Cleopatra to Jane Austen: Perfumes of Powerful Women
Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society
09/08/23
•53m
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Why did Cleopatra soak the sails of her ship in jasmine? How did Queen Elizabeth smell? And why was perfume an essential tool of power for women across history?
Whilst it’s hard to research the history of something that leaves no physical trace, we actually know a great deal about how some of the most iconic women in history would have smelt.
Joining Kate to evoke these scents and what they stood for is award-winning fragrance journalist Suzy Nightingale.
Here are the perfumes listed in the episode:
Cleopatra: The Merchant of Venice Queen of the Night
Joan of Arc: Histoire de Parfums Encens Roi
Elizabeth I: Frederic Malle Portrait of a Lady
Jane Austen: Commodity Book (Personal strength)
Cora Pearl: Robert Piguet Fracas
This episode is edited by Tom Delargy and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.
Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.
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Previous Episode
Bestiality
September 5, 2023
•39m
When sex between two humans can be many things, how do we define bestiality - that is, sex between a human and a non-human?
Especially when the farming industry relies on certain sex acts on animals - or ‘animal husbandry’ to use the correct term - to function.
These are an uncomfortable but important question, and we’re joined by academic Joanne Bourke, author of Loving Animals: On Bestiality, Zoophilia and Post-Human Love, to discuss these topics and more.
This podcast was edited and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer is Charlotte Long.
If you're enjoying Betwixt the Sheets please vote for us at the British Podcast Awards here: https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting. It would mean the world to us!
Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.
Get 50% off your first 3 months with code BETWIXT. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe.
You can take part in our listener survey here.
Voting is now open for the Listener's Choice Award at this year's Podcast Awards! UK & Ireland listeners please place your vote on the Spotify mobile app here: https://open.spotify.com/s/xhg6PJa
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Next Episode
Victorian London's Hidden Porn Trade
September 12, 2023
•43m
Holywell Street, just off London's Fleet Street, was the hidden epicentre of Victorian pornography.
The Daily Telegraph described it as "the vilest street in the civilised world," so naturally, we wanted to know all of the smutty details.
Joining Kate to take us into this hidden world is Dr. Matthew Green, author of Shadowlands: A Journey Through Lost Britain.
What does this tell us about Victorian society as a whole? What went on upstairs in these shady bookshops? And what were some of the most popular titles of the period? Let's go Betwixt the Sheets to find out.
This episode was edited by Siobhan Dale and producer by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.
Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.
Get 50% off your first 3 months with code BETWIXT. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe.
You can take part in our listener survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK
Voting is now open for the Listener's Choice Award at this year's Podcast Awards! UK & Ireland listeners please place your vote on the Spotify mobile app here: https://open.spotify.com/s/xhg6PJa
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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