Dirty Sexy History

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

Shrove Tuesday—Mardi Gras—is now celebrated with pancakes and parades, but in 17th century London, it was another story altogether. For years, local apprentices used the holiday as an excuse to attack sex workers and vandalize brothels. The damage in 1668 was so severe that London’s sex workers petitioned the king’s mistress to help. This week on DSH, we talk about (and attempt to read) The Poor Whores’ Petition of 1668.

In this episode, we cover the tumultuous year Lola spent in Bavaria which resulted in the abdication of Ludwig I. There’s political intrigue, hints of the occult, and some spectacularly dodgy poetry. Check out our Instagram for the photos we mention @dirtysexyhistory

On the anniversary of Claude Duval’s death, Jess talks about the gallows at Tyburn, then covers the life and high-profile hanging of this legendary highwayman. As a bonus, we host special guest Matt Robinson of the paranormal podcast Ghoul Britannia to talk about a historic hotel in England that Claude allegedly haunts

In this week’s episode, Jess covers the life of infamous dancer and courtesan Lola Montez from her tumultuous childhood in India to her earliest doomed love affairs with Franz Liszt, Alexandre Dumas, and Alexandre Henri Dujarier. Montez was said to be Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s inspiration for femme fatale Irene Adler, but her real life was far more interesting

Jess talks to Dr. Charlotte Naylor Davis and Dr. Jeremy Swist about historical themes in Heavy Metal ahead of their online conference, Heavy Metal and Global Premodernity (February 24th - 26th). We touch on race, feminism, inclusivity, and some of the exciting ways modern readers misinterpret classical texts. This week is a little History, a little Media Studies, and a whole lotta Metal. Spotify playlist for this episode: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2jRPfXhpYMqJOh3DL4F9NT?si=077358ac640c40c6 Heavy Metal and Global Premodernity: Conference Info and Registration: https://www.brandeis.edu/classics/heavy-metal-and-global-premodernity/ Dr. Charlotte Naylor Davis: https://www.patreon.com/MetalBiblicalScholar Dr. Jeremy Swist: https://heavymetalclassicist.home.blog/ Conference poster art by Lauren Gornik: https://www.instagram.com/gornikillustration

This week on Dirty Sexy History, Jess talks to Zenobia Neil, author of Ariadne Unraveled. We speculate of the truth behind the myth of the Minotaur and talk sexual fluidity, body positivity, and contraception in the ancient world.

This week on Dirty Sexy History, we look at the extraordinary life of Joseph Boulogne, the Chevalier de Saint-Georges. As a composer, he tutored Marie Antoinette and was so talented that Mozart despised him. An abolitionist and accomplished swordsman, he also led the Legion Saint-Georges, the first all-Black regiment in Europe.

We’ve already established that transgender people have always existed, but gay marriage is new—right? Not so much. This week, we have a brief overview of different kinds of same-sex or gender-nonconforming marriages and other unions in England prior to 1800, with a closer look at some fascinating figures from Jen Manion’s brilliant book, Female Husbands.

In this week’s episode of Dirty Sexy History, Jess talks about the history of cocaine from its uses in medicine to the development of Coca-Cola, and how these were used in sex, pregnancy prevention, and childbirth into the 20th century. Don’t try this at home.