Getting to know Lady Hamilton: Movie and NYC exhibit

Emma, Lady Hamilton. By Elizabeth Vigee-Lebrun

Emma, Lady Hamilton, was a contemporary of Georgiana, The Duchess of Devonshire. Georgiana knew and liked Lady Hamilton.

If you like Lady Hamilton, or want to learn more about her, there is currently an exhibit at a book club in New York city. More info about “The Enchantress: Emma, Lady Hamilton”, at the Grolier Club until April 30, 2011, can be found at their link, and at the “read more” below.

I have become fascinated with Lady Hamilton party because of the movie “That Hamilton Woman”, with Vivien Leigh as Lady Hamilton, and with Leigh’s then husband, Laurence Olivier, as Lord Horatio Nelson. The movie is exquisite.

My favorite part of the movie is the way it explores the relationships between men and women, caught in a sexist society, where divorce is more of a shame than affairs, courtesans, or cruelty. And, I love the line uttered by the character of Lord Nelson, “That’s the way people look at these things. They do not believe in a friendship between a man and a woman.” I think that the tension that occurs — partly by nature, partly by a skeptical, sexist society — when a man and a woman try to be friends or colleagues is a large part of the energy that keeps women from succeeding in business, or fairly taking part in governing.

For an excellent review of the Grolier Club exhibit, see the Scandalous Women article: here. A quick biography of Emma, Lady Hamilton can be found at one of my favorite history blogs, The Duchess of Devonshire’s Gossip Guide to the 18th Century: here.

Info on the exhibit:

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Austen vs. Brontes (and Esther vs. Vashti)

Since I enjoy Jane Eyre in all forms, so much, I have an e-mail news alert for “Jane Eyre”. Found this interesting article on a blog devoted to discussion among Jewish women. The full post is: here.

(excerpt from) The Jewish Daily Forward/the sisterhood
Esther vs. Vashti, Austen vs. Brontës
By Sarah Seltzer

As I prepared for the beginning of the perennial Purim question of “Esther vs. Vashti” at the same time as I delved into Jane Eyre-mania, I began to think about how women are always pushed into dichotomies. I wondered cynically how soon someone would write about the new Brontë films by declaring Jane Austen passé…

It always seems to me that when it comes to women who take different paths there’s a meme out there that there’s only room for one. Virgin or whore, Esther or Vashti, Austen or Brontë. Yes, the two most famous Brontë sisters, Charlotte and Emily, and Jane Austen took divergent approaches to writing about the “woman question.” Austen was sort of an Esther, using her brilliant wit to dazzle readers but containing steely critique of the system under her perfect prose, while the Brontës, Vashti-like , seethe with rage at women’s unfortunate lot and churn with a desperate desire for escape…

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Can Male Hatters be feminists?: Reflections on Alice in Wonderland

Can Male Hatters be feminists?

Five things that critics got wrong about Alice in Wonderland,
and one critic who is on the right track.

This piece is actually a critique of the critiques of the movie Alice in Wonderland, book by Lewis Carroll, screenplay by Linda Woolverton, and direction by Tim Burton. Overall, I thought the movie was enjoyable, imaginative and enlightening. I was also surprised to find some moments of heartfelt feminism.

In looking over the reviews of the movie on line, I found a surprising lack of understanding, and some dismissive negativity, about the movie. Much—but not all—of the response was related to the issue of feminism in the film.

Here are five things that most critics got wrong about the Linda Woolverton and Tim Burton version of Alice in Wonderland: (Note, this piece is heavy on plot-spoilers. Don’t read it if you want to watch the movie and be surprised.)

1. The litmus test for feminism is not the female star.

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Modern women: Fashion model skinny debate

This is about a modern debate. Models are expected to be so skinny. So, the fashion industry tends to use models 16-years-old and under. So, they are considering rules (they now have some loose policies that are not working) about how and how much to use models under 18 years old. Interesting in a Lady Georgiana Spencer perspective. Because, Georgiana, too, was exploited for her beauty at a young age. For Georgiana, it was about being an elegant wife, and a young and talented beauty who was expected could give birth to an heir.

As New York Fashion Week rolls out runway, too-skinny model debate turns to age
By Samantha Critchell, AP / February 10th, 2010

Would older models quell too-skinny debate?

NEW YORK — The models auditioning for New York Fashion Week were undeniably thin. But it was only after the fashion industry started worrying about too-skinny models that casting agent James Scully began asking their age.

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Report from women in politics/Feminist Initiative event

“The Feminist Initiative” A film and panel event at the Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington, New York, USA. A documentary about the formation of a feminist party in Sweden: Feminist Initiative.

Speaker: Lina Olsson of Feminist Initiative. Moderator: Charlotte Koons of the NYCLU. Panelists: Hedda Marcus, Professor of English, Women’s Studies and Multidisciplinary Studies at Nassau Community College; Kimberly Wilder of Georgiana Circle; Andrea Callan, Executive Director of the NYCLU Suffolk Chapter. Thanks to Charlotte Sky for organizing the event. Videographer of the Huntington event: Kimberly Wilder.

The movie is “The Feminist Initiative” by director Liz Weisberg. It tells the story of a diverse group of women working to establish the world’s first feminist political party in Sweden in the spring of 2005. Currently, the Feminist Initiative party is campaigning for the European Parliament Elections in June 2009. The website for the group is: http://www.feministisktinitiativ.se They also have a Facebook group.

Andrea Callan, Hedda Marcus, Lina Olsson, Kimberly Wilder, Charlotte Koons

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Women in Politics: a film event in Long Island, NY

The Feminist Initiative film and discussion
last in the series…
Women’s Herstory Across the Globe

The Feminist Initiative
Sunday, April 26 at 2pm
Cinema Arts Centre
www.cinemaartscentre.org
423 Park Avenue Huntington, NY

Guest Speakers:

Hedda Marcus, Professor of English, Women’s Studies and Multidisciplinary Studies at Nassau Community College

Kimberly Wilder, writer at Independent Political Report, blogger of Georgiana Circle: Women Healing History

Andrea Callan, Executive Director of the NYCLU Suffolk County Chapter

Moderator: Charlotte Koons, board member of NYCLU, member CODEPINK

feminism ~ third parties ~coalition building ~ media ~ messaging ~ women
__________________________________________________________________

$9 Members / $12 Public / Includes Reception

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In Long Island, NY: A Victoria Woodhull event

Part of a series: Women’s Herstory Across the Globe

Film: America’s Victoria
Remembering Victoria Woodhull, first woman to run for US President in 1872
and
Presentation/Reception with Victoria Bond
Composer/Conductor

Thursday, March 26 at 7:30pm
Cinema Arts Centre
Huntington, LI, New York

$9 Members / $12 Public / Includes Reception

Information and tickets:
– 24 hour showtime information: 631 423-3456 or 423-2696
– Call 631-423-7610 to get the Cinema Arts Centre Monthly Program Guide
– Cinema Arts Centre 423 Park Avenue Huntington, NY 11743

Co-presented by Huntington League of Women Voters

The extraordinary ambition of Victoria Woodhull is the subject of America’s Victoria: The Victoria Woodhull Story, as her 1872 campaign for the presidency of the U.S. is documented. Enough people supported her cause to ensure a nomination, and although she was a strong advocate of women’s suffrage, she had other issues on her agenda, including marriage reform and legalization of prostitution. Her opponents mounted an attack on her personal life, and her story is told here with the help of Gloria Steinem and Kate Capshaw. USA, 1998, 54 min.; Director: Victoria Weston

Selection from the 2002 chamber opera, Mrs. President, composed by Victoria Bond, will be played following the film.

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Bluestockings, women geniuses, and (old) gossip about Amanda Foreman

Stumbled upon this article. And, it is full of stuff that interests me. Hope you will read about women and fashion and being taken seriously (or not.) Also, interesting notes on Duchess author, Amanda Foreman, and woman politician, Margaret Thatcher. – Kimberly

(excerpt from) Times on Line UK

TV ‘genius’ Gail Trimble leads the march of the bluestockings

Gail Trimble has infuriated critics by both being very intelligent and refusing to have a celebrity-style makeover

by Alexandra Frean and Helen Rumbelow / February 28, 2009

Britain has a problem: we are overproducing something that we have little idea what to do with. We can’t get rid of it, and many loathe it unless it’s disguised as something else. The product? Clever women.

This week saw the “victory” of Gail Trimble, the cleverest contestant on University Challenge. Not that you would know we were celebrating.

The reaction to the 26-year-old – who is studying for a doctorate in philosophy from Oxford – swung wildly between gross sexual insults and gross sexual invitations.

The fact that she did not dress like Paris Hilton simply added to her offence. Here was a living embodiment of that favourite female stereotype: the “bluestocking” – a clever woman unbothered by looks or fashion sense…

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Review of The Duchess: Book, Movie, DVD

A Celebration of Georgiana, The Duchess of Devonshire: Book, Movie and DVD

The movie, “The Duchess”, is the story of Georgiana, the Duchess of Devonshire. Georgiana is the great-great-great-great aunt of Princess Diana. Georgiana was an English aristocrat who married at a young age, and experienced a variety of struggles in her marriage. The movie focuses on her marriage to William Cavendish, fifth duke of Devonshire; her friend (and her husband’s mistress) Lady Elizabeth “Bess” Foster; and on the crisis point of Georgiana’s affair with Charles, second Earl Grey. The movie is based on the book Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire, written by Amanda Foreman, which won a Whitbread Prize for Biography.

I enjoyed watching the movie “The Duchess”. Though, personally, I do not like movies, and I really don’t like to watch drama and conflict in art. So, there were parts of the movie–probably necessary to the story- which I will probably never be able to watch again. I am very glad that the movie has been released on a DVD version. Now, I can watch the parts of the movie I enjoy over and over again. And, the DVD also provides background and details that add to the telling of the story of Georgiana’s life.

What the DVD gave me overall:

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