Victoria Woodhull was the first woman to address a Congressional Committee and the first woman to run for president. She and her sister were known as spiritualists as well as being the first women to own a newspaper and a stock brokerage. But Victoria Woodhull’s most notorious reputation was her advocacy for free love. Thomas
Beecher-Tilton Scandal: Part 2
She Said – He Said – She Said Unable to ignore the public scandal surrounding allegations of an affair between himself and Mrs. Elizabeth Tilton, Reverend Henry Ward Beecher requested Plymouth Church to appoint a committee to investigate the charges. With reporters in attendance, committee members began gathering evidence on June 27, 1874. On July
Beecher-Tilton Scandal: Part 1
Illustration at left stresses Henry Ward Beecher’s hypocrisy in his relationship with Elizabeth Tilton. Center drawing of Mrs. Tilton seated in Beecher’s lap; a reference in the bottom left to Beecher and a Mrs. Moulton, and other negative references to Beecher. On May 22, 1871 the New York World printed a letter written by Victoria
Victoria Woodhull: The First Woman to Run for President
Victoria Clafllin Woodhull lived life on her own terms and if her terms were scandalous, all the better. She was the seventh of ten children born to unmarried parents. Her mother, a believer in spiritualism; her father, a some-time lawyer and con man. As a child, Victoria worked as a fortune teller and child preacher,
Mischievous Tanuki
If you’ve been to a Japanese restaurant, you may have encountered this rascal outside the door. Known as a Tanuki this mythical creature is derived from the actual Japanese Raccoon Dog, Nyctereutes viverrinus, which is endemic to Japan. Tanuki are related to foxes, wolves, and domestic dogs, but not to actual raccoons. Mythological Tanuki have
The Sewing Machine Revolutionized Stitchery
The sewing machine, beloved by stitching hobbyists and home fashionistas, was invented by French tailor Barthelemy Thimonnier. In 1830 he patented a mechanical device that could produce a simple chain stitch that would allow uniforms for the French army to be mass produced, rather than sewn by hand. Thimonnier’s innovation was not well-received. Realizing mechanized
Aphra Behn: Restoration Playwright
In 1929 Virginia Woolf published A Room of One’s Own in which she argued that if a woman is going to write fiction, she must have money and a room of her own. Woolf developed her theme by looking at female writers in history, many of whom did not publish their writings. In her observations
Lady Mary Wroth & the English Renaissance
When we think of women novelists writing in the English language, Jane Austin is usually the first name that comes to mind. It’s fair to say the Jane Austin was the first to have a popular impact, but the first female author writing in English was Mary Wroth (1587-1653). Jane Austin’s work came out 200
More Mysteries: Dark, Cozy, & Curious
I kicked off this year’s Summer Reads with murder mysteries set in Yorkshire, so perhaps it’s fitting to end the series with a darker story set in the same locale. Grimm Up North by David J. Gatward Grimm Up North: A Yorkshire Murder Mystery is the first volume in the DCI Harry Grimm crime novels.
An 18th Century Formal Dinner
Over the past two weeks, we’ve dressed a lady and a gentleman in 18th century clothing, so it seems only fair that we give these fashionable people a destination. In this case, they are attending a formal dinner. Table manners were different in the 18th century. As you may have observed from Jane Austin dramas,
