the early years of Lee Miller (1907-1977), fashion model and photographer who captured everything from the latest fashion for Vogue magazine up to the harrowing realities of World War 2. Here we will explore her beginnings in fashion as well as her exploration of photography and association with the Surrealist art movement and in particular her mentor and collaborator Man Ray.

Images Instagram @themuseumoffemininity 

Sources

The story of Art without Men by Katy Hessel 

The Lives of Lee Miller by Anthony Penrose

Lee Miller archive https://www.leemiller.co.uk/artists/lee-miller/ 

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