This weeks Illustrated Woman in History was drawn by Lily Grace Stewart (age 6) and submitted to be a part of the next Illustrated Women in History zine and exhibition in April 2017. Mary Eliza Mahoney was the first black professional nurse in the U.S. She co-founded the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses (NACGN), …
Lorraine Hansberry was an American playwright, civil rights activist and writer. Her groundbreaking play, A Raisin In The Sun was the first to be performed on Broadway written by a black woman and performed by a black cast. Hansberry was born in 1930 in Chicago, Illinois to politically active parents. Eight years later, after her …
Mabel Hampton was an African-American lesbian activist, a dancer during the Harlem Renaissance, a founding member of the Lesbian Herstory Archive and a philanthropist for both black and LGBT organisations. Hampton was born in 1902 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She was brought up by her grandmother following the death of her mother at the age …
Ruth Ellis was an African-American LGBT civil rights activist who became the oldest known American lesbian when reaching the age of 101. Ellis was born in 1899 in Springfield, Illinois. Her parents had been born in the last years of slavery, and her father would become the first African-American mail carrier in Illinois. Ellis and …
Gladys Bentley was an American blues singer, pianist, entertainer and lesbian icon during the Harlem Renaissance. She became one of the best known and financially successful black women in the U.S. during the 1920s and 1930s for the pioneering way she dealt with gender, sexuality, class and race in her act. Bentley was born in …
This weeks Illustrated Woman in History was written by Hollie Peck Real name Diana Mary Fluck, Diana Dors was a well-loved actress and TV personality. The blonde-bombshell was often dubbed Britain’s own Marilyn Monroe. Born 23rd October 1931 at The Haven Nursing Home in Swindon, she soon outgrew her hometown enrolling at London Academy of Music …
Carl Donnelly & Illustrated Women in History, James Thomas – BBC Wiltshire I was lucky enough to be asked to talk about the upcoming Illustrated Women in History exhibition on BBC Wiltshire yesterday! You can listen using the link above.
Tove Jansson was a Swedish-speaking Finnish novelist, painter, illustrator and comic strip author best known as the creator of the Moomins. She received the Hans Christian Andersen Medal in 1966 for her writing. Jansson was born in 1914 in Helsinki, Grand Duchy of Finland which was then an autonomous part of the Russian Empire. Her …
This weeks Illustrated Woman in History was illustrated by Alexandra McCarthy and the biography was written by Chris Morris. It is featured in the second issue of the Illustrated Women in History zine. Boudica was a queen of the Iceni tribe. She led a short yet brutal uprising against the Roman Empire occupying Britain. Boudica’s …
Carrie Fisher: A Tribute “When someone famous dies, no matter how well you feel you know them, it’s near impossible to do justice to their memory. You might’ve seen every Star Wars movie a hundred times over; you might’ve memorised Carrie’s lines in When Harry Met Sally; Carrie’s characters might feel like old friends. Nonetheless, …