Dirty Sexy History

Illegitimate children come up a lot in historical fiction, but how common was illegitimate birth, and what was life really like for these people? This week, we talk to Dr Kate Gibson about her new book: Illegitimacy, Family, and Stigma in England, 1660-1834.

Discover the horrific treatments and experiences of women in 19th-century mental institutions, as explained by guest Elizabeth Packard and Nellie Bly. They fought against labeling women as insane and shed light on abusive conditions. Learn about the reasons for women's admission, including activities like reading novels, and the role of gaslighting in society.

Gender has been a hot-button issue for years, but the very concept only goes back to the 1950s. In this episode, we talk to Berkeley history professor Dr Sandra Eder about how the idea of gender developed from the treatment of children born with intersex traits in the first half of the 20th century.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Carmel-by-the-Sea was an idyllic artists’ colony in Northern California. At the center of the excitement was “King of the Bohemians” George Sterling and his wife, Carrie. But all was not as sunny as it seemed. When George’s secret lover, poet Nora May French, came to Carmel, it set the three on a collision course that would end in suicide by cyanide—three of them. But what really happened? This week, we talk to Dr Catherine Prendergast about her new book, The Gilded Edge: Two Audacious Women and the Cyanide Love Triangle that Shook America

Explore the history of the Women's House of Detention in NYC's Greenwich Village, its impact on the queer community, and the prison's horrific conditions. Learn about the American plan's injustice towards women, including non-consensual testing and toxic treatments. Discover the life of Mabel Hampton, a black lesbian activist, and her contributions to the queer community. Uncover the close proximity of the Women's House of Detention to the Stonewall Inn and the participation of incarcerated individuals in the Stonewall uprising.

We constantly hear that trans and gender-nonconforming identities are a strictly modern concept. But are they? In this episode, we talk to historian Dr Kit Heyam about gender nonconformity in world history and how definitions and experiences of gender vary between time periods and cultures. Dr Heyam is the author of Before We Were Trans: A New History of Gender, which is out now

Everyone loves Our Flag Means Death, but who was the real Stede Bonnet, and what exactly was going on between him and Blackbeard? On this week’s show, we talk to Stede’s biographer Jeremy Moss about this, plus libraries on ships, walking the plank, and what makes a good pirate flag

Violet Fenn returns to the podcast to talk about Lady Hamilton, Harriet Wilson, portable chamber pots, and the dateability of Regency dukes

In this great interview with Dr. Lindsey Fitzharris, we discuss pioneering plastic surgeon Dr. Harold Gillies, his brave patients, and the multitalented medical heroes who made his work possible. You’ll never look at WWI quite the same way again.

From hot pink and fetish gear to fake eyelashes, tattoos, and nipple piercings, this week we’re talking about some surprisingly “modern” fashion and beauty trends of the 19th century. What did the Victorians wear apart from all that black? We can’t wait to tell you