THE ENGLISH HERITAGE PODCAST
Every object has a story to tell.
But how can one mystery item lead us on a journey through history, people and places?
In the English Heritage podcast, comedian and writer Amy Matthews brings you entertaining tales from unexpected places. Each week, we begin with a mystery item and with the help of English Heritage experts and special guests, Amy explores what our past can tell us about our present and perhaps our future.
‘Dollar princesses’ or influential heiresses? A new perspective on Sargent’s American portraits
In the late 19th and early 20th century, glamorous, exciting and often very wealthy American women mingled with the British aristocracy and set the gossip pages alight with rumours of engagements. But alongside this fascination, anti-American sentiment and xenophobia saw them dismissed them as mere ‘dollar princesses’ trading cash for coronets.
This label endured long beyond its time, until historians began to explore the incredible legacies of these women. This summer, a new exhibition at Kenwood in London has brought together Sargent’s paintings of these women and highlighted their power, influence and achievements.
In this episode, Amy Matthews heads to Kenwood meet Dr Wendy Monkhouse and Ella Letort, for a very special tour of Sargent’s magnificent heiresses.
Listen HereFrom the archive: episodes we’re revisiting this month
This month, we're celebrating travel, tourism and leisure time with episodes from the archive to inspire you to get out and about this summer.
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Episode 174 - A history of the Great British seaside resort
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Episode 175 – Georgian garden tourists: a potted history of visiting gardens
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Episode 111 - The lawn games and sports played at our historic sites
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Episode 196 - The remarkable life and legacy of naturalist and explorer Alfred Russel Wallace
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Episode 66 - Voices of England: How the railways shaped the nation
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Episode 219 - The Ridgeway: a walk through time along England's oldest road
All Episodes
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If you would like to access any of our episodes in a written format, please email podcast@english-heritage.org.uk to make a request.
Speaking with shadows
When you’re wandering about a historic place, what voices do you hear echoing off the walls? Are they the ones you learnt about at school – or do you wonder about the shadowy, quiet voices that may have gone unheard?
Travel from 17th-century Northamptonshire, where we hear about the heroic servant who may have become Britain’s first black pub landlord, to wartime Essex, where Polish special forces soldiers trained in secrecy for life or death missions to their homeland.
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