Edward May's Strange Monster

This 2014 episode covers transgender activist Sylvia Rivera. She became famous, in part, for participating in the Stonewall riots, and she spent her life campaigning bravely, stridently and vocally for the rights of gay and transgender people.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

28 Jun 28min

Rosina Bulwer-Lytton week generates discussion of her relationship with Edward, including many people who sided with him over the years despite allegations of abuse and infidelity. Tracy and Holly also discuss the couple’s daughter’s death. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

27 Jun 18min

Once Rosina Bulwer-Lytton and her husband Edward separated, his life seemed to become more and more successful while she struggled with finances. The estranged couple then spent years battling very publicly until Edward had Rosina committed. Research: “A Scene at the Hertfordshire Election.” The Tiverton Gazette. 6/29/1858. https://www.newspapers.com/image/803824054/ Blain, Virginia. “Rosina Bulwer Lytton and the Rage of the Unheard.” Huntington Library Quarterly , Summer, 1990, Vol. 53, No. 3. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3817439 Brown, Andrew. "Lytton, Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer [formerly Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer], first Baron Lytton (1803–1873), writer and politician." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. September 23, 2004. Oxford University Press. Date of access 4 Jun. 2025, https://www-oxforddnb-com.proxy.bostonathenaeum.org/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-17314 Bulwer-Lytton, Rosina. “Lady Bulwer Lytton's Appeal to the Justice and Charity of the English Public.” By and For the Author. 1857. Devey, Louisa, editor. “Letters of the late Edward Bulwer, lord Lytton, to his wife.” New York : G. W. Dillingham. 1889. Devey, Louisa. “Life of Rosina, Lady Lytton: With Numerous Extracts from Her Ms. Autobiography and Other Original Documents.” London, Swan Sonnschein, Lowery & Co. 1887. Flynn, Michael J. “Dickens, Rosina Bulwer Lytton, and the ‘Guilt’ of Literature and Art.” Dickens Quarterly, March 2012, Vol. 29, No. 1 (March 2012). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/45292582 King, Cornelia. “Getting Even: The Mighty Pen of Lady Bulwer Lytton.” The Library Company of Philadelphia. 5/10/2022. https://librarycompany.org/2022/05/10/getting-even/ Latané, D.E. “Edward Bulwer Lytton’s committal of his wife Rosina to a private mental asylum in 1858.” Victorian Web. https://victorianweb.org/authors/bulwer/latane.html McFadden, Margaret. “Anna Doyle Wheeler (1785-1848): Philosopher, Socialist, Feminist.” Hypatia, vol. 4, no. 1, 1989, pp. 91–101. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/3809936. Accessed 3 June 2025. Mulvey-Roberts, Marie. "Fame, notoriety and madness: Edward Bulwer-Lytton paying the price of greatness." Critical Survey, vol. 13, no. 2, May 2001, pp. 115+. Gale Literature Resource Center, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A80191856/LitRC?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-LitRC&xid=2669a158. Accessed 27 May 2025. Mulvey-Roberts, Marie. "Lytton, Rosina Anne Doyle Bulwer [née Rosina Anne Doyle Wheeler], Lady Lytton (1802–1882), novelist." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. October 08, 2009. Oxford University Press. Date of access 28 May. 2025, https://www-oxforddnb-com.proxy.bostonathenaeum.org/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-17316 Mulvey-Roberts, Marie. “‘The Very Worst Woman I Ever Heard of’: Rosina Bulwer Lytton and Biography as Vindication.” Women's Writing, 25:2, 253-267, DOI: 10.1080/09699082.2017.1387338 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

25 Jun 41min

After a difficult childhood, Rosina Bulwer-Lytton landed in a marriage that quickly turned chaotic and stressful, and then became abusive. Part one covers the period of her life up to their separation. Research: “A Scene at the Hertfordshire Election.” The Tiverton Gazette. 6/29/1858. https://www.newspapers.com/image/803824054/ Blain, Virginia. “Rosina Bulwer Lytton and the Rage of the Unheard.” Huntington Library Quarterly , Summer, 1990, Vol. 53, No. 3. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3817439 Brown, Andrew. "Lytton, Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer [formerly Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer], first Baron Lytton (1803–1873), writer and politician." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. September 23, 2004. Oxford University Press. Date of access 4 Jun. 2025, https://www-oxforddnb-com.proxy.bostonathenaeum.org/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-17314 Bulwer-Lytton, Rosina. “Lady Bulwer Lytton's Appeal to the Justice and Charity of the English Public.” By and For the Author. 1857. Devey, Louisa, editor. “Letters of the late Edward Bulwer, lord Lytton, to his wife.” New York : G. W. Dillingham. 1889. Devey, Louisa. “Life of Rosina, Lady Lytton: With Numerous Extracts from Her Ms. Autobiography and Other Original Documents.” London, Swan Sonnschein, Lowery & Co. 1887. Flynn, Michael J. “Dickens, Rosina Bulwer Lytton, and the ‘Guilt’ of Literature and Art.” Dickens Quarterly, March 2012, Vol. 29, No. 1 (March 2012). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/45292582 King, Cornelia. “Getting Even: The Mighty Pen of Lady Bulwer Lytton.” The Library Company of Philadelphia. 5/10/2022. https://librarycompany.org/2022/05/10/getting-even/ Latané, D.E. “Edward Bulwer Lytton’s committal of his wife Rosina to a private mental asylum in 1858.” Victorian Web. https://victorianweb.org/authors/bulwer/latane.html McFadden, Margaret. “Anna Doyle Wheeler (1785-1848): Philosopher, Socialist, Feminist.” Hypatia, vol. 4, no. 1, 1989, pp. 91–101. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/3809936. Accessed 3 June 2025. Mulvey-Roberts, Marie. "Fame, notoriety and madness: Edward Bulwer-Lytton paying the price of greatness." Critical Survey, vol. 13, no. 2, May 2001, pp. 115+. Gale Literature Resource Center, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A80191856/LitRC?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-LitRC&xid=2669a158. Accessed 27 May 2025. Mulvey-Roberts, Marie. "Lytton, Rosina Anne Doyle Bulwer [née Rosina Anne Doyle Wheeler], Lady Lytton (1802–1882), novelist." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. October 08, 2009. Oxford University Press. Date of access 28 May. 2025, https://www-oxforddnb-com.proxy.bostonathenaeum.org/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-17316 Mulvey-Roberts, Marie. “‘The Very Worst Woman I Ever Heard of’: Rosina Bulwer Lytton and Biography as Vindication.” Women's Writing, 25:2, 253-267, DOI: 10.1080/09699082.2017.1387338 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

23 Jun 36min

This 2017 episode covers Theodosia Burr Alston, Aaron Burr's incredibly smart and well educated daughter. She vanished without a trace as an adult, and her ultimate fate is still a matter of debate.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

21 Jun 34min

Tracy and Holly share experiences of having their hearts monitored using EKG technology. They also talk about whether or not Albert Bierstadt had any natural talent. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

20 Jun 28min

Albert Bierstadt’s story runs counter to the romanticized idea of a passionate starving artist. He was strategic in his career, selecting imagery that he knew would appeal to U.S. audiences, and monetizing his art outside of selling paintings. Research: Appman, Sarah Bean. “How One Building Turned Greenwich Village Into an Artists’ Mecca.” Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation. August 6, 2019. https://www.villagepreservation.org/2019/08/06/how-one-building-turned-greenwich-village-into-an-artists-mecca/ “Albert Bierstadt Dead.” Indianapolis News. Feb. 19, 1902. https://www.newspapers.com/image/37784929/?match=1&terms=Albert%20Bierstadt Avery, Kevin J. “Hudson River School.” The Met. Oct. 1, 2004. https://www.metmuseum.org/essays/the-hudson-river-school “Bierstadt Painting Surfaces After 100 Years.” Greenville News. June 7, 1990. https://www.newspapers.com/image/192068392/?match=1&terms=Albert%20Bierstadt%20Lucerne “Dealer Gets Bargain on Lost Art.” The News Tribune. Oct. 14, 1990. https://www.newspapers.com/image/738127494/?match=1&terms=Albert%20Bierstadt%20Lucerne The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Düsseldorf school". Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Mar. 2016, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Dusseldorf-school “Fine Paintings.” Boston Evening Transcript. May 26, 1857. https://www.newspapers.com/image/734940677/?match=1&terms=Albert%20Bierstadt Hassrick, Peter H., et al. “Albert Bierstadt: Witness to a Changing West.” University of Oklahoma Press. 2018. “Jan. 7, 1830, Albert Bierstadt was born.” Boston Evening Transcript. Jan. 7, 1902. https://www.newspapers.com/image/735167933/?match=1&terms=Albert%20Bierstadt “Look at This.” Boston Evening Transcript. Dec. 19, 1850. https://www.newspapers.com/image/735037015/?match=1&terms=Albert%20Bierstadt “Meet the artists of the Hudson River School and visit the places in nature that they painted and made famous.” Hudson River School Art Trail. https://www.hudsonriverschool.org/artists “Albert Bierstadt.” The Art Story. https://www.theartstory.org/artist/bierstadt-albert/ “Mission.” National Academy of Design. https://nationalacademy.org/the-academy/about-us Quinn, Karen. “American Landscape Painting: Albert Bierstadt and the American Land.” Museum of Fine Arts Boston. February 13, 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phAETFErwRU&t=9s “Roman Fish Market. Arch of Octavius.” Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. De Young Museum. https://www.famsf.org/artworks/roman-fish-market-arch-of-octavius See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

18 Jun 38min

The first electrocardiograph was invented in 1895. That device looked a lot different from today’s machines, and there are some other contenders for the title of “first.” Research: AlGhatrif, Majd, and Joseph Lindsay. “A brief review: history to understand fundamentals of electrocardiography.” Journal of community hospital internal medicine perspectives vol. 2,1 10.3402/jchimp.v2i1.14383. 30 Apr. 2012, doi:10.3402/jchimp.v2i1.14383 Baldassarre, Antonio et al. “The Role of Electrocardiography in Occupational Medicine, from Einthoven's Invention to the Digital Era of Wearable Devices.” International journal of environmental research and public health vol. 17,14 4975. 10 Jul. 2020, doi:10.3390/ijerph17144975 Browne, Sir Thomas. “Chap. IV: Of Bodies Electrical.” From Pseudodoxia Epidemica. 1672. https://penelope.uchicago.edu/pseudodoxia/pseudo24.html Case Western Reserve. “Cambridge Electrocardiograph, 1920.” https://artsci.case.edu/dittrick/online-exhibits/explore-the-artifacts/cambridge-electrocardiograph-1920/ Fisch, Charles. “Centennial of the string galvanometer and the electrocardiogram.” Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Volume 36, Issue 6, 15 November 2000. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0735109700009761 Friedman, Paul A. “The Electrocardiogram at 100 Years: History and Future.” Circulation. Volume 149, Number 6. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.123.065489. Fye, W. Bruce. “A History of the Origin, Evolution and Impact of Electrocardiography.” The American Journal of Cardiology. Vol. 73, No. 13. 5/15/1994. Goodrich, Joanna. “Forget Electrodes, the First EKG Machine Used Buckets of Saline Solution and Telephone Wire.” IEEE Spectrum. 1/5/2021. https://spectrum.ieee.org/forget-electrodes-the-first-ekg-machine-used-buckets-of-saline-solution-and-telephone-wire Howell, Joel D. “Early Perceptions of the Electrocardiogram: From Arrythmia to Infarction.” Bulletin of the History of Medicine, SPRING 1984, Vol. 58, No. 1. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/44441681 Jenkens, Dean and Dr Stephen Gerred. “A (not so) brief history of electrocardiography.” ECG Library. 2009. https://ecglibrary.com/ecghist.html Macfarlane PW, Kennedy J. Automated ECG Interpretation—A Brief History from High Expectations to Deepest Networks. Hearts. 2021; 2(4):433-448. https://doi.org/10.3390/hearts2040034 Rautaharju, Pentti M. “Eyewitness to history: Landmarks in the development of computerized electrocardiography.” Journal of Electrocardiology 49 (2016) 1 – 6. Rivera-Ruiz, Moises et al. “Einthoven's string galvanometer: the first electrocardiograph.” Texas Heart Institute journal vol. 35,2 (2008): 174-8. Salam, Amar M. “The Invention of Electrocardiography Machine.” HeartViews. 2019 Nov 14;20(4):181–183. doi: 10.4103/HEARTVIEWS.HEARTVIEWS_102_19. Vincent, Rony. “From a laboratory to the wearables: a review on history and evolution of electrocardiogram.” Iberoamerican Journal of Medicine, vol. 4, núm. 4, pp. 248-255, 2022. https://www.redalyc.org/journal/6920/692072548011/html/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

16 Jun 37min