35. Claim to Flame: Edmonia "Wildfire" Lewis and her Harem Scarem

History is Gay

In this episode of History is Gay Leigh and guest host Amanda Helton discuss Mary Edmonia “Wildfire” Lewis, the first internationally recognized African American and indigenous artist in the United States. Join us while we ponder how exactly a literal 2-ton sculpture goes missing, discuss the merits of lesbian drama in 1800s Rome, and did you know that blister beetles have been used as aphrodisiacs for centuries? Yeah... neither did we….

Our wonderful guest host for this episode, Amanda Helton, can be found at www.amandahelton.com or @oryxbesia on Instagram. You can also hear Amanda in our episode on Michelangelo!

Outline0:00 – Introduction7:18 – Socio-Historical Context20:58 – Who were they? Bio Time25:06 – 26:18 — Content warning: racial violence30:29 – Fun Segment: Word of the Week58:27 – Why do we think they're gay? 1:22:52 – Main Takeaways and Final Conclusions1:27:51 – How Gay were They?1:30:53 – Closing and Where to Find us OnlineWe want to hear from YOU! Please fill out our first-ever History is Gay Listener Survey! We want to hear from YOU and your thoughts about the show! What do you like? What do you dislike? What do you want us to know? Go to www.historyisgaypodcast.com/survey to fill it out, and if you enter your email, you might win a free HIG tee!

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