Madame Restell: the abortionist who shocked and fascinated 19th-century New York
HistoryExtra podcast
03/16/23
•36m
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In the 19th century, one businesswoman shocked, horrified and fascinated New York society more than any other. Madame Restell was a celebrity and self-made millionaire known for her diamonds and love of oyster breakfasts. How did she make this fortune? By selling birth control pills and abortions from her Fifth Avenue Brownstone boarding house. Jennifer Wright tells Ellie Cawthorne about what Restell’s story can reveal about attitudes towards abortion, motherhood and the role of women in American society at the time.
(Ad) Jennifer Wright is the author of Madame Restell: The Life, Death, and Resurrection of Old New York’s Most Fabulous, Fearless, and Infamous Abortionist (Hachette, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-histboty&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FMadame-Restell-Resurrection-Fabulous-Abortionist%2Fdp%2F0306826798
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Medieval manuscripts: an enduring obsession
March 15, 2023
•37m
For centuries, people have been dazzled by the illuminated manuscripts of the Middle Ages. But how much do we know about the countless makers, collectors and connoisseurs who took care of them behind the scenes? Speaking with Emily Briffett, Christopher de Hamel introduces some of these extraordinary people – from a Norman monk and a Florentine bookseller to a rabbi from central Europe, a Greek forger and an American woman with a spectacular library.
(Ad) Christopher de Hamel is the author The Posthumous Papers of the Manuscripts Club (Penguin, 2022). Buy it now from Waterstones:
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Next Episode
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March 17, 2023
•28m
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Read a feature by Bryce Evans on British Restaurants here: https://www.historyextra.com/period/second-world-war/british-restaurants-ww2-rationing-canteens/
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