tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28895465050608950802024-03-14T20:26:33.111-07:00Gender and the seaThis blog looks at maritime history from a different perspective. A ship is not just a ship. The sea is not just the sea.
Using a cultural studies approach, this blog explores the impact of women, LGBT+ people, working-class people and people from a range of ethnic backgrounds, on the sea and shipping.
And it questions the ways that the sea and ships in turn affect such people's lives and mobility.Dr Jo Stanley, FRHistS.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16615448959846276053noreply@blogger.comBlogger322125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889546505060895080.post-41399223732284194842024-03-14T20:26:00.000-07:002024-03-14T20:26:00.130-07:00Big voyages and broad-minded Wrens. Dr Dorothy Hare's story.<p><br /></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaPWN_tSflyjQiZ6kyTUVesAuRvKj9XyON1EGLKhRw8DX5a_HJe279cTCrjXifQJT3mn2wWzCBEsSdz-sXmlz89Ua_2trEfqgR1aNyQ6EHutONYxCe66xF_x0VBtHOqB_RjZhgcxxTVC3YFk-7iW621in1BTdptwnUL3K2HNxM0KhJbC9wGmnpyWd3uXOW/s602/dorothy%20hare%20poytrait%2055%20FJH%20Whicker.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaPWN_tSflyjQiZ6kyTUVesAuRvKj9XyON1EGLKhRw8DX5a_HJe279cTCrjXifQJT3mn2wWzCBEsSdz-sXmlz89Ua_2trEfqgR1aNyQ6EHutONYxCe66xF_x0VBtHOqB_RjZhgcxxTVC3YFk-7iW621in1BTdptwnUL3K2HNxM0KhJbC9wGmnpyWd3uXOW/w239-h320/dorothy%20hare%20poytrait%2055%20FJH%20Whicker.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dorothy Hare c1955, <br />by FJH Whicker</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">March 15 1933 #onthisdayshe, Dr Dorothy Hare (1876-1967) sailed into New York as a passenger on one of the world’s stylish ships, the <i>Aquitania</i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Had she needed the doctor on board she's have seen a man; women did not become ships' doctors until over 20 years later. Female nurses, by contrast, had been working on passenger ships since c1900 . </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi722DH8wnjofIHEbaxiG9lwPwMZG_hT8mSbwlMhhm71WRezUpiLjyMn7zUdXD4mPT8fM6gPQFm-c2QuW3Zd4FvXFLDLI1hFwGwDZ3hANG3GUE0nh1Td-gEOFT9slMdDhhvRSmFZGxQ5MdrJ2VAVR84dxwKcrAisUipBBnjOq4s2sM8gx2k9AOtPeLyityF/s286/Dorothy_Christian_Hare.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="286" data-original-width="220" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi722DH8wnjofIHEbaxiG9lwPwMZG_hT8mSbwlMhhm71WRezUpiLjyMn7zUdXD4mPT8fM6gPQFm-c2QuW3Zd4FvXFLDLI1hFwGwDZ3hANG3GUE0nh1Td-gEOFT9slMdDhhvRSmFZGxQ5MdrJ2VAVR84dxwKcrAisUipBBnjOq4s2sM8gx2k9AOtPeLyityF/w154-h200/Dorothy_Christian_Hare.jpg" width="154" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Sailing was nothing special to her, anyway, as a motility-minded person. Dorothy's sister had lived in Venice, her brother in Ceylon, her father in India. Dorothy herself might have settled overseas had she not been too busy pioneering a UK career in medicine.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">She’d qualified in 1908 and worked in Malta for the RAMC since 1916, where only a tiny number of servicewomen had been posted.</span><p></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span>And from 1918 she'd been the Women's Royal Naval Service Deputy Assistant Medical Director (pictured, left, in WRNS uniform. Her gold stripes would have been interleaved with scarlet, for medics). </span> Dorothy was also a great frend of the WRNS director. </span></div><div><p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCTKv0WoqFHtS0M6iFSpLbmZZovzI_REZeU578OlT_WmLaj2L5oHUkJqQ7uGRqZUm7hz7MXHdGZK6f21SdEGIkQRBpOviQl1kwf0qHcySjB3IYNO2DO_rohf11kXryudgqu7_bDP31W8XEsA4Dg_vMvjOdQeIwnco63gEz0Ez_Oxu_eyRXmApj_fvtD67O/s272/Katherine_Furse,_by_Glyn_Philpot.jpg" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="272" data-original-width="220" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCTKv0WoqFHtS0M6iFSpLbmZZovzI_REZeU578OlT_WmLaj2L5oHUkJqQ7uGRqZUm7hz7MXHdGZK6f21SdEGIkQRBpOviQl1kwf0qHcySjB3IYNO2DO_rohf11kXryudgqu7_bDP31W8XEsA4Dg_vMvjOdQeIwnco63gEz0Ez_Oxu_eyRXmApj_fvtD67O/w162-h200/Katherine_Furse,_by_Glyn_Philpot.jpg" width="162" /></span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Dame Katharine Furse (right) was the arts-minded, nurse-trained, former head of the VAD. Katharine prized her closeness with women friends. Her father was the pioneering investigator of homosexual love, John Addington Symonds. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">This may suggest that Dorothy and Katharine were part of a community where people felt able to live in gender-expansive, non-heteronormative ways. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Celebrating</b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Dorothy Hare deserves to be celebrated because:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"># She was a pioneering woman doctor</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"># She helped set up two interwar hostels for women with STDs (especially as consequence of loosened wartime morality and high infection rates) because such women were often cast out by families and rejected by homes for unmarried mothers. Her close friend, WRNS officer Berenice d'Avigdor,(1873-1937) set the hostels up with her.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXiGagd91RVeZHV7ge1bYFvxZ1I6Ta-rO-xobgt7O9ws76p3zqXQL-bR6gpBUzfLcoANCb_Yc36I_eAGF1fmq1Oopa1H_bb8Xk0LwCaI4cJjE3amAoW6MFKUnHWJbgbf7laU7yJnInXkZOgPQbQBqWCjVkL4eubwndtCWjatMw5SK0yneOlXoq1kwmZk6V/s550/Drs%20Lepper%20and%20Hare%201963%20by%20Albertine%20Winner.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="550" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXiGagd91RVeZHV7ge1bYFvxZ1I6Ta-rO-xobgt7O9ws76p3zqXQL-bR6gpBUzfLcoANCb_Yc36I_eAGF1fmq1Oopa1H_bb8Xk0LwCaI4cJjE3amAoW6MFKUnHWJbgbf7laU7yJnInXkZOgPQbQBqWCjVkL4eubwndtCWjatMw5SK0yneOlXoq1kwmZk6V/s320/Drs%20Lepper%20and%20Hare%201963%20by%20Albertine%20Winner.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"># After retiring to Falmouth with her lifelong partner Dr Elizabeth 'Lesbia' Lepper in 1937 (left of Dorothy, in picture) and travelling the world for two years, she helped revive the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic for art students. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Her hand-illustrated voyage journals delighted her friends. I would love to track them down. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The women's voyages incuded sailing first class from Cape Town on the <i>Dunnottar Castle. </i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The senior doctor in the WW2 WRNS, when it re-started, was a married mother.</span></p><p><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>See also</b></span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">https://history.rcplondon.ac.uk/blog/unspoken-love-rcps-archive-four-womens-relationships</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">https://history.rcplondon.ac.uk/blog/which-never-can-be-suppressed-lgbtq-history-rcp-collections</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></p></div></div>Dr Jo Stanley, FRHistS.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16615448959846276053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889546505060895080.post-1784350200501088342024-02-08T05:23:00.000-08:002024-02-12T08:50:15.715-08:00Transitioning, the sea and surgery: Dr Michael Dillon<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwo8e8ud7t9pviIiaHY-SdgskG4hjpJxlmIH9ajgPbJT5Q2a3vkgMh3LBW2jd5cz09L4WlW8wcVPUCHSgxAVWZs32d9EfuAO_a48oNAaDM3mlRL91utvhkqLPuHKapAxnGXNgOKzl5zME_et0afH56b7sq4-pRQ-J-qbGRKwKq47kvGRMw6iHZjFxSkMJl/s724/dillon%20as%20doctor.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="724" data-original-width="306" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwo8e8ud7t9pviIiaHY-SdgskG4hjpJxlmIH9ajgPbJT5Q2a3vkgMh3LBW2jd5cz09L4WlW8wcVPUCHSgxAVWZs32d9EfuAO_a48oNAaDM3mlRL91utvhkqLPuHKapAxnGXNgOKzl5zME_et0afH56b7sq4-pRQ-J-qbGRKwKq47kvGRMw6iHZjFxSkMJl/w176-h418/dillon%20as%20doctor.jpg" width="176" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFk5H8Arr_PxfeS4iVxNDnp88QDOOsaynCQ5k2daCuLI6rSwYtRdHRYuTNg0q91A7i0dA7JEVncoGWtquM8dl4WLpkY53biVmP05epsT-KfjDJIVpG1pjvDGG5OzfrDQzExDpJOweFz9KrettulAYg2QVGC05szo2VDjN53PVDpQzfoSQbEwDXLBmh4FQL/s2360/Pride%20in%20Maritime%20Day%20v2.jpg" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; font-family: arial; font-size: large; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2360" data-original-width="1774" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFk5H8Arr_PxfeS4iVxNDnp88QDOOsaynCQ5k2daCuLI6rSwYtRdHRYuTNg0q91A7i0dA7JEVncoGWtquM8dl4WLpkY53biVmP05epsT-KfjDJIVpG1pjvDGG5OzfrDQzExDpJOweFz9KrettulAYg2QVGC05szo2VDjN53PVDpQzfoSQbEwDXLBmh4FQL/w151-h200/Pride%20in%20Maritime%20Day%20v2.jpg" width="151" /></a>Ship's doctor Michael Dillon is a key person in LGBT+ maritime history. We especially recognise his significance at this point because LGBT+ History Month 2024 focuses on medicine. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">On Feb 28, Pride in Maritime Day, we can celebrate that it is 72 years since seafaring gained its first trans surgeon.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In Spring 1952 </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Michael </span><span style="font-family: arial;">(1915-62)</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">put on his gold and scarlet braid. 'Never had I dreamed I would one day adorn myself in such glad rags!' </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">At King George V Dock joined an (un-named) P&O coaster. That night </span><span style="font-family: arial;">'I went to my bunk feeling intensely happy, This was the life for me. I would see the world and become a real sailor!' </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">A Folkestone person, educated in Oxford, with aristocratic Irish roots, Michael Dillon </span><span style="font-family: arial;">was 37 and a mature student newly out of medical school.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">He saw himself as 'victim of a sex mix-up', which he had had rectified. No regrets. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6dYlIkUXLbKiMQHkhrsHXqhbJWCnjXbxvOp29iLFlcztjok_0gcTtXAq4rcHON1hgNQT48dqcZQMVN5-CtbcBSWQRjYzeEMUbpElrBUvl7_6M3VdYewmz47EAZp40_-G5sPHsvkoGsKvIOAqV-EIqqva2wI5sjWlMEoQxpXKTbKUYuGntBAgHy5Rcgx4J/s225/LGBT%20hist%20month%202024%20%23%20under%20the%20scope.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6dYlIkUXLbKiMQHkhrsHXqhbJWCnjXbxvOp29iLFlcztjok_0gcTtXAq4rcHON1hgNQT48dqcZQMVN5-CtbcBSWQRjYzeEMUbpElrBUvl7_6M3VdYewmz47EAZp40_-G5sPHsvkoGsKvIOAqV-EIqqva2wI5sjWlMEoQxpXKTbKUYuGntBAgHy5Rcgx4J/s1600/LGBT%20hist%20month%202024%20%23%20under%20the%20scope.png" width="225" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">To use the language of LGBT+ history month 2024 he'd put himself # under the <span>scope. He made medical knowl</span><span>edge work for him, despite its infancy.</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">F</span><span style="font-family: arial;">rom 1940 he'd been taking testosterone. Between 1945 and 49 a total of </span><span style="font-family: arial;">1</span><span style="font-family: arial;">3 operations effected the </span><span style="font-family: arial;">transition. </span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">He'd been living successfully as a man for three years, and owned to no fears of being misgendered on board. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">His fields - seafaring and medicine - were the two factors that helped Michael most with living daily with this change of identity. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi9yhd13TB6bOvhdJOVYS-T9OuTHJlgLInT34-fArzy28IZFk-OTUbe_qAC7Xsf3xfW8R8UHSdxZmRO3dw7Kv0fiBGActGLeXPpokI_EloR6HJSb_CLm3Wq0PCGraJK72kGgZ6t8XxvPPOwZsHzOZ7dND6afAY1_gqvY-OPOtwMCO7nTmpAQA5-Vey7qZC/s1600/doctor%20at%20sea%20poster%20film%20bogard.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi9yhd13TB6bOvhdJOVYS-T9OuTHJlgLInT34-fArzy28IZFk-OTUbe_qAC7Xsf3xfW8R8UHSdxZmRO3dw7Kv0fiBGActGLeXPpokI_EloR6HJSb_CLm3Wq0PCGraJK72kGgZ6t8XxvPPOwZsHzOZ7dND6afAY1_gqvY-OPOtwMCO7nTmpAQA5-Vey7qZC/s320/doctor%20at%20sea%20poster%20film%20bogard.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><b style="color: #ffa400;"><span style="font-family: arial;">His professional context</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">All ships carrying over 12 passengers were legally required to carry a doctor. Michael was one of many on British merchant navy passenger or passenger-cargo vessels. Commercial flying was just beginning; migration to Australia was a popular way to evade post-war difficulty.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">For six years from 1952-58 Michael, who was accepted as a male by shipmates and passengers, looked after the health of people travelling the world, be they troops, holidaymakers, Ten-Pound Poms, or Mecca pilgrims, whatever their sex and gender. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">At that time hardly any women were seafaring doctors. The are women, usually newly qualified, were mainly on educational cruises working with children. Treating male crew for STDs was a cause of blushes. Gender divisions and sexuality were serious matters. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Some male seafarers seeking to transition took advantage of different regulations in other countries to transition there, or at least acquire hormone medication there. Usually they did not share that information with their ship's doctor, so there was little help sought if the process went awry.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b style="color: #ffa400;">Four aspects of maritime life that helped Michael deal with his loneliness and conflict included</b><span style="color: #ffa400;">:</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">1.That at sea he could construct an emotional disconnected way of living that suited him </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEpARnK6kSx6B9AqVXdfX4yhQJTwezgg8DgDDpKKBSUP5d5C0DUHEPn9gnQ4OhZQB9HGz_V3jg-IY5r8naxS6p-OePfw5BpIvp-_18h0KOAjUwNVhL14nYyqr8hJLWIrXKaXe7Oqie-BArK5MQA6UeT8XNYR7aBVrlI1PeaHxb7M3-d0tx3BBGWsO4uEQP/s288/the-mission-to-seafarers-logo.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="288" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEpARnK6kSx6B9AqVXdfX4yhQJTwezgg8DgDDpKKBSUP5d5C0DUHEPn9gnQ4OhZQB9HGz_V3jg-IY5r8naxS6p-OePfw5BpIvp-_18h0KOAjUwNVhL14nYyqr8hJLWIrXKaXe7Oqie-BArK5MQA6UeT8XNYR7aBVrlI1PeaHxb7M3-d0tx3BBGWsO4uEQP/w200-h153/the-mission-to-seafarers-logo.png" width="200" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">2. That in ports he found friendliness at Missions to Seamen centres. worldwide. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">This included Durban, Antwerp, Kobe, Singapore, and Victoria Dock Road, London. There in Whitechapel 'The Lady Warden, the padre and his wife, the girls in the office were all friends, and sometimes I would serve in the canteen if they were short-staffed.' He also enjoyed the jolly country dancing - more than evenings in ships' stately ballrooms.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>3. </span><span>He was very publicly outed by the </span><i>Sunday Mirror</i><span> and then by newspapers worldwide in 1958. Who had made the anonymous tip-off? Probably his ex-beloved, Roberta Cowell, whom he'd helped to transition. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">But on ship c</span><span style="font-family: arial;">ollegial support when outed came from:</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>Michael's captain on the </span><i>City of Bath</i><span> when in Baltimore. He was 'kindly and symathetic .... keeping reporters off the ship and cabling the New York agents asking for a police guard for the gangway.' </span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">The Second Officer. He poured me out a gin, raised his glass, and knocked mine and then said .... [he and the Sparks] had discussed it at length over beer the night before ... [They] had come to the conclusion that I had had a rough deal ... since they had liked me before and I had not changed overnight they saw no reason for letting it make any difference.’ </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">The Third Mate. He was ysmpatheric because he'd suffered the stigma of a hare lip until operated on. Matily he joked that they would chuck an insistent press photographer overboard.</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">4. His employers, Ellerman's, supported him and didn't want him to tender his resignation, as he thought honorable. The chairman of Ellermans offered ‘his sympathy’. The company's medical superintendent, Michael's line manager, said he '“still hoped I would stay with the company and would back any arrangements I liked.”’</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b style="color: #ffa400;"></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="color: #ffa400;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjRiMZv3H-whSbY41uZF-OFcQcpoyspveVfNuGf-MeWNzwpbjOtDu9ifHlvs5sdUX7Ib6lfJEA1wxaED5nualgxAmZ9Z-cZEu-UNAkZCcXAo4HT1v75hHVftAqIrhWEK4PQ67Eh1SkBr4WhlB4XbrB7oFKmVnvGeMqcXENhDJ5Y41ZV5gt6Rpe_siLjQR9/s320/kingsport%20news%20dillon%20sex%20switcher.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="209" data-original-width="320" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjRiMZv3H-whSbY41uZF-OFcQcpoyspveVfNuGf-MeWNzwpbjOtDu9ifHlvs5sdUX7Ib6lfJEA1wxaED5nualgxAmZ9Z-cZEu-UNAkZCcXAo4HT1v75hHVftAqIrhWEK4PQ67Eh1SkBr4WhlB4XbrB7oFKmVnvGeMqcXENhDJ5Y41ZV5gt6Rpe_siLjQR9/w400-h261/kingsport%20news%20dillon%20sex%20switcher.png" width="400" /></span></a></b></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b style="color: #ffa400;"><br />Mixed responses to transition revelations</b><span style="color: #ffa400;"> </span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The maritime industry support that Michael got was not total. </span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">The Mate sneered: he'd always known there was something fishy. The <i>Sunday Express</i> didn't publish Michael's 'defensive' letter criticising the paper for ruining a man's career just to titillate its readers for five minutes. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">The captain turned hostile, presumably with the stress. Michael believed that the captain had two personalities, the kind one and the one 'which was always looking for some grounds for resentment.' Michael's decision to leave the ship at Calcutta (which meant the ship was minus one of the two surgeons) meant the captain was 'almost permanently' in his aggrieved state, wrongly imagining that he (not the purser ) would be forced to deputise. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">This rejection by a patriachal semi-ally made Michael's last weeks in the merchant service even more miserable.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">'Deserted', Michael mourned the limited fraternal support, quoting this Rudyard Kipling verse to the press:</span></li></ul><p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><blockquote><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Nine hundred and ninety-nine can’t abide</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The shame and mocking and laughter</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">But the thousandth man will stand by your side</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">To the gallows’ foot and after.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p></blockquote><p><b><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial;">How did being in the medical profession help Michael?</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">1. It gave him (although he paid privately) the operations he wanted, and some support. Harold Gillies was his friendly surgeon</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjThuPT_tye5ROj6rVkLcUb3hDvBN3_-Zt93lDVQoFBVX8lW_K48CTTTQpdo4bctixychTOZlnPQ4IoJcO6t2Sl_RmJ1mCHKtZAYKXPq85wyeM7vwkIsUsTONh99Ckw8F19F_0vMbGC6CXKA7xAq8GR3X-drZvej0a6hcnYyCugw8VXkgHkbZlFMqkEStvU/s807/Trinity.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="536" data-original-width="807" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjThuPT_tye5ROj6rVkLcUb3hDvBN3_-Zt93lDVQoFBVX8lW_K48CTTTQpdo4bctixychTOZlnPQ4IoJcO6t2Sl_RmJ1mCHKtZAYKXPq85wyeM7vwkIsUsTONh99Ckw8F19F_0vMbGC6CXKA7xAq8GR3X-drZvej0a6hcnYyCugw8VXkgHkbZlFMqkEStvU/s320/Trinity.webp" width="320" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">2. By training, at Trinity College, Dublin (pictured) (1945-51) he gained a kind of acceptance, a sense of active agency as a change-maker for others. For example, he risked prosecution by giving Roberta Cowell a then-illegal inguinal orchiechtomy (castration).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">3. Becoming a surgeon at sea (rather than a GP on land) gave him a lifestyle that worked for him, as a loner and rover. He had valued status, some privacy, and companionship in temporary non-normative floating communities. </span></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial;">What happened?</span></b></h4><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFqkNOUVgbPLT3O_Dhee5mzd9yn1u3JlTkdL-IiR97TjUD3UFwD7j4ECN3M6DWzW4QJmBY6W1aFGZi_S8dRAY7aahoFSgGNcyiyWy8Qpwon4ixwz-ucBWj5RSzXIh1MSdgZAiGuw2p4wrI7viTl8jqitBUpyrMGASt9l-N-NDHXQF7W380soZ-UOiMhiYc/s500/out%20of%20the%20ordinary.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFqkNOUVgbPLT3O_Dhee5mzd9yn1u3JlTkdL-IiR97TjUD3UFwD7j4ECN3M6DWzW4QJmBY6W1aFGZi_S8dRAY7aahoFSgGNcyiyWy8Qpwon4ixwz-ucBWj5RSzXIh1MSdgZAiGuw2p4wrI7viTl8jqitBUpyrMGASt9l-N-NDHXQF7W380soZ-UOiMhiYc/w213-h320/out%20of%20the%20ordinary.jpg" width="213" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Michael felt forced to leave the sea after being outed. Indeed he exited Western life for a contemplative one as a Buddhist., transitioning spiritually He died four years later. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">At least one ship's surgeon, who'd been in the Royal Navy, transitioned to female a little later. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Roberta Cowell carried on motor racing and creating a cultural climate where British men were inspired to transition. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Today there is no transitioned ship's doctor who is visible on the internet. This does not mean they don't exist. </span></li></ul><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Learning more</span></b></span></h4><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">For a quick read, see my illustrated blog item, <i>The first ship’s doctor to transition. </i>Go to </span><span style="font-family: arial;">https://genderedseas.blogspot.com/2020/11/the-first-ships-doctor-to-transition.html. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">You can also as</span><span style="font-family: arial;">k to book my Powerpoint talk about him.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">To understand Michael's own story more fully see his autobigraphy: Michael Dillon/ Lobzang Jivaka, '<i>Out of the Ordinary</i>', eds Jacob Lau and Cameron Partridge, Fordham University Press, New York, 2017. https://www.fordhampress.com/9780823280391/out-of-the-ordinary/ </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">See also Roberta Cowell's stories, including on Wikipedia.</span></li></ul><p></p>Dr Jo Stanley, FRHistS.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16615448959846276053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889546505060895080.post-15322321037485296692023-12-04T09:24:00.000-08:002023-12-04T09:24:24.615-08:00Novel views of sea, sex and gender: latest fiction<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXef4zDGvNyUybcOakpmwlM21Ekdo_DYUmuRQlzkf9qTJ4W9Vi3JjyJwIwJ3Pav0hwpJ1c50aQ2ebbM0L9v_Grve229Mi4J_eIK133Z02fy4zIiBLJv8R5p0CBuxulVUKDRollpk0wAms3niHlOV3tujO7UF0UGzl-ngfwGmphBvpWnxY09vbFc3pGfP_t/s611/our%20wives%20under%20the%20sea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXef4zDGvNyUybcOakpmwlM21Ekdo_DYUmuRQlzkf9qTJ4W9Vi3JjyJwIwJ3Pav0hwpJ1c50aQ2ebbM0L9v_Grve229Mi4J_eIK133Z02fy4zIiBLJv8R5p0CBuxulVUKDRollpk0wAms3niHlOV3tujO7UF0UGzl-ngfwGmphBvpWnxY09vbFc3pGfP_t/w261-h400/our%20wives%20under%20the%20sea.jpg" width="261" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Creative thinking about gender and the sea is burgeoning this year. Bayous, aquaria in shopping malls, English fishing villages: water and its denizens are central. </span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">These books are ideal booty for Xmas stockings because they're such a holiday from the maritime industry as we know it. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">In these novels, water is not just wet stuff; sea routes are not a sort of autostrada. Water's a metaphor for our deep and puzzling places.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> Mermaids are nothing like Disneyesque hetereosexual cuties. Fishermen are not cosy Cap'n Birdseyes in sensible-bloke waders. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Deep emotions - including longing and quests for identity and love - surface oddly and stir currents</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Two of the latest of several new novels about sea life - mixed with gender and sexuality - have just won national prizes. In late November Julia Armfield was awarded the Polari overall prize for LGBTQ+ books for her novel <span style="color: #ffa400;">Our Wives Under the Sea</span>. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The quotes immediately below are from the <i><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/nov/24/julia-armfield-and-jon-ransom-win-the-polari-prizes-for-lgbtq-books." target="_blank">Guardian</a></i>,“Our Wives Under the Sea tells the story of Leah, who unexpectedly returns from a disastrous deep-sea dive, and her wife, Miri, who grapples with the ways Leah changed while under water. ... Judge Joelle Taylor, said 'It is a strange, speculative, poetic and thrilling novel – a heart turner as much as a page turner.'"<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixL9zh8CgYei0QsvOJUVuuqaZFiV5bSmEnCK_AxNjOTf99yR1k5IRXGpF5HcACGvl1RJ3Mtdfmoo-Mjj5cTcm7-gudQSd-uJoVIKEVCTkRSA7dZToeFuEqumc1-iGTEEiA7Qkp5kHSVuopMNvPsd78abYOcet82xeW56T_BS9LZ7QSFno4ZXC0uvWoBO2B/s640/whale%20tattoo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixL9zh8CgYei0QsvOJUVuuqaZFiV5bSmEnCK_AxNjOTf99yR1k5IRXGpF5HcACGvl1RJ3Mtdfmoo-Mjj5cTcm7-gudQSd-uJoVIKEVCTkRSA7dZToeFuEqumc1-iGTEEiA7Qkp5kHSVuopMNvPsd78abYOcet82xeW56T_BS9LZ7QSFno4ZXC0uvWoBO2B/w125-h200/whale%20tattoo.jpg" width="125" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">In the same Polari prize competition, Jon Ransom’s <span style="color: #ffa400;">The Whale Tattoo</span> gained the first book award. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The plot summarised: “Protagonist Joe Gunner navigates difficult memories as he returns to his Norfolk fishing town and renegotiates his relationships with those he left. 'It’s suffused with salt air and gay longing,' declared judge Adam Zmith."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Other ‘queer’ maritime/ marine novels in 2023 include </span></h2><h2 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5KXUY8n8qMcSJQkuc_BOiWjsCGQ6rRBzgX-HYgRcfwrpB85wvi_Djrh2mC9s9owe28QifPxNGwf9ERbcUVzjNI1ES0UPIXQRaya5nxVnMVjoxH6f4Z7lP7QYkPZz9BsB9mHDy-bu-zafyqhqPqa1uIxarJSTMSFPZhKNHjMEN8BeiQtSlLImD1WZPIa7N/s500/immeasurable%20depths%20of%20you.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="328" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5KXUY8n8qMcSJQkuc_BOiWjsCGQ6rRBzgX-HYgRcfwrpB85wvi_Djrh2mC9s9owe28QifPxNGwf9ERbcUVzjNI1ES0UPIXQRaya5nxVnMVjoxH6f4Z7lP7QYkPZz9BsB9mHDy-bu-zafyqhqPqa1uIxarJSTMSFPZhKNHjMEN8BeiQtSlLImD1WZPIa7N/s320/immeasurable%20depths%20of%20you.jpg" width="210" /></span></a></div></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">Chlorine</span> by Jade Song. Compulsive swimmer Ren Yu grew up on stories of creatures of the deep ... She's always longed to become a mermaid. She will do anything she can to make a life for herself where she can be free. No matter the pain... No matter how much blood she has to spill. A powerful, relevant tale of immigration, sapphic longing, and fierce, defiant becoming” says <a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/chlorine/jade-song/9781804440568" target="_blank">Waterstones. </a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">The Immeasurable Depth of You</span> , by Maria Ingrande Mora. "A queer supernatural coming-of-age story for young adults." Fifteen-year-old Brynn is lonely, staying with her father on a houseboat in the Florida mangroves. Horrors! There is no digital connection to her online friends. Then she meets "sultry, athletic, and confident Skylar. Brynn resolves to free her new crush from the dark waters of the bayou, even if it means confronting all of her worst fears."</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3E23jt2yMfFVwPnYaDGBUmxZUME5F1MdhsKr90ZYTB2yhdOVl0KOtSLWV3RsN35K9j6FXXVBDJ3Vfp07Id0Ee21X3BEdLKAx21VLHqaAcpIx-XHagI2eg7YXGTPhwcrsb-DNOmYiF4HPfeRZLZ3jZASPEye8hW0SD7hRAj-bT0lWNdWg98v2f9xh-YOjv/s425/Sea%20change%20chung%20cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="283" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3E23jt2yMfFVwPnYaDGBUmxZUME5F1MdhsKr90ZYTB2yhdOVl0KOtSLWV3RsN35K9j6FXXVBDJ3Vfp07Id0Ee21X3BEdLKAx21VLHqaAcpIx-XHagI2eg7YXGTPhwcrsb-DNOmYiF4HPfeRZLZ3jZASPEye8hW0SD7hRAj-bT0lWNdWg98v2f9xh-YOjv/s320/Sea%20change%20chung%20cover.jpg" width="213" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">Sea Change </span>by Gina Chung. This novel's about Ro, a bereaved aquarium worker who’s drinking too many non-medicinal sharktinis. She loves Dolores, a horny giant Pacific octopus, Ro's last remaining link to her father. A marine biologist, he disappeared while on an expedition. This is about loss, healing, an Asian-American family, and tenderness. </span><p></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Surfacing in 2024</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Feb 2024. <span style="color: #ffa400;">In the Shallows</span> (also called <span style="color: #ffa400;">The Mermaid of Black Rock</span>) by Tanya Byrne</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Young adult novel in which two girls fall in love during their attempt to understand a mystery: Nicoletta, a teenager, was hauled out of the ocean, after which her rescuing fishermen die. "Had Nicoletta lured them to their deaths―their lives in exchange for hers?" She becomes a legend and then meets Mara, who desires her, futilely. “Could there be a reason [why Nico has] locked everything behind a door? And once she's brave enough to open it, what will happen to her? To them?”</span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIAq56BIOwSCNfYyD_eu24LVialvoiZsuQrIsVD9T_QzcH8dQfkiUgItYXi9SU5Y1IppzV5kPdUXI6Sf4Dsy0CewT4Ntv1xaFfK8BDbU37IqT0dZaM0ZDPkkns9chMUjPeOJs_vX9EAggbeEwuf6nrKPqLYNGyW454JAUVABdMmkAzYlMy-pxDlsWSXYlz/s500/mermaid%20of%20Black%20Conch%20cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="326" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIAq56BIOwSCNfYyD_eu24LVialvoiZsuQrIsVD9T_QzcH8dQfkiUgItYXi9SU5Y1IppzV5kPdUXI6Sf4Dsy0CewT4Ntv1xaFfK8BDbU37IqT0dZaM0ZDPkkns9chMUjPeOJs_vX9EAggbeEwuf6nrKPqLYNGyW454JAUVABdMmkAzYlMy-pxDlsWSXYlz/s320/mermaid%20of%20Black%20Conch%20cover.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">You can still catch ...</span></b><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> 2021: <span><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">The Mermaid of Black Conch,</span></span></span> by Monique Roffey. Mermaid meets landsman. Their Caribbean community handles conflicts about masculinity and more.</span></p></div>Dr Jo Stanley, FRHistS.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16615448959846276053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889546505060895080.post-80473172241070430522023-11-19T06:26:00.000-08:002023-11-19T06:26:43.628-08:00 Wrens at sea, movie style! Yellow Canary,1943.<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvprhwkcn0gQ_hkeJOQS6zfqQZjKdd707yN7DIq-aE1RHr_fv4ydAgcqbqtGaceos8e8kzgmxNwwkn6ahIneeyX1CVaDMDC5ZeQCHutaQxrsP1qDQ-r7bIXrSEBOzxvycxJYBRKuRlO5jv9dPopS5HWCiP8zu8o3T01AwsNx_8V71AH39iQ81_xdVwZCbv/s329/yellow-canary-movie-poster-1943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="329" data-original-width="220" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvprhwkcn0gQ_hkeJOQS6zfqQZjKdd707yN7DIq-aE1RHr_fv4ydAgcqbqtGaceos8e8kzgmxNwwkn6ahIneeyX1CVaDMDC5ZeQCHutaQxrsP1qDQ-r7bIXrSEBOzxvycxJYBRKuRlO5jv9dPopS5HWCiP8zu8o3T01AwsNx_8V71AH39iQ81_xdVwZCbv/w268-h400/yellow-canary-movie-poster-1943.jpg" width="268" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">On YouTube I’ve just spotted a film about a member of the Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS) who sailed to Canada. </span><i style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Yellow Canary</i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"> was directed by Herbert Wilcox in 1943. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I’m delighted because I hadn’t got this movie on my (yes, very brief) list of WRNS films. See below. And it's the only one where a Wren is lethal toughie.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">In WW2 Sally Maitland (played by Anna Neagle) wasn’t working on a warship as an RN person. No woman did. Nor was she doing signalling and coding, as Wrens did on troop ships. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Instead Sally was a deep-cover spy for British intelligence on a passenger ship. Her work was to act as a pro-Nazi but charming British civilian, including on the voyage from England to Halifax NS. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">She infiltrates, she plots, she nearly marries the dreadful Nazi. Only at the very end does she tie her deceitfully platinum waves back, tuck her hair under her uniform HMS cap and share family tea at home in an unimpeachable Home Counties sort of way.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhokfgYEg-dIrC1hf3fjBiJZWfYRsVo_Y58IZ1Nb9nClW8lhGF4-pk6bHYeZHRPeiUGKfrKZlobuKIu4ghLVVzb1e9ZZjCgHqM-mbHF-0tqdaQ8NBnAnkLejcMTghuPArvhm3L4hlT0AetSBllxZfJeiBpHsAg68WokkyrAdO2EshzAWW94qPLz5XERXqpz/s2000/yellwo%20canary%20%20Richard%20Greene%20rescue%20Sally%20from%20the%20evil%20Nazi%20ring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhokfgYEg-dIrC1hf3fjBiJZWfYRsVo_Y58IZ1Nb9nClW8lhGF4-pk6bHYeZHRPeiUGKfrKZlobuKIu4ghLVVzb1e9ZZjCgHqM-mbHF-0tqdaQ8NBnAnkLejcMTghuPArvhm3L4hlT0AetSBllxZfJeiBpHsAg68WokkyrAdO2EshzAWW94qPLz5XERXqpz/s320/yellwo%20canary%20%20Richard%20Greene%20rescue%20Sally%20from%20the%20evil%20Nazi%20ring.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Dear reader, yes, she marries the co-spy (Richard Greene). He turns out to have been trying to protect her all along.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Goodness, the blonde dame in the fur suddenly turns out to need a rescuer with a cocked gun. Didn't she have her own? Wasn't <i>she</i> in command of <i>him</i> a minute ago?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">(At that point in the war, with all the labour shortages, real Wrens were allowed to carry on Wrenning after marriage. Neagle was actually married to the director, Herbert Wilcox.)<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibR3N_vMHJQJYbgrRR6VtySdeSF4AU3wHB3VSFZ9C0aOb6JkWnFWT30m5LcAmy_uLm5X5JftJ4r1bbHZmRejgfxrfGuco6Iicwrp_NnDi7QvX75FE2iMoQEfSiBRuD2dqy0pdDzdsaU0hNfTxjaynp5-Bu_jqHd9kl9xcxkK_F5WT__-R-DLcPHvJ4qLP1/s180/Yellow%20canary%20anna%20neagle%20as%20sally.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="135" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibR3N_vMHJQJYbgrRR6VtySdeSF4AU3wHB3VSFZ9C0aOb6JkWnFWT30m5LcAmy_uLm5X5JftJ4r1bbHZmRejgfxrfGuco6Iicwrp_NnDi7QvX75FE2iMoQEfSiBRuD2dqy0pdDzdsaU0hNfTxjaynp5-Bu_jqHd9kl9xcxkK_F5WT__-R-DLcPHvJ4qLP1/s1600/Yellow%20canary%20anna%20neagle%20as%20sally.jpg" width="135" /></a></span>Box office takings revealed that the film didn’t do well because people were confused by the complex plot. Also Neagle, though the main star, never convincingly became a sympathetic character here.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In fact, if you don’t watch carefully you can easily end up not knowing that Sally truly was a nice Wren after all. She was not a double or treble agent just masquerading as a female member of the unimpeachable Senior Service. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">Basis? Mitford nazi and maybe a US cowboy fan. </span></span></h2><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOL5QINyISzL6cbcz6avfM19yyt405BjFw3gfIYbboLArM0Y2EAUJduQcLwFwgOx-dJcjSuL7FGMVHw1-zz17YDGavKhRImqd5np3Q9F1VW_-EsOUeMhckYhKLB37boeQFIZv4I50Vb7xFBO9qVTkYMq9dVj7e3EXfJ2Wp4lh0Yi1mLcdVDeKRFYzz4ZQ2/s260/yellow%20canary%20unity%20with%20Hitler.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="260" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOL5QINyISzL6cbcz6avfM19yyt405BjFw3gfIYbboLArM0Y2EAUJduQcLwFwgOx-dJcjSuL7FGMVHw1-zz17YDGavKhRImqd5np3Q9F1VW_-EsOUeMhckYhKLB37boeQFIZv4I50Vb7xFBO9qVTkYMq9dVj7e3EXfJ2Wp4lh0Yi1mLcdVDeKRFYzz4ZQ2/s1600/yellow%20canary%20unity%20with%20Hitler.jpeg" width="260" /></a>This film is based a little on aristocratic British nazi Unity Mitford. (Pictured with Hitler). But Unity never was a Wren or spy – that we know of. Nor did she repent her fascism.</span></div><div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">A story by one of the three screenwriters, PM Bower, is credited as the basis. PM Bower is untraceable. But literary sleuths know that if you scratch a set of initials (say CB: Charlotte Bronte) you may well find a woman underneath. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">There was, actually, a BM Bower (1871-1940). A woman. Is she the originator? Bertha Muzzy Sinclair, formerly Bower, was a prolific US pulp novelist and scriptwriter, specialising in women in men’s worlds, such as the Wild West. Could an earlier BM Bower story have inspired the chaps’ screenplay? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">“Her work was unusual for its time … featuring female characters that were as developed as their male counterparts” says <i>Britannica</i>. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The <i>Yellow Canary</i>'s female characters are indeed developed. The ruthless leader of the Nova Scotia Nzi spy ring turns out to be the ‘poor old lady in the wheelchair’. The ‘carer’ pushing her invalid carriage is actually her evil henchwoman.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Bower’s <i>The Flying U Strikes</i>, and <i>The Quirt</i> are about spying, but certainly not in Halifax NS in WW2. Yet the identity fits, just. What’s your bet?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">WRNS feature films 1940-1960. (* = my rating)</span></h2></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">1943 </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large; white-space: pre;"> </span><i style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Bell-Bottom George</i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">. Cheeky chappie waiter rejected by navy befriends Wren Pat (Anne Firth). He foils a spy ring, is allowed into the navy and Pat accepts him. Comedy</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">1944<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><i>Fiddlers Three.</i> Comedy about two sailors and Nora, a Wren (Elizabeth Welch). They are transported back to ancient Rome and treated as seers</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">*1945<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><i>Perfect Strangers</i>. Poignant drama about married couple who join naval services. Cathy Wilson (Deborah Kerr) becomes a boats crew Wren despite his objections. Wartime separation and other relationships then broaden their horizons and reignite their marriage</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">1946<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><i>Piccadilly Incident.</i> Weepie about a briefly married Wren (Anna Neagle) who is soon torpedoed off Singapore, and presumed dead. Returns from three years on South Sea island (with sailors) to find husband has new wife and child</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">*1953<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><i>The Cruel Sea</i>. Classic drama battle of Atlantic action film, especially focusing on Hostilities Only sailors. WRNS Second Officer Julie Hallam (Virginia Mckenna) initially abjured by the Compass Rose’s second hero ,who puts war first </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">1958<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><i>The Silent Enemy</i> features naval frogmen in 1940s Gibraltar. Third Officer Jill Masters (Dawn Addams) is the minor love interest.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">1960<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><i>Sink the Bismarck!</i> Naval war film in which WRNS Second Officer Anne Davis (Dana Wynter) is the calm and very competent assistant of the Admiralty’s Chief of Operations. He turns their relationship towards romances the moment Germany’s iconic battleship is sunk. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">1961<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><i>Petticoat Pirates.</i> This is the only film to tackle female-male relationships within naval services, excruciatingly. A comedy vehicle for Charlie Drake, it features many Wrens who, angered at being turned down for sea service, capture frigate HMS Huntress. They take it to sea in a NATO exercise, but then sunbathe and hang undies on the halyard. Finally the happy commander tells Admiralty that Wrens should be seagoing. Starring Anne Heywood as Chief Officer Anne Stevens</span></div></div>Dr Jo Stanley, FRHistS.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16615448959846276053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889546505060895080.post-24252861335111117402023-10-30T12:37:00.002-07:002023-10-30T23:57:16.434-07:00‘Florence Nightingale’ afloat: Jane Fennell Swinton and the worst ‘coolie’ voyage to ‘El Dorado’, the Salsette 1858<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> A full version of this item will appear here shortly. Here is the prelude.</span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The long-overlooked backstory of Jane Fennell Swinton (1821-72) is
an odd and highly original finale to my contributions to Black History Month
2023. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Cotton merchant's daughter Jane Fennell married Captain Edulph (sometime written Edulfus or
Edolphus) Swinton and sailed with him on the most infamous ‘coolie ship’. On
the </span><span class="Heading1Char"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">Salsette</span></i></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> 120 of
the 324 Indian indentured labourers and their children died between Calcutta and
Trinidad in 1858. Almost one a day died from starvation, dysentery, typhid, and pining. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvr_hT2TGNZhlc70RHWpCrKLcbApWr6UODjLI05iAvFjWTl_mMYoP1IMBQcsEBBbAhped5SUAaaXvihyphenhyphenvakeVyTQxDrEa_JuNqKYBwAh4P7kAoHRd9qsJdxgoAlLKhzZAGS1kYjpM7izPt5syEqb2LDtJGFRvoy6QW2GVpJy_UU7C7Ppenk084KxuMIHMl/s207/ramdin%20cover.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="207" data-original-width="128" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvr_hT2TGNZhlc70RHWpCrKLcbApWr6UODjLI05iAvFjWTl_mMYoP1IMBQcsEBBbAhped5SUAaaXvihyphenhyphenvakeVyTQxDrEa_JuNqKYBwAh4P7kAoHRd9qsJdxgoAlLKhzZAGS1kYjpM7izPt5syEqb2LDtJGFRvoy6QW2GVpJy_UU7C7Ppenk084KxuMIHMl/w198-h320/ramdin%20cover.jpeg" width="198" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Jane wrote up his account, added her comments, and had the story
published, as part of what we might now call the black rights movement. </span><span class="Heading1Char"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">Journal
of a voyage with coolie emigrants, from Calcutta to Trinidad . By Captain and
Mrs. Swinton, late of the ship Salsette </span></i></span><span class="Heading1Char"><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">(1859) can be read online, free, in an hour.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=mSJcAAAAQAAJ&pg=GBS.PA16. </span></span><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">There is also a hard-to-get facsimile edition edited by Ron Ramdin (1994).</span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span class="Heading1Char"></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">She critiqued the damage caused by profiteers who sent unfit and
distressed people far away on ill-provisioned ships. There were too few interpreters
and no medical and nursing staff able to act as helpful intermediaries for
people who were alarmed at Western medicine and uneasy about reporting to a
western doctor. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Heading1Char"><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Jane was not black. And she used
racist language. But this brief book is important. No other captain, or
captain’s wife, has written such a useful first-person account of life on what
were, in effect, successors to slaveships, 1834-1917. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Heading1Char"><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Who knows how much Jane
contributed to the lessening of shipboard abuses? Her personal story<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>has never been told before, and it is only
fragmentary.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Heading1Char"><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Please keep your eyes open for my
forthcoming blog item about this member of an Irish Quaker dynasty. Genealogical
research reveals bankruptcy. It shows that she herself was of a family of migrants.
Feminist abolitionism may have been her London context. And she had informed
opinions about human cargo, including Chinese ‘coolies.’</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Heading1Char"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span> No other woman was in
such a position of expertise about race on ships. Briefly, she was as effective a campaigner as Elizabeth Fry and Caroline Chisholm. </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><br /><p></p>Dr Jo Stanley, FRHistS.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16615448959846276053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889546505060895080.post-49212761575172919802023-10-27T13:54:00.003-07:002023-10-27T22:42:23.797-07:00Maritime union women pulling together: visible<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio-RPe33-4x5GuRUSZv78f4JgJLMjIm8Kp46QWjfEOwvp38XUbh_exdvvHL-xLrVKJWq0RVKwPBUIkpB1l-IzIFWntwKHnEVJtvl67ye2USJcI0_O1TnmNb1C9jn3r1xLqcKqSqE4WSvxlIQp-hbTyBYjMOwD0n3x_MnvBXXDcImMe-7_n7B60H7g0ywpy/s810/Pulling%20together%20cover.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="540" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio-RPe33-4x5GuRUSZv78f4JgJLMjIm8Kp46QWjfEOwvp38XUbh_exdvvHL-xLrVKJWq0RVKwPBUIkpB1l-IzIFWntwKHnEVJtvl67ye2USJcI0_O1TnmNb1C9jn3r1xLqcKqSqE4WSvxlIQp-hbTyBYjMOwD0n3x_MnvBXXDcImMe-7_n7B60H7g0ywpy/s320/Pulling%20together%20cover.jpg" width="213" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Women in maritime trades unions and guilds. They're not very visible. That's what I keep finding out as I research seafaring women's history. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">What's the reality? What's just inadequate recording?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The lack of available information about gender in maritime history mean</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="clear: right; float: right; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="153" data-original-width="153" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvdTOP47ejSSR6DBvEaGoJAV-CQJ3ScUPLiHYoun7-xWGTEeN987l9MwKWPDZWmlz5Be_pZ0pO2VxXIZiCZX0HNbwylwG-Gm8p1sFph4-dW0UsXVWsBc-H8efFt7pyjwWlYxleMPM2TaElorA5DLAqadIxZ1DU7ssqgqxP-miU9Q3sAvtffmhQoM1DAtOr/w200-h200/andrew.jpeg" width="200" /></span>s it's good to be able to pick out a few highlights from<i> Pulling Together</i>, Nautilus International's history, which has just been published this week. See https://www.whittlespublishing.com/Pulling_Together. </span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Pulling Together</i>'s author Andrew Linington (pictured) mentions the following items about women in this history. S</span><span style="font-family: arial;">ince 1857 p</span><span style="font-family: arial;">redecessor unions have included MNAOA and </span><span style="font-family: arial;">NUMAST :</span></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>HIGHLIGHTS</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>1933.</b> Supporting the new Watch Ashore (organising supportive women relatives of members)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>1979.</b> NUMAST establishes the Victoria Drummond Award for an outstanding contribution by a woman, boosting women's achivements at sea. (The first recipient is Sheila Edmundson, the first woman captain. Others are Rachel Dunn [2012], Barbara Campbell [2015], Helene Peter-Davies [2019].<br /></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>2010</b>. The Women's Forum begins, see pic.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKGJaNaRRLfuW7XXDBSyzPlC0MXoJAXaffqUBT7I1co6BRbUL0A98mIhUAjraVKZ4L0Nd1nroSL2j4F9bZPNMG82G5RkR6i5vhhzHmfFIfz8a53eF-rNUPx1Yj4wyU3Tj5O4m7x8F2K7cTSgtSFQBup-aPcOUl3-bbk69Y-PFiowQtcJoomEBdvea1ugQe/s241/women's%20forum%202010.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="149" data-original-width="241" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKGJaNaRRLfuW7XXDBSyzPlC0MXoJAXaffqUBT7I1co6BRbUL0A98mIhUAjraVKZ4L0Nd1nroSL2j4F9bZPNMG82G5RkR6i5vhhzHmfFIfz8a53eF-rNUPx1Yj4wyU3Tj5O4m7x8F2K7cTSgtSFQBup-aPcOUl3-bbk69Y-PFiowQtcJoomEBdvea1ugQe/w400-h247/women's%20forum%202010.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial;">2014.</b><span style="font-family: arial;"> Union campaigns about cadet Akhona Geveza, who disappared overboard following her rape allegation</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>2016.</b> After working since 2002 </span><span style="font-family: arial;">at eliminating bullying and harassment at sea (which disproportionately affects women) Nautilus, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">ITF and the International Chamber of Shipping publish global guidance.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">--</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Many matters, of course, affect seafarers whatever their gender. The book is replete with evidence about how much the union has done. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: medium;">Other maritime unions</span></b></div><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">My knowledge of other unions, such as the National Union of Seamen (which was for ratings, and is now RMT), suggests that key milestones are when: </span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> the first woman joins a union executive (usually early 1980s. I think Sheila was on NUMAST's council. She was certainly active in union matters.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> union has its first women's conference (usually mid to-late 1980s. Women are so few in the maritime industry that a full 3-day conference would hardly have seemed appropriate)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">union campaigns on behalf of a woman member who's experienced major, and symptomatic, difficulty in the industry</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">union appoints it first female general secretary (Brenda Dean of SOGAT was the first in UK in 1985).</span></li></ul><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt6NIGTz1HZ1Iz-KF6rXq4hRxYlnBDSP3o7QbRNYsvV-_Ul-u-CIJCE29yo05bhOrm5TR6qN5-ardpkCuytJvZir_OKgdIsjFwCsJ8y6MyHlzK7vnyQvHpQIf8brbznM9143-JUY9dCq3PIPVEVNVyvGJeXfs_BwRqZWG-90gU4juleN_JKrCaD1O1KwEQ/s427/sea%20wives%20annual%20leave%20rare.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="305" data-original-width="427" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt6NIGTz1HZ1Iz-KF6rXq4hRxYlnBDSP3o7QbRNYsvV-_Ul-u-CIJCE29yo05bhOrm5TR6qN5-ardpkCuytJvZir_OKgdIsjFwCsJ8y6MyHlzK7vnyQvHpQIf8brbznM9143-JUY9dCq3PIPVEVNVyvGJeXfs_BwRqZWG-90gU4juleN_JKrCaD1O1KwEQ/w400-h286/sea%20wives%20annual%20leave%20rare.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>The Captain's crucial partner</b></span></h3><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAgD7tXyedCK-H7y4qgDsc2_AF-59z3epau4VFmNq1X0pG-H47Vq5m43ay64Uns_j6riq_MmIIOC3PmjvvtKKMXly7-jZkK-SzKwtTnVQDJ4r0KTRfYm5qcLzbZeyliuvtZhoCgJsHbGSVWdWC8HtvEYQlGJ2uC6y4blF6NwLPRBO32uk6GOShPM_2zNPS/s400/Hon.%20Dorothy%20Nelson-Ward.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="257" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAgD7tXyedCK-H7y4qgDsc2_AF-59z3epau4VFmNq1X0pG-H47Vq5m43ay64Uns_j6riq_MmIIOC3PmjvvtKKMXly7-jZkK-SzKwtTnVQDJ4r0KTRfYm5qcLzbZeyliuvtZhoCgJsHbGSVWdWC8HtvEYQlGJ2uC6y4blF6NwLPRBO32uk6GOShPM_2zNPS/w129-h200/Hon.%20Dorothy%20Nelson-Ward.jpg" width="129" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Spouses have played a crucial part in the maritime unions community. They've been supportive 'members' while husbands were away at sea. Among their campaigns have been safety at sea and longer leaves, as the cartoon shows.</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">So it's important to mention the 1933 founding of The Watch Ashore by Dorothy Nelson-Ward, who was married to Philip, president of the Officers' (Merchant Navy) Federation. (page 59). </span></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">See: <br /></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;"># my blog about Dorothy: https://genderedseas.blogspot.com/2023/04/how-is-nelsons-daughter-connected-to.html.<br /></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;"># my article on seagoing wives in the union: '</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Wives welcome ... with sewing kits,'</span><span style="font-family: arial;">https://www.academia.edu/10082043/Wives_welcome_with_sewing_kits</span></span></div><p><b style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></p><p><b style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: medium;">Key fragments known about UK women's maritime organised labour history generally are:</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>1775</b>. In the Liverpool Seamen's Revolt a woman is among those imprisoned for 'aiding and abetting' the protestors. Crowds released her and others from jail. http://www.billhunterweb.org.uk/articles/seamens_revolt1775.htm</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIieaXxu0q9G7hvJ403cdFez3Huj2XbTp4ldR3G4RhhGTNVpc3QdBSvJPx355N-cprN8SC6MRNpoyIHRL3BeIMQQP-e4u6ZAc5uSdBStWwqrRlrX7T1BLPAnMR-H9XFzAcZQAbqt_O8W1E7bWHvOS129oZk2-p-rnimjiZGCrt7u7DJeohk7z5-SeP1ZSv/s1183/adela-pankhurst_800x1183.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1183" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIieaXxu0q9G7hvJ403cdFez3Huj2XbTp4ldR3G4RhhGTNVpc3QdBSvJPx355N-cprN8SC6MRNpoyIHRL3BeIMQQP-e4u6ZAc5uSdBStWwqrRlrX7T1BLPAnMR-H9XFzAcZQAbqt_O8W1E7bWHvOS129oZk2-p-rnimjiZGCrt7u7DJeohk7z5-SeP1ZSv/s320/adela-pankhurst_800x1183.jpg" width="216" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>1913</b>. A Cunard lady passenger tries to set up a Guild of Stewardesses. (Women are already allowed in the seamen's union NUS so the Guild may have been a ploy to set up a conservative body, pitting ladies against militant men) </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>1917.</b> Suffragist Adela Pankhurst Walsh, Emmeline Pankhurt's estranged daughter, is active in the Seamen's Union of Australia. She was criticised, then embraced, by the British NUS for her activism.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>1913</b>. Southampton politician Emily Palmer (pictured) becomes treasurer of the British Seafarers' Union. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emily_Palmer</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>1953.</b> The Queen honours Irene Combs, the Watch Ashore’s vice-president and treasurer, for services to the Merchant Navy</span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEmbEw3Uejswkz-dtXJN6TmxL8gYR9rXURwkkpbMy6eUHGJPTdsvTLg9VavqxT3j-uhXi7-97m-qQQPeFQnU86Z3r0Sselojjn7BPojyq2Qrs_2vvHmBcST8FKY3ZqCS_eZ7DmtulT8_iZ_lp_89o4ws8KzY6iXp2mi7LzgMluQHOL0A9EsVE7kpIoUrON/s752/Emily%20Palmer%201913%20cropped.jpg" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; font-family: arial; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="752" data-original-width="560" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEmbEw3Uejswkz-dtXJN6TmxL8gYR9rXURwkkpbMy6eUHGJPTdsvTLg9VavqxT3j-uhXi7-97m-qQQPeFQnU86Z3r0Sselojjn7BPojyq2Qrs_2vvHmBcST8FKY3ZqCS_eZ7DmtulT8_iZ_lp_89o4ws8KzY6iXp2mi7LzgMluQHOL0A9EsVE7kpIoUrON/w238-h320/Emily%20Palmer%201913%20cropped.jpg" width="238" /></span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>1980</b>. With the backing of the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC), Lucy Wallace, cinema projectionist, wins the very first maritime test case. Tribunal finds P&O had wrongfully discriminated against her.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>1980s.</b> Women join NUS executive</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>1988.</b> UN agency International Maritime Organisation's gender programme begins. It's supported by unions, and continues today.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>2013.</b> International Labour Organisation brings out Working Paper 298 on employing women in transport, which includes maritime</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial;">2022</b><span style="font-family: arial;">. International Day for Women in Maritime is instituted (May 18)</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Pulling together matters</b></span></h3><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Not all human beings recognise how helpful a trades union can be. So there are also negative stories maritime labour I have glimpsed over the years. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">When <i> Aquitania </i>seafarers struck in 1921 s</span><span style="font-family: arial;">ome stenographers were prepared to be strikebreakers. See pic of Cunard ladies standing by in the London EC headquarters. They signed up as 'volunteer helpers.' </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">By contrast, the 'perspiring gang' of women supposed to be cleaning the ship emitted 'a running fire of comment' at the gents who'd laid down their pens to scupper the solidarity. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKvg7i6ZB-lt7NPneaW4LKbZC6IXuQ2y38vUMnBxlAGHLnlADRZWs_3UmZslIDHuU17ArW07MFDBQSXe2lZdxzxppwW7yIyvGPL0hQFr-DuYuWidlTW0Rv8tCG3ALgITqF8knhGkve5-l60-I9HhWw1OXPzuLW5miucYieYExD1hMaFP3YRw54RA0G9HDu/s631/Cunard%20London%20head%20office%20stenogs%20preparing%20to%20strikebreak%20on%20Aquitania%20called%20volunteer%20helpers%201921.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="323" data-original-width="631" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKvg7i6ZB-lt7NPneaW4LKbZC6IXuQ2y38vUMnBxlAGHLnlADRZWs_3UmZslIDHuU17ArW07MFDBQSXe2lZdxzxppwW7yIyvGPL0hQFr-DuYuWidlTW0Rv8tCG3ALgITqF8knhGkve5-l60-I9HhWw1OXPzuLW5miucYieYExD1hMaFP3YRw54RA0G9HDu/w640-h328/Cunard%20London%20head%20office%20stenogs%20preparing%20to%20strikebreak%20on%20Aquitania%20called%20volunteer%20helpers%201921.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: medium;">Reading more</span></b></h3><p></p><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">A brief history of UK maritime women breaking through into non- traditional jobs, including the first coastguard Sue Nelson, in https://www.nautilusint.org/en/news-insight/telegraph/sailing-past-sex-discrimination/</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">UK women at sea. Pioneers are briefly discussed at </span><span style="font-family: arial;">https://www.maritimefoundation.uk/publications/mma-2016-brochure/women-at-sea/</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">See the global and European story of formal challenges, in the ITF's <i>Gender and Transport discussion paper</i>, 2011, at https://www.itf-oecd.org/sites/default/files/docs/dp201111.pdf</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Canadian waterfront women: Linda Cullum, 'In Whose interest? Women Organizing on the Waterfront - St John's, Newfoundland, 1948' in <i>Journal of Historical Sociology</i>, </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">22.1, March 2009, pp108-44</span></li></ul>Dr Jo Stanley, FRHistS.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16615448959846276053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889546505060895080.post-55598522084199233752023-10-18T02:17:00.000-07:002023-10-18T02:17:07.471-07:00 Queer Navy: seeing the documents, hearing the stories. Seth Stein LeJacq<p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2cHceSKKfGy8SrpWEsJ0gxlUsgXO9CFnUgSVVF4vG0Cs6iOR3i2WqvQ5Ux1CqMaJ5G1lJrHDjo2s3pmC20w9F-MFI6oAs1mgF8RMYNMYcg39K1iHDGAr3uT82tHOQAzN5L7w_yM8LOUsIzsNveV_qdpNJkNgLflLOhwEM0F9AoxJk7YZuEhhCvLfh4ZXs/s300/lejacq_400x400-300x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2cHceSKKfGy8SrpWEsJ0gxlUsgXO9CFnUgSVVF4vG0Cs6iOR3i2WqvQ5Ux1CqMaJ5G1lJrHDjo2s3pmC20w9F-MFI6oAs1mgF8RMYNMYcg39K1iHDGAr3uT82tHOQAzN5L7w_yM8LOUsIzsNveV_qdpNJkNgLflLOhwEM0F9AoxJk7YZuEhhCvLfh4ZXs/w400-h400/lejacq_400x400-300x300.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br />I’m delighted that Dr Seth Stein LeJacq, my friend and colleague in queer maritime historiography, is bringing out his new book and giving a free zoom talk. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Seth is an expert on the Royal Navy’s GBTQ+ history pre1900. By contrast, I know about the merchant service, from 1900. We dovetail well. I constantly learn from his findings - including Jane Austen's brother's role in judging a midshipman's alleged heterosexual assault of a girl. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">If you want to see a collection of important records of 'gay' naval history, as evidenced by “the unnatural and detestable sin of buggery’ and how the Royal Navy handled 'homosexuality' – and more – then explore these transcripts. They reveal:</span></span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">trials that erupted into public scandals</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cases that offer a vivid window into naval sexual cultures</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">implicitly, varying attitudes towards diversity, human rights and inclusion that contrast with today's social climate </span></span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Seth, an Assistant Professor at New York Institute of Technology, accompanies this verbatim material with invaluable editorial commentary. Together such material opens up an obscured past that is usually only accessible to those able to spend months in London archives reading handwritten ledgers. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">From November 9 2023</span></b>: Pre-order a discount copy of Seth’s edited collection: <i>Sexual and Gender Difference in the British Navy, 1690-1900</i>, Routledge, London. ISBN 9781032409900. https://www.routledge.com/Sexual-and-Gender-Difference-in-the-British-Navy-1690-1900/LeJacq/p/book/9781032409900</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">January 30, 2024:</span></b> Catch his free online talk ‘Recovering the Queer History of Britain’s Navy in the Age of Sail’. From 5.15pm to 6.30pm, by Zoom only, from the National Maritime Museum, London, UK . There is no need to book. Just before 5.15pm on the day simply click. For more information please go to https://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/online/recovering-queer-history-britains-navy-age-sail</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Seth finds gender and sexual diversity on naval ships, and a surprising amount of tolerance for that diversity. The talk will ‘investigate sexual cultures at sea, discipline and military justice, including the 1698 trial of Captain Edward Rigby. See pic.</span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiancNT9Hi6Dww8TLHHuPnDKAA0gzCbi-qSAtcGhe74TA-FDGauB8jeKLzTD_yNaAfBpLdwxdxbtZPGz6T_TkflxaITPtDNmlklW2JIvlRBL8u0Xmay-17gs1zNaGIrVZD6IkNu8jUra2mMZS8prAN3_HLnLS6GNCA-989B6kl7FkS_kAPu4ZUipirUmKuP/s683/Captain_Edward_Rigby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiancNT9Hi6Dww8TLHHuPnDKAA0gzCbi-qSAtcGhe74TA-FDGauB8jeKLzTD_yNaAfBpLdwxdxbtZPGz6T_TkflxaITPtDNmlklW2JIvlRBL8u0Xmay-17gs1zNaGIrVZD6IkNu8jUra2mMZS8prAN3_HLnLS6GNCA-989B6kl7FkS_kAPu4ZUipirUmKuP/s320/Captain_Edward_Rigby.jpg" width="234" /></span></a><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Seth will tackle some FAQs about GBT+ maritime history:</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>What is the queer history of the Royal Navy in the age of sail? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>How did seafaring men break their society’s rules about sex and gender? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>To what extent did men enter into same-sex relationships, how and why? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>‘Queer’ can mean non-conforming, especially in social relationships. So in what other ways did that these men also act in other ways that men ‘weren’t supposed to’? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>What were the consequences of their diversity?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>How can we learn more about these seafarers’ lives?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Why is it so important to know about LGBT+ lives?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Learning more</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Going deeper, sooner</b></span>: get instant free online access to both lite and academic pieces in the writing section of his website https://www.sethlejacq.com/our-team</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Going wider, in terms of periods and navies:</span></b> see my online timeline of Queer seafaring history in both Royal and Merchant navies in the UK, up to the present day: https://www.academia.edu/101174182/Timeline_LGBT_maritime_history_A_draft_you_can_add_to_Please_do_. (</span><span style="font-family: arial;">Please feel free to add to it. Doing history is a cumulative ongoing process and you can enrich it.)</span></span></p><div><br /></div>Dr Jo Stanley, FRHistS.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16615448959846276053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889546505060895080.post-75312771962071054972023-09-29T12:10:00.012-07:002023-10-01T05:01:34.907-07:00 Seawomen of colour: Where were they and why not?<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJm7SSQ3k_SmSW16GGUBrfVlTvJNJXQFvhHvvodipDmmAE2NY8jVFBMZj6SIVF1FwxYTPvk4MJ8O1_FkdGA2Z800SxmBPElatb3RXikdBukSSTJ3uciTxkYvMLv5bRQWegtAwNOUK_IOIXajXgOPWrMp6cShZagOuqP6r5B3DD8sJeMp2SBJrLtwSMavCO/s1179/Faz%20portriat%20white%20trousers%20ship10006.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1179" data-original-width="779" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJm7SSQ3k_SmSW16GGUBrfVlTvJNJXQFvhHvvodipDmmAE2NY8jVFBMZj6SIVF1FwxYTPvk4MJ8O1_FkdGA2Z800SxmBPElatb3RXikdBukSSTJ3uciTxkYvMLv5bRQWegtAwNOUK_IOIXajXgOPWrMp6cShZagOuqP6r5B3DD8sJeMp2SBJrLtwSMavCO/s320/Faz%20portriat%20white%20trousers%20ship10006.jpg" width="211" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">In 40 years of researching seafarers’ histories on UK ships I’ve found very few women of colour. Was this somehow my error in researching? Surely it was not an accurate picture?</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Wrong. Speaking to Fazilette Khan (pictured) one of the few trail-blazers of women’s maritime history in the 1980's for #BlackHistoryMonth, it seems that yes, women of colour were indeed rare.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> The best known are:</span></span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> Fazilette herself, who was a radio officer from 1984, then electro-technical officer and finally an Environmental Officer</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Belinda Bennett,now a captain, who began training in 1990. (See my video interview with Belinda for Lloyd’s register Foundation’s Rewriting Women into Maritime History Project:<span style="color: red;"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vd18Xv7Ht64 ). </span></span></li></ul><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></h2><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">RARE WOMEN</span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Fazilette (born 1960) worked at sea for 30 years. She still knows the industry well, because she networks as she campaigns for a better maritime environment (see #GreenSeasTrust: <span style="color: red;">www.greenseas.org).</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Can she remember any other brown or black women colleagues on cargo vessels and tankers, (where she was often the only woman anyway)? No, she realises.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">However on passenger ships from the 2000s she increasingly found a few women of colour. They included</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> pursers’ department officers from South Asia, such as a captain’s secretary and accountancy workers</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">tours department onboard staff who knew the countries being visited, such as Caribbean islands, or sold future cruises </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> housekeeping staff from the Philippines</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The key question is how was the imbalance achieved? Did women of colour not apply, perhaps assuming they’d be blocked anyway? Or did schools and colleges fail to suggest such careers? Or did women train, but fall away after negative early sea experiences?</span></p><p><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">ONE WOMAN’S STORY</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">What about Fazilette’s own experiences of racism on board? She finds ‘I often can’t see whether the hostility was racism or sexism. It’s hard to tell the dividing line. You’re just getting negativity and you’ve got to deal with it.’ </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She was born and grew up in the UK. Her dad was a</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> seafarer. Her mother Haida Khan was a renowned poet. Both supported her 'unusual' wish to go to sea</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">During her training at the Merchant Navy College in Greenhithe she was one of 3 women among 300 men on her course. ‘You learn to toughen up. You fight your corner.’ </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The hostility at that point was about gender. ‘After a while, it became water off a duck's back. Thinking back, it was probably quite character-building!’ The other two women were white, as were 98 per cent of the students. A few foreign male students from the Bahamas, Middle East were on short courses. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Women at sea take care of all aspects of their personas so that they don’t get extra-victimized. Fazilette had thought ‘”Fazilette” sounded quite sweet - a bit of a pushover. But “Bobby” has a feisty resonance about it! It was actually my pet name since I was a kid. So on the tankers etc I was “Bobby”. And on the cruise ships I was “Fazilette”.’</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04wUajWhQRz8ldwYiqJSnxrTo-8_-bkeSelV96n28mXhOACaHMjnF2fq47flnjEK6KG8GEmSrNCV-Ve8a9FXnntYJ4Vxc4WMJnjyAqA2ZxFmoIdiOnaH6IHQy98j1M9sbXoXaQGG5KMA4H0snac5QjIrCEh2kt4xtmdhGJPkfd3Z9x5rR7iicyp9rBobA/s969/Faz%20in%20ships%20boat%20Stena%20etc0003.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="969" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04wUajWhQRz8ldwYiqJSnxrTo-8_-bkeSelV96n28mXhOACaHMjnF2fq47flnjEK6KG8GEmSrNCV-Ve8a9FXnntYJ4Vxc4WMJnjyAqA2ZxFmoIdiOnaH6IHQy98j1M9sbXoXaQGG5KMA4H0snac5QjIrCEh2kt4xtmdhGJPkfd3Z9x5rR7iicyp9rBobA/s320/Faz%20in%20ships%20boat%20Stena%20etc0003.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">She enjoyed the life, mainly. But on a tanker very early in her career she had a bad feeling even as she walked up the gangway: the only woman. Men expressed hostility verbally and informally, mainly in off-duty moments. She identifies the slurs that she encountered as racial rather than gendered. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">But she was determined to carry on with her career. After all her years on investing in training she would not let a minority of bigots drive her out of the profession she had worked so hard for. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Fed up with their constant goading, Fazilette decided to tackle the situation head-on. She used the analogy of the Klu Klux Klan's practice of hooded men burning crosses as they persecuted black victims to death in the US. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">As she stepped into the onboard bar one night in Rotterdam she challenged them from the threshold: ’Listen! Are you going to burn the crosses tonight? Or can I come in and sit in peace?’ </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">They were quite taken aback, she recalls. ‘I don't know whether this was because I was no longer prepared to take it on the chin, or the fact that I was comparing their attitudes with such a prejudiced organisation. Either way, it worked!’</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiHWNjkkFPoyFTCUL5ihHNJla6R3wtg_LZanZEfpfde5puXmZxk8SPw4q1pkDq9vPFPJAP9qaw_mS5jYaZOqmTat2NImbw3zhbq2hNBkZH05L2zuGcagbvhi5anI57KlHR_uLehyL5w-vASx-gnas8DooALamCuofQnXjqzmwufsC-NZjgzTbfcLjmCBuh/s600/banter.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiHWNjkkFPoyFTCUL5ihHNJla6R3wtg_LZanZEfpfde5puXmZxk8SPw4q1pkDq9vPFPJAP9qaw_mS5jYaZOqmTat2NImbw3zhbq2hNBkZH05L2zuGcagbvhi5anI57KlHR_uLehyL5w-vASx-gnas8DooALamCuofQnXjqzmwufsC-NZjgzTbfcLjmCBuh/w200-h200/banter.png" width="200" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Her shipmates hadn’t realised that their so-called ‘banter’ was having a huge negative effect on her. Her challenge led to the racists backing off. Men even increasingly isolated the ring leader for his hostility too.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">She tackled gender and race matters sassily. On a couple of documents that asked about her complexion she wrote ‘permanently tanned.’ </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">One time, to halt a resentful but superstitious officer who was trying to make her life a misery, she made a BluTack voodoo doll in front of him. Quickly ‘he was cowering under the settee vowing to never bother me again. Sometimes having a thick skin and a smile like the Mona Lisa just isn’t enough!’</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Fortunately Fazilette encountered many fair-minded shipmates over the years, who urged ‘give the girl a chance.’ (She was one of the pioneer non-Marconi operators, changing shipboard radio culture, which meant she faced discrimination on those grounds too.)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">These days she’s seeking publication for an expanded version of the salty sailor articles she wrote for maritime magazine <i>TradeWinds</i> in the 1990s. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b><u></u></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh77k2o4vN-O_vat26aCWxf52Q5ca7Zknx1GLpDKfy2bNzSQnGyo32Ni5HVZAuFaa7WD3ek_jNTMKU3ZwPzC2PDwNEOLDkmcxneYbHMfC47HdFinpJKY269wrlN2USDBI5AqnP3xk3bNnv0kUzjdOcbTTG-d9AEA7KW_yolhYbUDVCaetfm91DFnCe8X4d0/s1024/fazilette%20MMM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh77k2o4vN-O_vat26aCWxf52Q5ca7Zknx1GLpDKfy2bNzSQnGyo32Ni5HVZAuFaa7WD3ek_jNTMKU3ZwPzC2PDwNEOLDkmcxneYbHMfC47HdFinpJKY269wrlN2USDBI5AqnP3xk3bNnv0kUzjdOcbTTG-d9AEA7KW_yolhYbUDVCaetfm91DFnCe8X4d0/s320/fazilette%20MMM.jpg" width="320" /></a></u></b></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b><u><br />Learn more</u></b>:</span><p></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">her memorabilia are on display at Merseyside Maritime Museum’s ‘Life on Board.’ (pictured). Her artefacts are in the archive.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> See also <span style="color: red;">https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/stories/fazilette-khan-making-difference.</span> </span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> The National Maritime Museum’s <i>Making Waves</i> online exhibition features Fazilette’s story as a campaigner against maritime pollution: <span style="color: red;">https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/making-waves/fazilette-kha</span>n</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">ACTION NEEDED</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">So what’s to be done about women facing racism on ships today? Many maritime professionals are working on diversity, equity and inclusion. See Maersk event this year (pictured), for example.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9FuJL98nchkMMvjkHoML6UQWpVciIeR8mCmyPyY6dpfgMytLPvWAzxgC_IF47cpTmEmI07UQ7rTt2xONyT0-qWHiohzGZxQ2jAXx7Z-9jOYyk0GR1J4EjuCeVn_BA8V65EqL1j6qjspsHKpwjkrHHBP8ZbRWDOJKPKFUra1PoAPVhZXVf4C6wKn1me63h/s1280/Maersk-Equal-At-Sea_d.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9FuJL98nchkMMvjkHoML6UQWpVciIeR8mCmyPyY6dpfgMytLPvWAzxgC_IF47cpTmEmI07UQ7rTt2xONyT0-qWHiohzGZxQ2jAXx7Z-9jOYyk0GR1J4EjuCeVn_BA8V65EqL1j6qjspsHKpwjkrHHBP8ZbRWDOJKPKFUra1PoAPVhZXVf4C6wKn1me63h/s320/Maersk-Equal-At-Sea_d.webp" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Fazilette thinks women need to assert themselves too. ‘Nowadays we are led to believe that our managers have the authority to deal with any and all problems. The reality is, it is simply not true.’</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> As bigotry will continue, she advises women to do as she did and challenge the perpetrators. 'Don’t just complain to HR, who may not be effective enough. Deal direct with the men – even captains – who don’t play fair.’ She’s done so, and been surprised at how oppressors have backed down. Respect can indeed come. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The off-the-record stories she’s told me show how much the tables can be turned by a brave challenger. But to my mind, systemic united team efforts, education, a changed culture, and enforced policies really help too.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I look forward to other women of colour getting in touch and telling me about life at sea for them before DEI policies began and sea women were even more isolated.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbyiBOe5it-0vuDojLncGMpyybNlIHLcJnicR9f8NIqjCD7MkpmyMoJ2ITdQMNXAO7dtcD39IEboKJph37ZPOtu6H5K05VrgXSePInHLmr3eCFVl6ZRAHzBWrVlZQ5i4sG6paUCaVFVBJ_GZ2IifStKHxSjpzj4Pq9c1fY3-D2TgeKM7JPC3kIh3AKHi3l/s969/Fazilette%20as%20RO.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="693" data-original-width="969" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbyiBOe5it-0vuDojLncGMpyybNlIHLcJnicR9f8NIqjCD7MkpmyMoJ2ITdQMNXAO7dtcD39IEboKJph37ZPOtu6H5K05VrgXSePInHLmr3eCFVl6ZRAHzBWrVlZQ5i4sG6paUCaVFVBJ_GZ2IifStKHxSjpzj4Pq9c1fY3-D2TgeKM7JPC3kIh3AKHi3l/w400-h286/Fazilette%20as%20RO.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>Dr Jo Stanley, FRHistS.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16615448959846276053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889546505060895080.post-6133395310986819782023-09-15T09:23:00.000-07:002023-11-22T13:06:49.915-08:00Rainbow Seas in Maritime Museums: group summary<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJfDKhGsiA1nVPb8wbjT2KsD6pEBZK-bLq18I6JHpTwGUsYIQtU7CTCOCe55IozxXbre0Sr9cxB7Tb0iq4tMrVp4AHsZkKCtDsDV154JzXOKYJUabGjvLxBzv6AM6HMMX9TatMLnZ6kP1rdTpvEv4fVduf6mCFl0ZWWa84pNynsOH34_LFVF3PBUeQHh8r/s720/nautilus%20pride%20banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="720" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJfDKhGsiA1nVPb8wbjT2KsD6pEBZK-bLq18I6JHpTwGUsYIQtU7CTCOCe55IozxXbre0Sr9cxB7Tb0iq4tMrVp4AHsZkKCtDsDV154JzXOKYJUabGjvLxBzv6AM6HMMX9TatMLnZ6kP1rdTpvEv4fVduf6mCFl0ZWWa84pNynsOH34_LFVF3PBUeQHh8r/w400-h226/nautilus%20pride%20banner.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">There's no doubt about it. Most maritime museums could do with representing aspects of seafaring life that have hitherto been marginalised. That includes the ways LGBT+ seafarers used voyages as a exceptional opportunities to explore new identities and relationships. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">On some ships you could go beyond heteronormatvity. However, it took a while before seafarers could be seen brandishing rainbow flags at Pride (see above). Now there's modern visibility and inclusion, but the history is still under-visible. </span></p><p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgapEY1UV2IcnJwVYF-GNEsd2X2SvHTYUOUodmPodne3QWW0aHFbTlhjgJ-JBHZIkk2gksBVlKb7VpFjlBGB7X5TxJGm1rzyta7zFJriL1ksRapXJbCe7iVClVbh6TxtMeZqcVknZNZaN0DerWZYRyXGcZuwwf3rILvwLwSBHj7ZUE2JeQuN-5aXqXWaon/s822/queer_at_sea_exhibition_maritime_museum_british_columbia_web.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="822" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgapEY1UV2IcnJwVYF-GNEsd2X2SvHTYUOUodmPodne3QWW0aHFbTlhjgJ-JBHZIkk2gksBVlKb7VpFjlBGB7X5TxJGm1rzyta7zFJriL1ksRapXJbCe7iVClVbh6TxtMeZqcVknZNZaN0DerWZYRyXGcZuwwf3rILvwLwSBHj7ZUE2JeQuN-5aXqXWaon/s320/queer_at_sea_exhibition_maritime_museum_british_columbia_web.webp" width="320" /></span></a></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Since 2005 a number of museums in Euope, and two in Canada have put on special temporary exhibitions focused entirely on gay life at sea. See the main images of Victoria, BC, exhibition, right.) </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Other museums arrange events for LGBT+ History Month every February.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Curators and community outreach staff who work in this area are often trailblazers. They seek hard-to-find artefacts, struggle to be diplomatic, and sometimes face homophobic responses by visitors. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Having experienced and supportive mates helps. Friendly peers share advice, explore, get inspired by others' ideas and endlessly seek to do better. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The Rainbow Seas in Maritime Museums group has shared expertise remotely zoom for nearly two years. This blog is my attempt, as chair, to summarise it as I see it. And I do so in the hope that others with join in.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Describing a group that is evolving all the time is not easy. But these common FAQ's will help put you in the picture.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>1.What does it do?</b> Works informally via 90-minute meetings over Zoom to ensure the diverse history of LGBT+ life on ships and in ports is better represented in museums.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>2. Who's in it?</b> A small group of people in Europe, but with speakers from other time zones when possible. Members are employed by museums, or work with them as expert consultants or interns. Some identify as queer, and some are queer allies. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>3. When do you meet?</b> About every two months over Zoom, usually on a Friday morning (agreed at the previous meeting). The meetings are recorded so if you miss one you can still see the video of what happened, and make comments etc by email afterwards.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>4. What happens in a typical meeting?</b> We check in briefly with news about what we are doing. Then the agreed speaker describes their current exhibition work (for example in Bergen 2023, see main image, left.) Or the guest speaker contributes for 30 mins on a particular area. About 20 mins chat follows, which usually involves a lot of sharing and recommending. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUFmMAm2Qc9kh6putKJC2wMuqj1cnX_49T2nwps_oKpLjBXS38GxRodDiV1GegmB6sirjQD6QRBx1dBDhYP2DkH1zDkz_ISzK63RdAMxt3yv081VHFKT5EvtlcC0XOgo_HTcijH4O8vA8MrI-FoWhnDDRKDwM8eNfx9aSRSCnnDWCkIjbhUUbvCVEiLSIK/s526/queer%20seafarers%20Bergen%20exhibition%20pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="526" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUFmMAm2Qc9kh6putKJC2wMuqj1cnX_49T2nwps_oKpLjBXS38GxRodDiV1GegmB6sirjQD6QRBx1dBDhYP2DkH1zDkz_ISzK63RdAMxt3yv081VHFKT5EvtlcC0XOgo_HTcijH4O8vA8MrI-FoWhnDDRKDwM8eNfx9aSRSCnnDWCkIjbhUUbvCVEiLSIK/s320/queer%20seafarers%20Bergen%20exhibition%20pic.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></div><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>5, How are meetings recorded</b>? On the agreed platform, e.g. Teams. We do so because we see ourselves as creating something useful we can offer to the future. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Sometimes I write a reflective diary,. I hope others do too. I circulate mine by email but am not sure anyone reads it!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>6.</b><b> What has the group done? </b>In 2022, when we began, three members were putting on displays about queer seafarers. Two others had already done so. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Veterans offered a hand to the newcomers: this was both formal and informal consultancy. A key question was ‘How do we get hold of evidence?’ The answer: 'By appealing to older seafarers to come forward with artefacts and oral testimony and see themselves educators of newcomers.' </span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw_5hUa_rX9Ugc-ueHRAf3dLnjUBar8KT_Fo8Xa3La0eWWyMpXyBK7IuzlwHc9mCjnaqFv3wAhogC9aM38480Voz_AxphFj2DWpikdYFExUw0SYm9atI_YqR0Cf3n70LQzLxLR9muBTYqdY2g480zT7uT_0_DoKP6yIx0TQVbURYJAxBBLiFHN7KqvEkCK/s1600/charles%20traa%20and%20friend%20by%20fancy%20car%20in%20port.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1071" data-original-width="1600" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw_5hUa_rX9Ugc-ueHRAf3dLnjUBar8KT_Fo8Xa3La0eWWyMpXyBK7IuzlwHc9mCjnaqFv3wAhogC9aM38480Voz_AxphFj2DWpikdYFExUw0SYm9atI_YqR0Cf3n70LQzLxLR9muBTYqdY2g480zT7uT_0_DoKP6yIx0TQVbURYJAxBBLiFHN7KqvEkCK/s320/charles%20traa%20and%20friend%20by%20fancy%20car%20in%20port.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Community participation is seen as invaluable. (Pictured, former steward Charles Traa and friend in foreign port. Charles was proud to help Amsterdam's National Maritime Museum by sharing his photo albums and being videod.)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>7. Who are your guest speakers? </b> Sometimes we invite in speakers from the maritime industry today. That way, historical displays can be made relevant to present times and the future. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>8. What’s next? </b> It’s hard to know. It seems likely that some members will fall away because, having put on a exhibition focused on gay life, they now have to move on to mounting their next exhibition. It’s likely that they will be less frequent partiicipants, there in spirit but not in person. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I certainly hope that people working with other maritime museums keen to represent the subject will join in. A dynamic organisation will be shaped by newcomers and new moves, such as rainbow capitalism. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>9. What future speakers do you have lined up?</b> Professor Seth Stein LeJaq will speak at our next meeting, about using early Royal Navy archives. Our group members are always keen to work with local LGBT+ organisations including archives and universities. Luckily most museums offer talks programmes now, and even podcasts, which continue to expand the positive effects of an exhibition long after it's over. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">And it seems possible that we may work with people in ports about queer seafarers’ use of ‘cottages’, gay brothels, Turkish baths, Seamen’s Homes. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Antwerp, Australia and the Far East seem to be emerging as possible partners. We will be drawing in historians of queer life who are not necessarily interested in seafarers. Together we can make connections.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>10. What are the side benefits of joining this peer support group with all its potential to help research?</b> </span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">maritime museums are supported in being more inclusive (and thereby attracting new audiences)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">museum workers don’t 'reinvent wheels'. It’s likely that increased international agency and consultancy will evolve</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>there’s a domino effect: other museums will consider what they can do, even of it’s only expand their archives, not put on a whole exhibition.</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>11. How to join? </b>Contact me by email in the first instance. Then I will put you on mailing list. </span></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Reading more </span></h2><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><div><b>Start here.</b> For an introduction and recommeded reading see the LGBT+ Sea page on my website: http://jostanley.biz/the_sea_and_lgbt_plus.html</div><div><br /></div><div><b>To read the latest on gay sea exhibitions see my articles:</b></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><i>'Rainbow Seas Swelling</i>:', <i>Lloyd's Register Foundation Heritage and Education Centre</i>, 20 June 2022, https://hec.lrfoundation.org.uk/whats-on/stories/rainbow-sea-swelling </li><li>'Museum musings: a cultural update from the world's maritime museums', <i>Nautilus Telegraph</i>, 26 August 2022, https://www.nautilusint.org/en/news-insight/telegraph/museum-musings-a-cultural-update-from-the-worlds-maritime-museums/</li></ul></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Filmed talks by me. </b></div><div>2023. “Revealing queer maritime history: international museums’ LGBT+ sea exhibitions,” Blaydes Maritime Centre webinar, University of Hull, May 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPqJ-8tRXeA&t=74s</div><div>2023. “Entertaining 4 Sanity@sea: Hull's glitzy ship’s steward Roy ‘Wendy’ Gibson and the history of shipboard entertainment,“ University of Hull, Blaydes Maritime Centre webinar, Feb 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGg9seH4tgg&t=646s</div><div>2023. “A Whirlwind Tour of a Jigsaw 1600-2020. 400 packed years of LGBTQI+ maritime history, “ Maritime UK, Pride in Diversity network webinar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nslyxO679Po</div><div>2008. Homotopia. “Hello Sailor,” filmed interview with me touring an interviewer round the Merseyside Maritime Museum version of the Hello Sailor exhibition, 2008. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFhyEGdEAJA</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_sbknzzaZQVn50PshItadiluJcjj8Ai2eRb6xRx6rSOZB-ZUrZ_KOotmoA-PxxZlLZSXpF-Gvh6f0JR-uqDrdNUKtKJVP9K9IM9Faeh2cP1qvHmmz2alnOUrCUzKpAhw0-zTjyKnnH1F1AQ9ci2Oh1M5XCVu4yxSLA81nVFj54RLSGuB55EylLGwDBQQZ/s1229/0%20Pride%20in%20Maritime%20Day%20logo%20large%20jpeg.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1229" data-original-width="886" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_sbknzzaZQVn50PshItadiluJcjj8Ai2eRb6xRx6rSOZB-ZUrZ_KOotmoA-PxxZlLZSXpF-Gvh6f0JR-uqDrdNUKtKJVP9K9IM9Faeh2cP1qvHmmz2alnOUrCUzKpAhw0-zTjyKnnH1F1AQ9ci2Oh1M5XCVu4yxSLA81nVFj54RLSGuB55EylLGwDBQQZ/w144-h200/0%20Pride%20in%20Maritime%20Day%20logo%20large%20jpeg.jpeg" width="144" /></a></div><br /></div></span></div>Dr Jo Stanley, FRHistS.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16615448959846276053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889546505060895080.post-12955739334596553282023-08-27T03:28:00.005-07:002023-09-06T10:38:44.142-07:00Pioneering trans ex-Wren dies: Mark Rees WRNS<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVxafqsRv_itnLWvfYDSBiCYlsJlQvRXQ2vSvwrE8d_H_Eg2Am7Z8SrZxd1vh9_nos3rhhp3RsnDt1GnvY0dZpMptCWKMLnaoe9MGhlv-D1Ptm-bW2SFvmpVPLu7BA9uvWCDGrRlczYZHcfqoMka9Sk45-bBgBhJnt7F3EwHTSDB4ti4mI1sl_8C3mYSXZ/s200/mark%20rees.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="160" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVxafqsRv_itnLWvfYDSBiCYlsJlQvRXQ2vSvwrE8d_H_Eg2Am7Z8SrZxd1vh9_nos3rhhp3RsnDt1GnvY0dZpMptCWKMLnaoe9MGhlv-D1Ptm-bW2SFvmpVPLu7BA9uvWCDGrRlczYZHcfqoMka9Sk45-bBgBhJnt7F3EwHTSDB4ti4mI1sl_8C3mYSXZ/w256-h320/mark%20rees.jpg" width="256" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Trans rights advocate and author Mark Rees, who died 26 July, was the second former Wren (member of the Women's Royal Naval Service) to transition.* The funeral was 23 August.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Mark used the pronoun 'he' later. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">He was first trans person to take a case to the European Court of Human Rights. While not successful in 1987, his campaigning in Press for Change had a major impact for decades.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christine Burns, trans actvist, was the first to make the announcement on social media. She's interviewed Mark too.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">#<span style="color: #ffa400;"><b><u> hear</u></b> </span>her very moving interview at https://lgbtplushistorymonth.co.uk/2008/02/interview-with-trans-pioneer-mark-rees/. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">#<u><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b> see</b> </span></u>chapter 7 of her book </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Trans Britain. </i></span></div><div><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">--</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Mark (1942-23) was known for activism much later, not for being a 'lady Tar'. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">He was a WRNS driver 1962-64: a 'Motor Transport Wren'. **</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I tried to interview him, for my book, <i>Women in the Royal Navy</i>, and then for an article on Trans seafarers. He never replied to my correspondence. I respected his choice - but regretted it. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">His dad Hubert Rees, known as William, was a merchant seaman who became an officer. Mark wanted to go to sea too. But women in the WRNS were not allowed to do so in until 1990. It appears that he didn't consider joining the MN.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Mark's career as a Wren included being interviewed aboard Captain Scott's <i>Discovery</i> at the Embankment; trained at Burghfield, then at RNAS <i>Culdrose,</i> Cornwall; and later drafted to HMS <i>Excellent</i> in Portsmouth. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Mark was treated as a 'homosexual' when in the WRNS. At the time it was a homophobic organisation. The word 'trans' was barely used.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">'I explained that it was my lack of femininity which posed more problems than my supposed sexuality,' Mark said in his autobiography (p56). 'Because of the lack of information, I regarded myself as some kind of "deviant" lesbian. I couldn't find another label.'</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXG1Fvc7Rc8z1Ini0ca4HqlX0KdA17CM_NjYsIw4rYZaHDLw_-leRDRbjr2SK5Ht3bmTJkxoYdGK_iUaN0a-vFmgLxWod2kFAstAspfRPma181o511muucke6mXZnjY5YywB2RJL24wYMCGqXAxoc8r0p1f_EZ0Vxqe98hdqeT0W4D4sjZdKNk7h0HXc82/s640/Mark%20Rees%20with%20cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="382" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXG1Fvc7Rc8z1Ini0ca4HqlX0KdA17CM_NjYsIw4rYZaHDLw_-leRDRbjr2SK5Ht3bmTJkxoYdGK_iUaN0a-vFmgLxWod2kFAstAspfRPma181o511muucke6mXZnjY5YywB2RJL24wYMCGqXAxoc8r0p1f_EZ0Vxqe98hdqeT0W4D4sjZdKNk7h0HXc82/s320/Mark%20Rees%20with%20cat.jpg" width="191" /></a></span></div><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The Navy was far from understanding about diversity at that point. And some WRNS friends and officers were troubling too. But he was helped to a degree by:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"># Ken, the RNAS <i>Culdros</i>e chaplain, with whom he remained in touch for 40 years</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"># the Senior Medical Officer at <i>Culdrose</i>, who nevertheleess 'was unable to offer any other hope regarding a "sex change". "No doctor would do that; he would regard it as a mutilation" . The doctor was obviously unware there had been two female-to-male changes in the 1940s UK.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"># a kind psychiatrist at the Portsmouth naval barracks who wanted Mark to do psychoanalysis twice a week for two years. 'I couldn't understand what the point of it all was. They'd not succeed in making me feminine unless they gave me a brain transplant.'</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"># warmly supportive WRNS Second Officer Nancy Thomson 'was probably of more help than the psychiatrist . I remain indebted to her.' (Nancy went on to become Deputy Director of the WRNS in 1977, active in WRNS Benevolent Trust, and was always renowned for humanity).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"># Netley Military Psychiatric Hospital, who labelled Mark 'homosexual' and recommended a medical discharge as 'I was never going to settle in the service ... [so] it was almost a relief.' </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">He transitioned in 1971 and published his memoir, "Dear Sir or Madam" (Cassell) in 1996. https://www.abebooks.co.uk/.../Dear-Sir-Madam.../plp. The WRNS bit is on pp50-67.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b><u>Other Wrens and diversity</u></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtwAJuLVdlM1Kj3pJbOvIpLX3xVBNJzH8_PRxb2euGpCih6TF9KcyhDtoVJXbnE5KsDuJAieaZTNaCD_x7eVMtla_U5hbUBO6wK-7J7azIpJlXLqwvlrdUFz6TZ8p1iN0I78qs5lHMi2gOygbJGerS_51qnE6s8pfvB9cDYbx6g3PWpBYYigBpiBz54A0m/s1200/nancy%20spain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtwAJuLVdlM1Kj3pJbOvIpLX3xVBNJzH8_PRxb2euGpCih6TF9KcyhDtoVJXbnE5KsDuJAieaZTNaCD_x7eVMtla_U5hbUBO6wK-7J7azIpJlXLqwvlrdUFz6TZ8p1iN0I78qs5lHMi2gOygbJGerS_51qnE6s8pfvB9cDYbx6g3PWpBYYigBpiBz54A0m/w200-h113/nancy%20spain.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">*The first known Wren to transition was Stephen Davis, in 1961. Born in 1936 in rural County Durham. On marriage to a navy artificer this Wren found they could no longer pretend all was well in terms of identity. They and their husband split up. </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGJUjyrDcB9p9T7bNAifTSxOr84qZYSQievRG6WJyttdfByDpIpwhzy9CPE81wEID9K_02hLz8I-dVSDJTQ5xa6gKe4z-hyF25SL6A0775FEjSGccZYKL9WPYfitAGmUItEoF7avExSSMHLRo-tvyciY_YpdAMMipxih8uZE8GO2UyMJQe77NJBZ0lMTMo/s299/Joan%20Werner%20Laurie%201927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="299" data-original-width="250" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGJUjyrDcB9p9T7bNAifTSxOr84qZYSQievRG6WJyttdfByDpIpwhzy9CPE81wEID9K_02hLz8I-dVSDJTQ5xa6gKe4z-hyF25SL6A0775FEjSGccZYKL9WPYfitAGmUItEoF7avExSSMHLRo-tvyciY_YpdAMMipxih8uZE8GO2UyMJQe77NJBZ0lMTMo/w167-h200/Joan%20Werner%20Laurie%201927.jpg" width="167" /></a>Stephen re-joined the WRNS, left again, and later transitioned F to M in the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne. Later they worked as a market clerk and planned to marry their cis girlfriend. No more is known.</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">** </span><span style="font-family: arial;"> Other path-breaking </span><span style="font-family: arial;">'Motor Transport Wrens' were the famous lesbian WW2 Wren Nancy Spain. (top pic). </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Later a broadcaster, Nancy(1917-64) was never formally out. </span></span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjInxJCEtfmf6W1T16mOTj1RFY_1UqLWPWDDilxJcwkc5aQsDErXvdfoE3ggb28g-tmGX3u079j7HJoPWxt41TVVVV7BJ88jHts5-UlHHkQknPSYqZlIt7cwzSdY_7W-Z766OXu5ciDpqZFSzSkKzeca4FN9mgyIP9IVWGAcXeHYu6YKv3zdtAnMEKzWvCv/s557/Sheila%20van%20damm.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="557" data-original-width="388" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjInxJCEtfmf6W1T16mOTj1RFY_1UqLWPWDDilxJcwkc5aQsDErXvdfoE3ggb28g-tmGX3u079j7HJoPWxt41TVVVV7BJ88jHts5-UlHHkQknPSYqZlIt7cwzSdY_7W-Z766OXu5ciDpqZFSzSkKzeca4FN9mgyIP9IVWGAcXeHYu6YKv3zdtAnMEKzWvCv/w139-h200/Sheila%20van%20damm.png" width="139" /></span></a><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Her partner was another Wren driver, publisher Joan Werner Laurie 1920-1964. (Middle pic) </span><span style="font-family: arial;">For a time Nancy and Joan had a triangular arrangement with racing driver Sheila Van Damm. (Lower pic). </span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">If only Mark could have met them back them. His 1960s would have been a little easier.</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><div><br /></div></div>Dr Jo Stanley, FRHistS.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16615448959846276053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889546505060895080.post-41509133969335549882023-04-21T15:30:00.000-07:002023-04-21T15:30:26.009-07:00How is Nelson’s daughter connected to seafarers‘ welfare? Dorothy Caulfield's progress<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZkzUYgQwEiUHXcjsSIQHRjkOqHqPsQFJaj6sS6C2RHPHaZVDd57NOSkSfYUnd47JJ_Hw43NEoyqRxshI18eGxy14mCTm6YuPVOzmzcMwhLPE6P9RIN2g6IrRAoQ_qPbT3DLotLa0y6rzjMvI8cJZ4_nBZjtvxky24_j4jJWSHyY6QvtehCb5_Gh34Vw/s1992/Hon.%20Dorothy%20Nelson-Ward%20from%20ancestry,%20courtesy%20of%20David%20Bullock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1992" data-original-width="1280" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZkzUYgQwEiUHXcjsSIQHRjkOqHqPsQFJaj6sS6C2RHPHaZVDd57NOSkSfYUnd47JJ_Hw43NEoyqRxshI18eGxy14mCTm6YuPVOzmzcMwhLPE6P9RIN2g6IrRAoQ_qPbT3DLotLa0y6rzjMvI8cJZ4_nBZjtvxky24_j4jJWSHyY6QvtehCb5_Gh34Vw/w258-h400/Hon.%20Dorothy%20Nelson-Ward%20from%20ancestry,%20courtesy%20of%20David%20Bullock.jpg" width="258" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNM4_7eIQZk2XbLa4eTXYMs5vVQGWjIwOHA-R3SPHCaFnzS-vvFa_I9dfVXeFFjZCu3UbYck9hdpRQQNI68Fw4hXTt5wztq17Uw4ryTRohYEEKQEskYV8m35TJweNAt0erAPBtImItzO_zNVt7NmazlGevOUJ_oR9RIGTqzwvsJOqzdI5rYyiEc6D0Pg/s500/Regina%20Hotel%20Bath%20blitzed%20%20D%20Nelson%20Ward%20and%20sis%20Rachel%20Caulfield.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="378" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNM4_7eIQZk2XbLa4eTXYMs5vVQGWjIwOHA-R3SPHCaFnzS-vvFa_I9dfVXeFFjZCu3UbYck9hdpRQQNI68Fw4hXTt5wztq17Uw4ryTRohYEEKQEskYV8m35TJweNAt0erAPBtImItzO_zNVt7NmazlGevOUJ_oR9RIGTqzwvsJOqzdI5rYyiEc6D0Pg/w242-h320/Regina%20Hotel%20Bath%20blitzed%20%20D%20Nelson%20Ward%20and%20sis%20Rachel%20Caulfield.jpg" width="242" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">On this day she .... on Sunday April 26 1942 Dorothy Nelson-Ward, age 54, (pictured) died in a German air attack on Bath’s Regina Hotel (picture on right). </span></p></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In these repr</span><span style="font-family: arial;">isal raids for RAF bombings of Rostov and Lubeck </span><span style="font-family: arial;">26 other guests died too, including Dorothy's sister Rachel Caulfield. The high fatality rate is thought to be because guests refused to use the hotel’s basement shelter</span><span style="font-family: arial;">. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dorothy matters because in 1933 she founded the Watch Ashore, the support organisation for partners of merchant seafarers. It still thrives today.</span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1tUs7ps8JqNw7feyrMZr-S64BMtYs-nOPWqIs3LXitZ8Xnk4PGkcmFV2MUDg6d7exSpJrNZ5-nrcCqu70-DAUWKoD2dS0M81AqQCikC8zd-4ZrkGu5xov2KRNq-nhh9FXex_Ma381wgFaHmYFyfil1QxYTCtuqA4MAqKV_Q6RR-ga4j_NfYcWtoEvVg/s219/coombs.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="219" data-original-width="182" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1tUs7ps8JqNw7feyrMZr-S64BMtYs-nOPWqIs3LXitZ8Xnk4PGkcmFV2MUDg6d7exSpJrNZ5-nrcCqu70-DAUWKoD2dS0M81AqQCikC8zd-4ZrkGu5xov2KRNq-nhh9FXex_Ma381wgFaHmYFyfil1QxYTCtuqA4MAqKV_Q6RR-ga4j_NfYcWtoEvVg/w166-h200/coombs.jpeg" width="166" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">How did the Watch Ashore come about, under the aegis of the former Dorothy Caulfield? </span><span style="font-family: arial;">After all, the elite </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Dubliner</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> was not a merchant seafarer herself. Her husband, Admiral Philip Nelson-Ward was Royal Navy. And her titled late father had been an Assistant Principal Clerk in the Admiralty.</span></span><div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The answer is that a committed and enterprising visitor to her home told her stories that inspired her: William Harry Coombs (pictured): jovial, 4ft 10 inches tall, full of concern. <br /> </span></span></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Inspired, near Chichester</span></span></h3><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioLQysmtXfNV1S-f_WGYXyyRFtETwIYiNCFEUj-c5H-pCPBDwgPX23WbasoSzD2PgssY4hgYOUcVVAfYkMvVqG4a5p6MIJTR4-n8EuKKTcA8aEqg0sxKGYub1IY9VIGuf6tDfol4LWFRybRJgBvEN_fw0ntwZmw24W-PG46zMqI8duRqK1BqYPVNcY5w/s92/Crocker%20Hill%20house.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="92" data-original-width="92" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioLQysmtXfNV1S-f_WGYXyyRFtETwIYiNCFEUj-c5H-pCPBDwgPX23WbasoSzD2PgssY4hgYOUcVVAfYkMvVqG4a5p6MIJTR4-n8EuKKTcA8aEqg0sxKGYub1IY9VIGuf6tDfol4LWFRybRJgBvEN_fw0ntwZmw24W-PG46zMqI8duRqK1BqYPVNcY5w/w320-h320/Crocker%20Hill%20house.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">In 1928 Dorothy’s husband Philip Nelson-Ward, was involved in founding the Officers (Merchant Navy) Federation, and had become its president. He remained active in it. Sometimes Captain William Coombs, the leader, came to their home at Crocker Hill House, Boxgrove, West Sussex (pictured) to talk business.<br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">According to Coombs’ own history of the Watch Ashore, ‘The Honourable Mrs. Nelson-Ward was keenly interested in these discussions and often said to her husband that the wives and mothers of officers would be only too eager to help in the cause of reform ....</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">‘Why should there not be a definite association of womenfolk, relatives of Merchant Navy officers? So asked Mrs. Nelson-Ward.‘</span></span></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Blooming in London then in branches nationwide</span></span></h4><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFq90whILAoATQReAkldKv5INw8191N5uA1kaFIt3A4XsCuE0-jLsDCkUa-0ZK2jbnm4fERnBykJSYg1mCahYQtMAWELYcl7kwfEBdAIoV1LxPk2Eb8xygfz-flDo_PFDcYZZYsrN2JGWjzMRsbD75QjOljcB5ocIisa1FYV2Hjo0L8bYW-hXE9bQ_LQ/s225/watch%20ashore.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFq90whILAoATQReAkldKv5INw8191N5uA1kaFIt3A4XsCuE0-jLsDCkUa-0ZK2jbnm4fERnBykJSYg1mCahYQtMAWELYcl7kwfEBdAIoV1LxPk2Eb8xygfz-flDo_PFDcYZZYsrN2JGWjzMRsbD75QjOljcB5ocIisa1FYV2Hjo0L8bYW-hXE9bQ_LQ/s1600/watch%20ashore.jpeg" width="225" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">And so the Watch Ashore began in 1933. ‘Mrs. Nelson-Ward set out a sound, practical idea of a body that would not be a women’s club on the pattern of those already existing. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">‘It would be an organization for the specific purpose of its members getting to know each other and working for the same end: to stimulate public interest in all matters concerning the Merchant Navy and its officers, and to enlist public support for the reforms which were urgently necessary. ‘</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The founders ‘set up a ... “ginger group” which would involve itself in writing letters to Members of Parliament, getting publicity in the Press, trying to interest influential people in the pressing problems of the Merchant Navy.’</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">On 20th February, 1933 Dorothy convened the first meeting, at the Officers (Merchant Navy) Federation premises. The Rules agreed that they shall 'form a bond of mutual interest between the wives, mothers, sisters, daughters and others interested in the wellbeing of the Officer personnel of the Merchant Navy of the British Empire' and 'further and promote the objects of the Officers (MN) Federation'. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Other women, such as Lady Headley, the wife of master mariner, took on the leading roles. The branches flourished.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There had been similar organisations before, including city mission-type bodies run by ladies who pitied the RN sailor figure, and the Royal Naval Wives’ Association which was run by wives of naval officers. But never before had Merchant Navy officers' wives united as part of the organised labour movement.</span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC989cO7Xn781EAz8kduEEh5r4R7-h6vySAyMfLOHeClECAI2TtIBReBApapXPiMgEUbpE_m9ctVDlVBigFXpr9DKumFdlVVD_WjlMhG7b1V11SM-5iCaecMs_Q24CFyItpbcQEt32noN1LqR6UsvE0QZU09jUmwxxqffqmhIipSiXJGawwEO5uRHnlQ/s680/NEOU%20offices%20Royal%20Arcade,%20Newcastle.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="680" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC989cO7Xn781EAz8kduEEh5r4R7-h6vySAyMfLOHeClECAI2TtIBReBApapXPiMgEUbpE_m9ctVDlVBigFXpr9DKumFdlVVD_WjlMhG7b1V11SM-5iCaecMs_Q24CFyItpbcQEt32noN1LqR6UsvE0QZU09jUmwxxqffqmhIipSiXJGawwEO5uRHnlQ/s320/NEOU%20offices%20Royal%20Arcade,%20Newcastle.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><p>Two years later, in 1935, the ‘men’s federation’ had become the Navigators' and Engineering Officers' Union, the forerunner of today’s Nautilus International. William Coombs became its General Secretary and possibly the Nelson-Wards were at a launch event.</p><p>(Pictured the Royal Arcade, Newcastle, offices of the union, which Watch Ahore members would have likely used for their 1940s meetings.) </p></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Irene, William’s wife, had become active in what was in effect the union’s gendered auxiliary, the Watch Ashore. It seems that possibly she and Dorothy worked closely together, just as their husbands had done.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In 1937 Dorothy Nelson-Ward became a widow, living on at Crocker Hill House with her sister Rachel. The Watch Ashore had been going for just over nine years when the Luftwaffe bomb put an end to Dorothy’s life five years later. She is mentioned on Philip's memorial at Boxgrove, see picture below.</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-UeunXwy1fIDhGev81Zgcf7GC4sW0o4Nm062d1Qkrf68KaByg-uHHFHHJhHXhlNWCSD58K9fvtAf21twVLNKyW2lhi0mk1tFwdf5mQMwLyBv-uhLIrl9W8QFFC5sTIiAo_JSzoMkSufRlYKRtNx9MOmejeNgAS3cToInayQ5N_0zEJYvzL6vmSHZqA/s500/Philip%20Nelson-Ward%20tomb%20Boxgrove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="500" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-UeunXwy1fIDhGev81Zgcf7GC4sW0o4Nm062d1Qkrf68KaByg-uHHFHHJhHXhlNWCSD58K9fvtAf21twVLNKyW2lhi0mk1tFwdf5mQMwLyBv-uhLIrl9W8QFFC5sTIiAo_JSzoMkSufRlYKRtNx9MOmejeNgAS3cToInayQ5N_0zEJYvzL6vmSHZqA/w400-h300/Philip%20Nelson-Ward%20tomb%20Boxgrove.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Irene Combs, the Watch Ashore’s vice-president and treasurer, kept on battling. In 1956 she was honoured for services to the Merchant Navy. Dorothy had not been given a similar award.</span></span></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhefqn4Gv4a4nXpGezpv3mhqn7C9AF-yVPiPka6xwIT0Hv4GxSbVPATN8F_B1p6ljPVGT8bA1N6pkL7UkaU-5IZf3FxpPwEwBv5sq94HCSUCnSitHK-TcYVTDeqklgUblwo6rOJUlsOWr8asQswwX_-EZXNOGDeVWfURUhR_cw_r22ksOxIw4Oaa38cqg/s540/horatia%20nelson%20ward.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="380" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhefqn4Gv4a4nXpGezpv3mhqn7C9AF-yVPiPka6xwIT0Hv4GxSbVPATN8F_B1p6ljPVGT8bA1N6pkL7UkaU-5IZf3FxpPwEwBv5sq94HCSUCnSitHK-TcYVTDeqklgUblwo6rOJUlsOWr8asQswwX_-EZXNOGDeVWfURUhR_cw_r22ksOxIw4Oaa38cqg/s320/horatia%20nelson%20ward.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>The Nelson link</span></span></h4><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">What’s the connection with Nelson? Dorothy was the granddaughter-in-law of Horatia Nelson (pictured), Admiral Lord Nelson’s daughter by Emma, Lady Hamilton. Horatia begat Philip, who later fathered the Philip whom Dorothy married. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dorothy did not meet Horatia (1801-1881), who died a year before Dorothy was born in 1882. But Dorothy lived with Elizabeth Horatia Somerset, Philip Nelson-Ward’s sister, in Portsmouth. </span></span></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Finding out more</span></span></h4><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Anyone wishing to learn more about the Watch Ashore can find its archives at Hull archives. See https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/search/archives/ffeb35fa-fd29-3437-ac86-861f94150a91. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Watch Ashore can be visited via:</span></span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Facebook: </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/watchashore">https://www.facebook.com/watchashore</a></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/watchashore,">https://twitter.com/watchashore</a></span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> W</span><span style="font-family: arial;">ebsite: </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://watchashore.org.uk/">https://watchashore.org.uk/</a></span></span></li></ul><p></p></div>Dr Jo Stanley, FRHistS.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16615448959846276053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889546505060895080.post-78866449833286004662023-03-17T11:41:00.000-07:002023-03-17T11:41:29.822-07:00My Mike Stammers Memorial Lecture 2023: Ayahs as "worker-passengers"<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr4dnHr1AP8Pb9LYTTYtu9eyt7r5L55JAcqwXiXVC3PyEZljrAYLiM013xokXnI1MfQNJ7NwlXMhTSH_o6agUvvtsdI2OWecQYDDTrq9IzN_Fu-gSkDYmkasnQaymiW7MhXHmB8IT9z6VGT2AMedbRsT6IMpDW3xq8wCfdotDpviqjrAJD70hXEFhypA/s5766/Furniss%20P&O%20ayah%20low%20res%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3909" data-original-width="5766" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr4dnHr1AP8Pb9LYTTYtu9eyt7r5L55JAcqwXiXVC3PyEZljrAYLiM013xokXnI1MfQNJ7NwlXMhTSH_o6agUvvtsdI2OWecQYDDTrq9IzN_Fu-gSkDYmkasnQaymiW7MhXHmB8IT9z6VGT2AMedbRsT6IMpDW3xq8wCfdotDpviqjrAJD70hXEFhypA/w400-h271/Furniss%20P&O%20ayah%20low%20res%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><p><u>Race, gender and class: ayahs and amahs as “worker-passengers” in British ships 1890-1950</u></p></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I'm honoured to be giving the Mike Stammers Memorial Lecture 2023. It explores maritime equality, diversity and inclusion. Understanding ayahs helps us understand an overlooked intersection of race, gender and class on ships in the past.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">WHERE? Merseyside Maritime Museum, Liverpool </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">WHEN? Wed 24 May at 5.30pm BST. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">COST? It's free. No need to book.</span></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">What am I saying?</span></h3><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">New ideas about equality, diversity, and inclusion are enriching maritime historiography. Exploring transnational movement by a significant group of mobile subjects -- Asian nannies -- enables us to gain fresh understandings of how intersectionality worked on early 20C ships. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV_6qZfM_dlHom0Ld-u8fp3zWQEW3JdlCkyIPReT9MuzLryVGMl26KJ4WR90LT_Qmb-Dp5jMYQK3OfTSCWMW44vnrZebS7EJlm8zTk1AQdI4_RRfD8q-xqXeP1WdbpGo7zWeOJ-_ryIrU4R-Kqmis6iFOKvW49Sl6gG2H2MIAdlZXOs-wpiBkk04P4Ug/s650/DLI%20family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="650" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV_6qZfM_dlHom0Ld-u8fp3zWQEW3JdlCkyIPReT9MuzLryVGMl26KJ4WR90LT_Qmb-Dp5jMYQK3OfTSCWMW44vnrZebS7EJlm8zTk1AQdI4_RRfD8q-xqXeP1WdbpGo7zWeOJ-_ryIrU4R-Kqmis6iFOKvW49Sl6gG2H2MIAdlZXOs-wpiBkk04P4Ug/w320-h253/DLI%20family.jpg" width="320" /></a></span>Thousands of Indian ayahs and amahs (Japanese, Chinese and Malaysian nannies) travelled round the British empire creating domestic comfort afloat. They were non-kin members of the Raj families they accompanied. (Pic shows ayah and other Asian members of This Durham Light Infantry household).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Voyages changed ayahs. In gendered, racialized and very hierarchical colonial times these non-white, poorly-educated, female domestic workers gained unusual mobility and motility. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Conversely, ayahs changed voyaging. For example, segregationist policies and practises led to ship’s architects creating ayahs’ bathrooms aboard.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">This talk looks at ayahs and amahs as part of an under-researched group: worker-passengers. They were neither seafarers nor passengers -- but almost fish <i>and </i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i>S</i>uch voyagers included maids, valets, bearers and governesses. Like all passengers these servants had paid-for tickets. But for them the trip was not a leisurely interlude; they laboured throughout the voyage for the family who paid for that ticket.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Ayahs' subjective, segregated and exceptional experiences differed from those of the maritime labourers who were directly employed by shipping companies. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Unlike Lascars who routinely serviced the vessel, ay</span><span style="font-family: arial;">ahs were intimately connected to their bosses on relatively one-off voyages. In that way they were u</span><span style="font-family: arial;">nlike the w</span><span style="font-family: arial;">hite stewardesses who did care work,</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> processing multiple batches of human cargo on repetitious trips.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Ayahs’ own testimony is barely visible. They are usually nameless. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The quantitative evidence used in this talk includes the freshly-sorted data I have derived from passenger lists. </span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZWcwqBBoNZdC1AhgpCw-OYtIUXD-dNsxjJDtv8lsCeA8nMHXlqd0WOkFsiiIP9iQ_ygbTbcns-9KwUpE_BB99Kon99usnSvUeeWcz775kvSXgZpvx3fCROOgIRE-IbnI0c3Tw-9wOoXnPs_CK-w1XL_AngoDyfaFqUmDP-GD_KCOKUNXXdexAVP4-Gg/s604/her%20name%20is%20lita%20poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; font-family: arial; font-size: large; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="427" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZWcwqBBoNZdC1AhgpCw-OYtIUXD-dNsxjJDtv8lsCeA8nMHXlqd0WOkFsiiIP9iQ_ygbTbcns-9KwUpE_BB99Kon99usnSvUeeWcz775kvSXgZpvx3fCROOgIRE-IbnI0c3Tw-9wOoXnPs_CK-w1XL_AngoDyfaFqUmDP-GD_KCOKUNXXdexAVP4-Gg/s320/her%20name%20is%20lita%20poster.jpg" width="226" /></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">This numerical data is triangulated with: </span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">genealogical information about ayahs’ employers</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">varied travellers’ voyage descriptions</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">newspaper reports of ayah-related crime</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">recent interviews with ayahs’ (now elderly) carees. </span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The lenses used include those generated by the new international working party on ayahs and amahs. This contextualises ayahs along with today’s airborne chattels, often Filipinas. Such intimate care workers' oppressive conditions are now recognised by activists. (See activist poster).</span></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div>LIVERPOOL ANGLES</div><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzkuPvcEv-595-4KUnALDt1NKbWmkxWmEJJMOE9O3V5G0tOxaOz3UjneC3OJsoAx-4CEwLy35Fnlfn3qJFVZH-NaJWdM7Ee6uyFzR8pKNLgYfghH9cTid3UaaQFwYzADbGsiafXswS3v_bVdbMFvnu8p0QtIw72zCjR8MyL6Abn6rzLeUYf6UK0-HpdA/s267/liverpool%20docks.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="267" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzkuPvcEv-595-4KUnALDt1NKbWmkxWmEJJMOE9O3V5G0tOxaOz3UjneC3OJsoAx-4CEwLy35Fnlfn3qJFVZH-NaJWdM7Ee6uyFzR8pKNLgYfghH9cTid3UaaQFwYzADbGsiafXswS3v_bVdbMFvnu8p0QtIw72zCjR8MyL6Abn6rzLeUYf6UK0-HpdA/s1600/liverpool%20docks.jpeg" width="267" /></a></div></span><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Many ayahs sailed to and from Liverpool, including on Bibby, Clan, and Henderson Line ships. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Ayah Boutflower was one, on the </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Anchor Line's </span><i style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Roumania. </i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In October 1892 she headed from Liverpool to Bombay. </span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiur4Pp-sYu71QVA67VQwJVo-jWR5KxEt79taZTBmqgbuDY98WBxKgCOHgqjZwJnNBGS0qC2ygafOzZXJkszUJiQllkXxY5s0g3cAgGGv_6c1dS4htgwybIvhRj1JQIi-ByrQQ6zITY3gS1cRWQTuiIJZQ6pGCYXWrk4Lb4hb_uQRe4sE0AfAm2fYqY5A/s1024/Edith%20Boutflower%201876%20off%20Flickr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="760" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiur4Pp-sYu71QVA67VQwJVo-jWR5KxEt79taZTBmqgbuDY98WBxKgCOHgqjZwJnNBGS0qC2ygafOzZXJkszUJiQllkXxY5s0g3cAgGGv_6c1dS4htgwybIvhRj1JQIi-ByrQQ6zITY3gS1cRWQTuiIJZQ6pGCYXWrk4Lb4hb_uQRe4sE0AfAm2fYqY5A/w188-h253/Edith%20Boutflower%201876%20off%20Flickr.jpg" width="188" /></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Almost certainly she was going to be dropped off in India while her employer, Edith Boutflower (pictured), sailed on to Australia to join her husband, William, there. He was a Seaforth lad made good, who had become a schools inspector in India. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">On the <i>Roumania</i> the ayah's job was look after Edith</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /> and William's four children, including 8-month-old Margaret. Their paternal grandfather was the famous Seaforth vicar of St Thomas's, William Rawson.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZClhAUjBfFafLJclcctyYCcogiRHOo31snUXTZvRZ7V-xsx8EGItJ3RluqlA8uJqbRdn34-Zathgv9mzn1zn7nsnQYhTOcfDYgbfLz73xR7A5egHBvDpIZtLMJw2sIH8A_wvp2p8IhmhYqd9IjF5Kp94pmes6ZyMjoJisOZnaCzTqecoJJLqIK1MDWw/s400/Ss_roumania.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="400" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZClhAUjBfFafLJclcctyYCcogiRHOo31snUXTZvRZ7V-xsx8EGItJ3RluqlA8uJqbRdn34-Zathgv9mzn1zn7nsnQYhTOcfDYgbfLz73xR7A5egHBvDpIZtLMJw2sIH8A_wvp2p8IhmhYqd9IjF5Kp94pmes6ZyMjoJisOZnaCzTqecoJJLqIK1MDWw/w400-h220/Ss_roumania.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The <i>Roumania</i> (pictured) ran aground in storms off Peniche, Lisbon. All the women and all 8 children were lost, including the unnamed Boutflower ayah and the ayah of Mrs Elizabeth Burgess. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Only nine people were saved from the wreck. (See an artist's idealised impression).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7aIhOTKT1YwADtS9Nny8wFAzfseRtdSGSvcvjbElOTYlG3_HHLhqyAjnr4Gcw7FSz07r5RGgzdY_9FZ-o05PCSJkDMg7-McqQCE6d3ZQDznXQdFvSlhqI7HhSzoR_mCdJ_n8qwubTIhNJno19OW2KiZ1WzI_n9TlrZ-bqEhgY8pj3m8oHwU5J8rKx8A/s272/William%20Burgess.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="272" data-original-width="186" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7aIhOTKT1YwADtS9Nny8wFAzfseRtdSGSvcvjbElOTYlG3_HHLhqyAjnr4Gcw7FSz07r5RGgzdY_9FZ-o05PCSJkDMg7-McqQCE6d3ZQDznXQdFvSlhqI7HhSzoR_mCdJ_n8qwubTIhNJno19OW2KiZ1WzI_n9TlrZ-bqEhgY8pj3m8oHwU5J8rKx8A/w137-h200/William%20Burgess.jpeg" width="137" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Glaswegian Elizabeth Burgess, with baby Arthur, was going back from Edinburgh to join her husband William (pictured), </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">and their three children</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">. She'd taken the baby to show her parents, taking a break from Wesleyan missionary work in Hyderbad. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It's likely that these ayahs had been making their first trip to England and had stayed for a few months with their employers' families of origin. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Baby Marjorie/Margaret Boutflower had been born in Jersey that January. Her mother may have travelled to Britain from Allahabad, the capital of North West Provincesith, the ayah, to have her baby 'at home' in the UK. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Expectant mothers sometimes did this, especially if they were frail, older or mistrusted the Indian health care system. Edith Butflower had already lost two children. Maybe she had been supported through that by this same ayah.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">CONNECTING TO MIKE STAMMERS</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggMU8jdouWbhQ1U4q8ZCQJp6Tz4lHRvJvQcj6KEYS_emVN9btSDQCmaSPa8SWsCpUcRAZ6sdP2Vy9s_cHkaNevk6g1UZznX4mUBLHf_jtTdxR5dUKhxShthPlqReGpng_60u4-LFjc6KVeBCtxVWGhVRPQIn_x9jX_S7r0XipzGBpSRRLDttKzrZ-PZw/s810/mike%20stammers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="539" data-original-width="810" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggMU8jdouWbhQ1U4q8ZCQJp6Tz4lHRvJvQcj6KEYS_emVN9btSDQCmaSPa8SWsCpUcRAZ6sdP2Vy9s_cHkaNevk6g1UZznX4mUBLHf_jtTdxR5dUKhxShthPlqReGpng_60u4-LFjc6KVeBCtxVWGhVRPQIn_x9jX_S7r0XipzGBpSRRLDttKzrZ-PZw/w200-h133/mike%20stammers.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The late Mike Stammers, AMA,FSA, a former keeper of the museum, was someoneI knew. My mum was delighted to give him many of her photos of the dock road gates at sunset. </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">He would have enjoyed this talk.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I myself am a Scouser, of a Liverpool seafaring family. My great-grandad Peter Quinn, a ship's barber, would have sailed with ayahs. Maybe he cut their hair with the scissors now on diplay in the museum that Mike helped create.</span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">EXPLORING MORE</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">You can read my work about ayahs and ethnic minority seafarers at http://jostanley.biz/ethnic_minorities.html</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The <i>Roumania</i> history is at https://www.bhsportugal.org/uploads/fotos_artigos/files/TheSSRoumania.pdf</span></li></ul><p></p><p><br /></p>Dr Jo Stanley, FRHistS.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16615448959846276053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889546505060895080.post-40365332379148318702023-01-30T06:29:00.030-08:002023-01-30T06:41:41.528-08:00 New book on gender and the sea just out!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw1sTIKRHdVsD_QFKFbn3DSG-Yablo60gX6DGUSWG9aQ9H3bNPbBMJdXra27mkVPGc3xyU-xyTKeGn1Zxodzy6Jd_4XyIhdv7Bb6sRaye1WCT69UVmqmZ-X93mEMBrRybXBojLRk-vqOMslI401VJ-VDxQ9NzqPzMqo_75NoZ6IjN0ghAvCkOALv7Z1Q/s800/Cover%20of%20yearbook%202023%20women%20and%20the%20sea.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="533" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw1sTIKRHdVsD_QFKFbn3DSG-Yablo60gX6DGUSWG9aQ9H3bNPbBMJdXra27mkVPGc3xyU-xyTKeGn1Zxodzy6Jd_4XyIhdv7Bb6sRaye1WCT69UVmqmZ-X93mEMBrRybXBojLRk-vqOMslI401VJ-VDxQ9NzqPzMqo_75NoZ6IjN0ghAvCkOALv7Z1Q/w426-h640/Cover%20of%20yearbook%202023%20women%20and%20the%20sea.jpeg" width="426" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">This year the Women's History Yearbook (# 41) is focusing on Gender at Sea. It's rare that a multi-authored, multinational book focusing on a 'minority' in maritime life hits the bookshelves.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i>Gender at Sea</i> is so rich and diverse. In all my years of reading such books it feels like the last one that excited me as much was</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"> <i>Iron Men, Wooden Women </i>in 1996</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Yes, I've got a chapter in </span><i style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Gender at Sea</i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">. So I would be delighted, wouldn't I? But even if I wasn't a contributor I'd still be welcoming all these fascinating new angles on the subject. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Editor Djoeke van Netten and the Editorial Board write in their summary:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">"For centuries seafaring people thought that the presence of women on board would mean bad luck: rough weather, shipwreck, and other disasters were sure to follow. Because of these beliefs and prejudices women were supposedly excluded from the maritime domain. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In the field of maritime history too, the ship and the sea have generally been perceived as a space for men. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">"This volume of the Yearbook of Women's History challenges these notions. It asks: </span></span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">To what extent were the sea and the ship ever male-dominated and masculine spaces? </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">How have women been part of seafaring communities, maritime undertakings, and maritime culture?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> How did gender notions impact life on board and vice versa?</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> "From a multidisciplinary perspective, this volume moves from Indonesia to the Faroe Islands, from the Mediterranean to Newfoundland; bringing to light the presence of women and the workings of gender on sailing, whaling, steam, cruise, passenger, pirate, and navy ships. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">"As a whole it demonstrates the diversity and the agency of women at sea from ancient times to the present day.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">See picture of celebrations on launch day, 27 January, at the Netherlands National Maritime Museum, in Amsterdam. (Pic courtesy of Bob van de Poll)</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizdHgNGUwIsB2psKGex1JDc_e2hHkNqg_TR4IQho5pPyLab6kjzYya3fk_SYjzGjlyS7y5rljQQ_zNDXzYGRIIivCOxOBEKwls-6z5xfIRmYmKsj8rvwJT5nA4ZYlFUNeBvm5Gbj6ai0Q_pHGz9mVr9oX-Q4WFKQLcU41j729ilT_d7vM3G4yeXT087A/s1600/Gender%20at%20Sea%20yearbook%20launched%20Amsterdam%20Maritime%20Museum%20%2027%20Jan%202023.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1517" data-original-width="1600" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizdHgNGUwIsB2psKGex1JDc_e2hHkNqg_TR4IQho5pPyLab6kjzYya3fk_SYjzGjlyS7y5rljQQ_zNDXzYGRIIivCOxOBEKwls-6z5xfIRmYmKsj8rvwJT5nA4ZYlFUNeBvm5Gbj6ai0Q_pHGz9mVr9oX-Q4WFKQLcU41j729ilT_d7vM3G4yeXT087A/s320/Gender%20at%20Sea%20yearbook%20launched%20Amsterdam%20Maritime%20Museum%20%2027%20Jan%202023.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Published in Hilversum Netherlands, this book may not be as widely circuated as it deserves elsewhere.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Therefore I'm including the contents list. That way you can see that this is a book that should be on the shelf of everyone in the maritime industries, worldwide. </span></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>CONTENTS</b></span></h3><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Iris van der Zande</b> on behalf of the Editorial Board. Preface</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Djoeke van Netten</b>. Introduction:Taking Women on Board.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">PART 1. Women and Children First: Uncovering the Presence of Women and Children on Board</span></h3><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Laurel Seaborn. </b>Searching for Signs of Seafaring Women in the Age of Sail</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Sarah Lentz. </b>Overlooked Inhabitants of the ‘Wooden World’. Child Passengers as Part of Shipboard Societies in the Age of Sail</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Joan Druett. </b>‘The Late Fashion;’ Discovering Whaling Wives at Sea</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Kristof Loockx. </b>Jackie of All Trades. The Emergence of Stewardesses in the Belgian Fleet, 1870-1914</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Iris van der Zande.</b> The Cruise Tourist’s Corset: Gender, Space, and Mobility on Dutch Youth Cruises in the 1930s</span></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">PART 2. Experiences at Sea: Women Travelling from Europe to Asia and Australia</span></h3><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Simon Karstens. </b>An Unfaithful Wife and a Cross-Dressing Soldier:Christian Burckhardt’s Report of Two Women Sailing to Batavia in 1675</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnw3eHfU1rwOcNNuNhEpV83vRoz9b1yBzafda-mE01OwLFBhCEV6r56H73hQJ5oM6dIqPL41dkoq0rNKYtFA-4RLsK4mvf12nT3hbhiQhr5x_WB3uSMk-LILVT-wAZN1X5LEtqyG3ZvFBTc1d33Q4la1lX3eVcORxzjjwfwfEDxGN_kKL9rw3suQ1O7A/s740/equator-crossing-ceremony-aboard-wasp-jul-1942.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="740" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnw3eHfU1rwOcNNuNhEpV83vRoz9b1yBzafda-mE01OwLFBhCEV6r56H73hQJ5oM6dIqPL41dkoq0rNKYtFA-4RLsK4mvf12nT3hbhiQhr5x_WB3uSMk-LILVT-wAZN1X5LEtqyG3ZvFBTc1d33Q4la1lX3eVcORxzjjwfwfEDxGN_kKL9rw3suQ1O7A/w200-h159/equator-crossing-ceremony-aboard-wasp-jul-1942.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Neptune Ceremony, Wasp,1942. <br />Image with thanks to https://<br />laststandonzombieisland.com/<br />2015/11/05/crossing-the-line/ <br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Felicity Jensz.</b> Neptune’s Visit Made Palatable. Gender and Journeys over the Line in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Century</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Ron Brand and Kirsten Kamphuis</b>. Zusters op zee: Reiservaringen van missiezusters naar Nederlands-Indië en Indonesië in de negentiende en twintigste eeuw</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Emily Hutcheson.</b> Women in Ocean Science: The Two-Part Research Programme of the Siboga Expedition</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Vicki S. Hallett. </b> Salt Fish Maids. Untold Stories of Gender and Sex in the Labrador Floater Fishery</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>PART 3. Violence and Victims: Gendered Agency on Board</b></span></h3><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Virginia W. Lunsford</b>. Piracy and the Hidden History of Female Agency. The Case of the Buccaneers</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Alicia Schrikker.</b> Januari’s schim</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Elisa Camiscioli</b>. Sexing the Steamship,Prostitution, Trafficking, and Maritime Travel</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAdHDiGJtzKL-8hXrdiUsCJ8AwvM30ikEOMxTjDQu-w0yGncld-C-Uo8gR2eSyr6bWCIjJGAU1UxBGIbCrktUcomp2zH0hYkcAGnnOCF47eRbEGwugAeBXHVGZgrRJjFBTiOXct1GuemjoU8HUHRPWbELp-IiuTY_H49f7zqJL9rymMT-EqsKUIqXWIA/s1280/Stanley%202%20radio%20officers%20cartoon.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="841" data-original-width="1280" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAdHDiGJtzKL-8hXrdiUsCJ8AwvM30ikEOMxTjDQu-w0yGncld-C-Uo8gR2eSyr6bWCIjJGAU1UxBGIbCrktUcomp2zH0hYkcAGnnOCF47eRbEGwugAeBXHVGZgrRJjFBTiOXct1GuemjoU8HUHRPWbELp-IiuTY_H49f7zqJL9rymMT-EqsKUIqXWIA/w400-h263/Stanley%202%20radio%20officers%20cartoon.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">UK radio officers in training, in the early 1970s when the first women were being admitted - and encountering systemic sexism. The trainer is saying "We shall devote this morning's lesson to mutual induction and double-humped curves."</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Jo Stanley. </b>Women/Sea/Misogyny:Ending Silences about Sexual Abuse at Sea</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Víctor Ramírez Tur</b>. Problematizing Homoerotic Relationships on the High Seas. The Exhibition ‘Desire Flows Like the Sea’</span></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqBgXKNQkU_1rJu85L4jPMtW4nN0ZzM39yF8Nspm5CF805yFbO_MuZkIdD0yDl3AeFjtTYzXAAqhhcy8jpsGpLQ_jBXy9-_ghyjnrZcmqFOoP-e1_DjbFZ0fr_Ip5ig2BxhYepHNIbUrTPt5o8OBUL0JbgdvR2DPZWdby5WAJRGH5v9QozFJXrTuTVRw/s316/desire%20flows%20like%20the%20sea.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="160" data-original-width="316" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqBgXKNQkU_1rJu85L4jPMtW4nN0ZzM39yF8Nspm5CF805yFbO_MuZkIdD0yDl3AeFjtTYzXAAqhhcy8jpsGpLQ_jBXy9-_ghyjnrZcmqFOoP-e1_DjbFZ0fr_Ip5ig2BxhYepHNIbUrTPt5o8OBUL0JbgdvR2DPZWdby5WAJRGH5v9QozFJXrTuTVRw/w400-h203/desire%20flows%20like%20the%20sea.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from Barcelona Maritime Museum's "Desire Flows Like the Sea"</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></h3><span style="color: #ffa400;">PART 4. </span></span><span style="color: #ffa400;">Stories to be Told. Power and Representations of Women at Sea</span></span></h3><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Roberta Franchi.</b> Woman and the Sea in Classical and Christian Texts</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Muhammad Buana</b>. The Stranger Sea Queens: Gender, Migration, and Power in Sulawesi and Javanese Traditions</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Stefan Roel Reyes</b>. ‘Tweete Sielle’: The Affective Presence of Women in the Sailing Letters of Seventeenth and Eighteenth-Century Dutch Seafarers</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Valerie Sallis. </b>Spiritual Anchors or Sinful Shoals; Women, Religion, and Spirituality in the Shipboard Writings of American Sailors,1810-1859</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Russell Fielding and Ina Seethaler</b>. Women and Whaling in the Faroe Islands</span></p><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"></h3><h2><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><i>Getting it</i></span></h2><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Price 32 Euros. Paperback. 308 pages, with illustrations. ISBN 9789464550399. Obtainable via </span><a href="https://verloren.nl/Webshop/Detail/catid/90/eid/58732/gender-at-sea" style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">https://verloren.nl/Webshop/Detail/catid/90/eid/58732/gender-at-sea</a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Dr Jo Stanley, FRHistS.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16615448959846276053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889546505060895080.post-45779875102402578872023-01-06T03:41:00.001-08:002023-01-06T14:14:18.241-08:00 Celebrating Pride in Maritime day 2023. Queer seafarers<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSDB29I5_8cIPmGEmlb4tK257x2qQQZyZeAXYV5GfRY7UEXFgD-3VABA2sF48mqUw0PjJ4kWc7suBQZ9ks47IWaF1k26VmTw9g0efqNKgo4l_tx2IyNc9hyLIKDGTTx2p3_423qGT1ma4nLW0Q4OeOBf0w5A2xqg6vlTNld12pwhBQSIseaj407o_9RQ/s2560/G%20looks%20at%20sea%20travel%20album.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2560" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSDB29I5_8cIPmGEmlb4tK257x2qQQZyZeAXYV5GfRY7UEXFgD-3VABA2sF48mqUw0PjJ4kWc7suBQZ9ks47IWaF1k26VmTw9g0efqNKgo4l_tx2IyNc9hyLIKDGTTx2p3_423qGT1ma4nLW0Q4OeOBf0w5A2xqg6vlTNld12pwhBQSIseaj407o_9RQ/w400-h225/G%20looks%20at%20sea%20travel%20album.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>Dutch gay seafaring steward from the SS Rotterdam looks at his voyage album, late 20C. He's helping in the Amsterdam Maritime Museum </span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">research project, 'Queer Spaces at Sea. Queer culture on merchant ships 1950 - 1980</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Celebrating Pride in Maritime Day, Tues Feb 28 2023. This year join in some wonderful opportunities to celebrate queer seafarers and their place in maritime heritage: </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">exhibitions</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">talks</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">events .</span></li></ul><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">So why not try:</span></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #ffa400; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: normal;">1. Seeing two European exhibitions </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">on now till summer (both with English subtitles)</span></span></span></h3><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"># Bergen, Norway: ‘Queer Lives at Sea’<span style="color: #ffa400;"> https://sjofartsmuseum.museumvest.no/norsk/utstillinger/skeive-sjoefolk/</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAthgJY_UeuJjMGc8u_3ZWWGftvuHDEoGuy20K1F9Z547HK1-tugWOM7fqQMpmgMbKOdvMMG_uQHj9G08fb0r5nHKOtsVk34XXRXlYTgtdFs8GhNNJQGo_r1umbrMt8vA-hNhH-qnhKzXBu_yQfRoo8p50SA0Y6a4yr2zohKCu2N-vDeIh_k0w15MK0g/s526/queer%20seafarers%20Bergen%20exhibition%20pic.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="526" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAthgJY_UeuJjMGc8u_3ZWWGftvuHDEoGuy20K1F9Z547HK1-tugWOM7fqQMpmgMbKOdvMMG_uQHj9G08fb0r5nHKOtsVk34XXRXlYTgtdFs8GhNNJQGo_r1umbrMt8vA-hNhH-qnhKzXBu_yQfRoo8p50SA0Y6a4yr2zohKCu2N-vDeIh_k0w15MK0g/w400-h208/queer%20seafarers%20Bergen%20exhibition%20pic.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"># Amsterdam Maritime Museum, Netherlands. As yet 'Queer Spaces at Sea. Queer culture on merchant ships 1950 -1980' is in its early stages. </span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-family: arial; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl7qSyWI_iGc8AVlF-RJ9SubOcKqeI3ib5t8_nt0FpZq9szXnPaVt1Y11fpy3bsaoitTQEPBWL_5RnMBxbNw7SuOrvGFI3srlgGYeKEsI56cu7zhZO5hIX8uFs1LTQEMrG_WVZJYSb04qK3pwP8ri-7Hcbjvu8f7v1yDm-T2wZk_fnAtmZg3W9I97T3A/s1493/Bob%20Van%20de%20Poll%20by%20Isabell%20Janssen.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1493" data-original-width="1376" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl7qSyWI_iGc8AVlF-RJ9SubOcKqeI3ib5t8_nt0FpZq9szXnPaVt1Y11fpy3bsaoitTQEPBWL_5RnMBxbNw7SuOrvGFI3srlgGYeKEsI56cu7zhZO5hIX8uFs1LTQEMrG_WVZJYSb04qK3pwP8ri-7Hcbjvu8f7v1yDm-T2wZk_fnAtmZg3W9I97T3A/w184-h200/Bob%20Van%20de%20Poll%20by%20Isabell%20Janssen.jpeg" width="184" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bob van de Poll, Curator of <br /> Amsterdam's Queer Spaces <br />at Sea project</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Curator Bob van de Poll invites you to:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Join in if you have memories. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Read/hear stories. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">See the first-ever film of LGBT+ crew reminiscing about the oddly out -and-proud ships' subcultures in those early days.</span></li></ul><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Queer Spaces at Sea' is part of the wonderful new exhibition, Humans at Sea: <span style="color: #ffa400;">https://lnkd.in/eDxTKH55.</span></span></p><br /><br /><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">2. Helping develop Pride in Maritime Day</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It’s only the second year of its existence. Tuesday 28 Feb 2023. So let’s big it up. And join in the Diversity in Maritime UK discussion at </span><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial;">https://bit.ly/PrideEvent28Feb2023.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #ffa400; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="background-color: black; color: #ffa400; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial;">3. Catching this info, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">in talks, posts and films throughout LGBT+ history month. I’ll be sharing stories about:</span></span></span></h3><p class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiWzhbRGkPN3K8NMzr-FGyr-cNwmNz-SPKl7FUdbkt-IL46PmfNSA9wZje6ME3cZtH8H7QgE0vbZR1O685c2ZlCASciF1fa4j8cDZo6c1J2zz5A5Jbj6o3xxgRgqvexQGJpxDkBCv7WIdbAzXpkf0gJd4-st8H3CvA6kJ5IJV348PY0EbSVxDHviOHUg/s4030/Wendy%20at%20piano%20courtesy%20Harriet%20Jones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2525" data-original-width="4030" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiWzhbRGkPN3K8NMzr-FGyr-cNwmNz-SPKl7FUdbkt-IL46PmfNSA9wZje6ME3cZtH8H7QgE0vbZR1O685c2ZlCASciF1fa4j8cDZo6c1J2zz5A5Jbj6o3xxgRgqvexQGJpxDkBCv7WIdbAzXpkf0gJd4-st8H3CvA6kJ5IJV348PY0EbSVxDHviOHUg/s320/Wendy%20at%20piano%20courtesy%20Harriet%20Jones.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wendy at his piano in Hull, lifting spirits as he did <br />at sea.Picture courtesy Harriet Jones. </td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: red;"># <u>Entertaining 4 sanity@sea: Roy ‘Wendy’ Gibson: steward, Falklands Conflict hero, and Hull’s answer to pianist Liberace</u></span> </span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">You can hear about people - especially queer seafarers - who raised shipboard morale by making music and theatre. <br /></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Discover how the exceptional gay-affirmative sub-culture on late 20C ships enabled some LGBT+ people to boost their mental health despite gruelling homophobia ashore. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Show-biz style fun kept you sane at sea! </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Watch this space and social media for updates.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-family: arial; font-size: large;"># <u>Comparing Europe’s queer maritime past</u></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"> <br /></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">New stories are emerging of Norwegian, Scandinavian and Dutch LGBT+ seafarers’ lives at sea. <br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;">Compare revelations of below-decks fun and work, love and tourism, on late 20C ships of different countries. Watch this space and social media for updates on venues and dates.</span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpShzIbLkzZ7lfgcyStlfc7RBuRtvbBuOiXDQAjf-wUFbsOH0MN8TfTDkykvmAQJPfkz0T0a4if2TxCYYiFqgLli-aVClorjikFybzgfAU781cUWyLSk2SaSG0brlLUOOVP7DDttgDrJ4IZbBmnX-BCnfRYnS8qWuLdsIFxPyb6TTQRwXTNoOAT47n5Q/s2953/Maasdam%20Ryndam%20Rotterdam%201968%20Groeneveld.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1925" data-original-width="2953" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpShzIbLkzZ7lfgcyStlfc7RBuRtvbBuOiXDQAjf-wUFbsOH0MN8TfTDkykvmAQJPfkz0T0a4if2TxCYYiFqgLli-aVClorjikFybzgfAU781cUWyLSk2SaSG0brlLUOOVP7DDttgDrJ4IZbBmnX-BCnfRYnS8qWuLdsIFxPyb6TTQRwXTNoOAT47n5Q/w400-h261/Maasdam%20Ryndam%20Rotterdam%201968%20Groeneveld.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: arial;">1968: Yes, gay seafarers were aboard seemingly the queerest Dutch ship, Rotterdam, with two other ships of the Holland-America Line (Maasdam and Ryndam) at the Wilhelminakade in Rotterdam</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: red; font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: red; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">For a roundup including Canada's exhibition on gay seafarers see also </span><span style="color: red; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">https://hec.lrfoundation.org.uk/whats-on/stories/rainbow-sea-swelling</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>Dr Jo Stanley, FRHistS.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16615448959846276053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889546505060895080.post-70998486693484470592022-10-14T03:36:00.004-07:002022-10-14T03:41:28.383-07:00Jamaican ship's cook: her poison mystery 1764<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivhHj5comA04Ne7RBWT-JiQ2E7mb0i7IEgPjkOalA9YrteugfT7ppO04-w3MTcs3FUAT_7Saizl4CevnC8iLD9YEAI7Q3v_qbimdt70i7Mu2sM5Egbj_HrzlNheQU6Zl3fd1M9jx5fjIlCv0ztqIB8Y8rRFM8SP-7Vj2PmricwJ_ombZsBzuEXxalvNg/s500/Jamaicans%20cutting%20sugar%20cane.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="500" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivhHj5comA04Ne7RBWT-JiQ2E7mb0i7IEgPjkOalA9YrteugfT7ppO04-w3MTcs3FUAT_7Saizl4CevnC8iLD9YEAI7Q3v_qbimdt70i7Mu2sM5Egbj_HrzlNheQU6Zl3fd1M9jx5fjIlCv0ztqIB8Y8rRFM8SP-7Vj2PmricwJ_ombZsBzuEXxalvNg/s320/Jamaicans%20cutting%20sugar%20cane.png" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> <i>Maybe the mysterious cook previously worked in the Jamaican <br />canefields, like these women?</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">It's Black History Month. And here's a newly-found story about a rare BAME woman seafarer. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">So this is about race, gender, ships. It's part of the history of maritime diversity, labour and seafarers' forgotten lives. A fluke and your occupation could affect whether you ever arrived home from the sea. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Only a fragment about this mysterious We</span><span style="font-family: arial;">st Indian</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> woman can be found. And the same words about her are repeated word for word in seven British newspapers. No more information than that is available. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The story's a gift for a dramatist with a Sherlock Holmes touch. So I hope someone creative will make fiction from this small seed in the <i>Derby Mercury</i>, 10 Feb 1764. </span></p><p><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">'<b>We hear that a whole Ship's Crew, lately arrived from Jamaica, have been poisoned by a Black Woman-Cook they had on board, who after she had committed it, threw herself into the Sea and was drown'd. They are all dead except the Captain and two Men, who are very bad.'</b></span></p><h1 style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Seven g</span><span style="font-family: arial;">ood questions to ask</span></span></b></h1><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></b></div><h3><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Q. 1. Why does her story <u>matter</u>?</span></h3><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> A. Because women crew were very unusual.Black women crew were even more unusual. This is the frst black woman </span><span style="font-family: arial;">ship's cook I've heard about in 40 years of researching maritime women.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJe0DdVoMivhC2ZEMr4ecVEIRyT2su52py56QjfZbn29bWFJH2jQ_cdRc3ZoDc42RZR1jRy8ZIYeoSlxOfqpE4DSbWgCycooJPSA6nbNh826hIqrRbLJvDmYWCJqUdswOvJCEnz1w4JS89Kr0Cyn8_uL9ImCf2n1gSdiw2cJ2Ie4n3RKniswPGMHTtKw/s299/black%20ships%20cook.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="299" data-original-width="206" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJe0DdVoMivhC2ZEMr4ecVEIRyT2su52py56QjfZbn29bWFJH2jQ_cdRc3ZoDc42RZR1jRy8ZIYeoSlxOfqpE4DSbWgCycooJPSA6nbNh826hIqrRbLJvDmYWCJqUdswOvJCEnz1w4JS89Kr0Cyn8_uL9ImCf2n1gSdiw2cJ2Ie4n3RKniswPGMHTtKw/s1600/black%20ships%20cook.webp" width="206" /></a></i></span></span></div><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i>Picture from '<a href="https://uncoveringhiddenlives.com/2014/08/10/seamen-love-their-bellies-how-blacks-became-ship-cooks/">Seamen “Love Their Bellies”: How Blacks Became Ship Cooks</a>' </i></span></span></p><p><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></b></p><p><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Q. 2. How did the ship come to have a <u>woman</u> cook, unusually? </b></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">A. Because a cook was needed. This person was available and affordable. It was was common for cooks to be black or disabled.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">(See Guadeloupean William Buckland's story<a href=" https://www.historycalroots.com/william-buckland-1786-1856-from-guadeloupe-to-the-fighting-fifth-limerick-and-liverpool/"> Buckland seacook BAME</a> Maybe another black cook recommended her. Indeed she may have been the widow of a black cook on board who'd died. </span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFfniy9JW5H_3yrk48kaBeD5e8yZ-0LgTM7awTqluupP0xblhs43Iy5DVOpFBWERnMBph82Ups-eCENi2Z9JMH_83DbKNrOfqR_2htZam2_UKXG3zO3LjWADhT71kbQ5vLEYPe_ge0y6uO84VexMocjYTfeiHd9m4WB3anFuJEiFwVSHYTS8yk1q5Jjg/s2237/lang.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2237" data-original-width="1708" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFfniy9JW5H_3yrk48kaBeD5e8yZ-0LgTM7awTqluupP0xblhs43Iy5DVOpFBWERnMBph82Ups-eCENi2Z9JMH_83DbKNrOfqR_2htZam2_UKXG3zO3LjWADhT71kbQ5vLEYPe_ge0y6uO84VexMocjYTfeiHd9m4WB3anFuJEiFwVSHYTS8yk1q5Jjg/w305-h400/lang.jpg" width="305" /></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Want to know more about the brief and late history of women cooks (usually white)? See my book <i><u>From Cabin 'Boys' to Captains: 250 Years of Women at Sea</u>,</i>pp 214-219. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i>This picture from it shows (left) Chief Cook Betty Fitch and Freda Price (right) Second Cook, in the tinned food storeroom on the <u>Langleeclyde</u> c1950. (Courtesy Maud McKibbin). Freda and Betty were highly appreciated for their good cooking.</i></span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Q. 3. <u>Why </u>did she poison these men? </span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A. If it was <u>deliberate</u>, because she was angry and wanted redress. Revenge? Perhaps the ship was a slaver and she was one of the enslaved people who'd endured a bad voyage and seen her shipmates die. Perhaps someone on board had offended her. by assuming she was sexually available, or had expressed dislike of food </span><span style="font-family: arial;">she had cooked?</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">A. If it was <u>accidental</u>, she might have had been supplied with bad ingredients.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Q.4. Why did she <u>throw herself overboard</u>? </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">A. Surely because she knew she would be punished on landing. It was better to end the misery now, and by her own hand.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">A. If it was accidental, she might have felt ashamed, and/or feared summary justice. Seafarers could hate bad cooks, because seafaring was hard enough without dismal food.</span></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Q.5. <u>What poison </u>would she have used, if it was deliberate?</span></h3><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">A. Women such as her were sometimes doctresses with a knowledge of herbs. Possibly she had a selection of herbs with her. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">A. If the poisoning was accidental, it could have been because the food she was expected to cook had gone off, There were plenty of opportunities were victuals to deteriorate as the 4,000-miles,oyage from Jamaica took between between three weeks and four months depending on winds etc. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Q.6. Why didn't <u>everyone</u> die?</span></h3><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">A. Possibly because the cook was given two lots of ingredients to cook, and those for the crew were inferior to the officers' rations. This status difference would not be unusual.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">A. Perhaps, if the poisoning was deliberate, she was targetting lower-decks crew, not officers.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisdlyDS3PS8RXhiRlozu23LxlpMgUdJ0119vzRveaoT4SLbZHFGqj9B4-myLlXMkWElXsU8NdRUGGlVlHaOI6YGPlhcdXOgUdxdlYA1rqguvLSngnTqGA3NwFDzwShSFg7GZNUv2Hi3I10HqPm_11dPe-soTTAx-TJUMqg0zFTsNadQXYQp6hcnn32Uw/s1024/black%20ships%20cook%20ayah%20and%20girl%20Victorian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="744" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisdlyDS3PS8RXhiRlozu23LxlpMgUdJ0119vzRveaoT4SLbZHFGqj9B4-myLlXMkWElXsU8NdRUGGlVlHaOI6YGPlhcdXOgUdxdlYA1rqguvLSngnTqGA3NwFDzwShSFg7GZNUv2Hi3I10HqPm_11dPe-soTTAx-TJUMqg0zFTsNadQXYQp6hcnn32Uw/w291-h400/black%20ships%20cook%20ayah%20and%20girl%20Victorian.jpg" width="291" /></a></div><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Q. 7. </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">So <u>what else </u>should we be asking about her?</span></h3><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">A. All we can!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i>Pic shows sentimentalised version of a black male cook, with ayah and white girl on Victorian ship.</i></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">This story was drawn to my attention to John D Ellis. I thank him very much for his generosity in sharing it, and many other stories too. John is working on the history of black people in the armed services. Some of his work can be seen at https://www.historycalroots.com</span></b></div><h3><br /></h3></div></div>Dr Jo Stanley, FRHistS.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16615448959846276053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889546505060895080.post-9409996322944998512022-10-07T12:07:00.004-07:002022-10-07T12:08:56.367-07:00Norway - gay seafarers' history is revealed<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgriCIDk-fyFNjqcHppqRJDS-xRlSTgpj3KGoTYFRTt0_UaATkueoYOyZXFBGRMtLLcDl1t-faUxuIlk4SrFmNkziJ8d3mcQwTeys7gkjcnmJXYw2p-jxyHu3KtGUtId29g4T2XIXXreD79b6hKtsfy90iUZa9wpl779sCCmhVm7Ef3BLU-d4IBZV-Ldw/s526/queer%20seafarers%20Bergen%20exhibition%20pic.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="526" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgriCIDk-fyFNjqcHppqRJDS-xRlSTgpj3KGoTYFRTt0_UaATkueoYOyZXFBGRMtLLcDl1t-faUxuIlk4SrFmNkziJ8d3mcQwTeys7gkjcnmJXYw2p-jxyHu3KtGUtId29g4T2XIXXreD79b6hKtsfy90iUZa9wpl779sCCmhVm7Ef3BLU-d4IBZV-Ldw/w400-h209/queer%20seafarers%20Bergen%20exhibition%20pic.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Queer seafarers and their history are revealed for the first time in a bi-lingual exhibition opening on 28 October. I</span><span style="font-family: arial;">n Norwegian it's called 'Skeive Sjofolk'. Skeive tarnslated as 'skewed'.</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Follow it on Facebook: https://bit.ly/skeiveBergen </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The maritime museum in Bergen is displaying this past as part of Norway's 50th anniversary celebrations of the abolition of a law that criminalised gay sex</span><span style="font-family: arial;">. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Bergen is Norway's second largest city. The port was founded in 1070 and still plays a major role in Scandinavian shipping.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: arial; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="296" data-original-width="1292" height="46" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjXhmWyjHIvG09odLF8tVPnTCNYbDOKCLfLZ6gvvx02yf-WRmog62iakQf9VDmD1WtaceGuy9lEGHCEUgh2najBjrtXZNV-SX19yoXRaV4hDdQ3hQMbkVelFxr0vtASoFHJOnHkxWIZBIjvov_a9nFE9H_vVhzgpMFSPxbvQk8hv9HgQqfw5w4dG6C8A/w200-h46/Bergen%20maritime%20museum.png" width="200" /></span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSFx4e8e0UPW1kOH0BTEhtf-ACjJIpF8WbDD72a49nAptpoJDEJsQ5xdk5PURXIphdctAHz7gM6VCmOeyNS1G1I5o9TsUQxPQUE124PlWOzxcCxBsYxFWHkpV16tqbpYeqJgfam9-HNdIomO1GOl4ycpUxL0AZFsCW7sQn78rS9JBDWG85E_Mi9LEulQ/s1785/smaller%20file.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1785" data-original-width="1332" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSFx4e8e0UPW1kOH0BTEhtf-ACjJIpF8WbDD72a49nAptpoJDEJsQ5xdk5PURXIphdctAHz7gM6VCmOeyNS1G1I5o9TsUQxPQUE124PlWOzxcCxBsYxFWHkpV16tqbpYeqJgfam9-HNdIomO1GOl4ycpUxL0AZFsCW7sQn78rS9JBDWG85E_Mi9LEulQ/s320/smaller%20file.jpg" width="239" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Several exhibitions about gay seafarers have taken place: in Oslo; Liverpool then touring; and currently in Victoria (Canada) and Amsterdam. I was co-curator of the Merseyside Maritime Museum exhibition (see pic) and continue to research the subject.<br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Bergen curators Gry Bang-Andersen and Bård Gram Økland asked veteran seafarers about the period </span><span style="font-family: arial;">1950-1980</span><span style="font-family: arial;">. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">They acknowledge 'The ship was a workplace, but also a local community where feelings, friendships, intimacies and sexuality were expressed and suppressed. The community on board was strictly hierarchical, masculine and heteronormative.' </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Gry and Bard have found that 'on some ships, homo-erotic and homo-sexual relations existed ....[These included] relationships between men who did not identify as queer, and between crew members of different ranks, although mostly covertly.'</span></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></h2><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">3 KEY POSSIBILITIES</span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I'll be comparing this Norwegian pattern with that of other countries. So far 3 key things I can say are:</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi1LtHAE24zU0xUuT6aylPD9g2-Yl60qtigXkTEzS3IPmtEZUI63tuATJ9OR7gzZPdFrIyP7pXYiAw-4s-ppoT5hgii7FhNvmlw4vNgxRat4CUefkAsfN5UsXPbHLyvi0k_NvsrwW60oL_KPe_zajAZgUEPh4nDUWGsT9QIZmvawMoy7fw_ZNyfj-zQw/s330/Allan%20B%C3%A9rub%C3%A9.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="330" data-original-width="220" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi1LtHAE24zU0xUuT6aylPD9g2-Yl60qtigXkTEzS3IPmtEZUI63tuATJ9OR7gzZPdFrIyP7pXYiAw-4s-ppoT5hgii7FhNvmlw4vNgxRat4CUefkAsfN5UsXPbHLyvi0k_NvsrwW60oL_KPe_zajAZgUEPh4nDUWGsT9QIZmvawMoy7fw_ZNyfj-zQw/w213-h320/Allan%20B%C3%A9rub%C3%A9.jpg" width="213" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">1. DIFFERENT. No other nation's seafarers seen to have had had the kind of out, camp and proud subculture that evolved on British ships, especially passenger ships, 1945-1985. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">But certainly many US catering staff on ships were out, as the late US researcher Allan Bérubé (pictured) found. See his videod talk about intersectionality in the US Marine Cooks and Stewards Union:“No Red-Baiting, Race-Baiting, or Queen-Baiting!: An MCSU History” <a href="https://outhistory.org/exhibits/show/no-baiting/red-race-queen">https://outhistory.org/exhibits/show/no-baiting/red-race-queen</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">2. THEATRICALITY. The camp, funny and showy British pattern may be connected with the very humorous theatrical tradition on both merchant and royal navy ships, and indeed in home entertainment on land. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">On many long voyages it was normal to put on rumbustious crew shows where men dragged up, including grotesquely: singing, dancing, and impersonating divas like Ethel Merman, Judy Garland, Dusty Springfield and Barbra Streisand.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD9dzXDest7iqPgXq5RAs4pqxhzASBN2o3LmFjoHDMxOML4QqDKyjqXf0zi0KbDs0OT04wUgWFKpwy26UwV7zxm3tQ_u0eEDuexHS1fYGm7ju2vLFSA7DM4DgURj08CiA-Ehi6U3LExZSSYiVqnIlOX8Gxhe3FsOyq6FBi-lRGeRt_VnhvYq9GPBpt8g/s301/arne%20book%20cover%20sana.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="301" data-original-width="200" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD9dzXDest7iqPgXq5RAs4pqxhzASBN2o3LmFjoHDMxOML4QqDKyjqXf0zi0KbDs0OT04wUgWFKpwy26UwV7zxm3tQ_u0eEDuexHS1fYGm7ju2vLFSA7DM4DgURj08CiA-Ehi6U3LExZSSYiVqnIlOX8Gxhe3FsOyq6FBi-lRGeRt_VnhvYq9GPBpt8g/s1600/arne%20book%20cover%20sana.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>3.NEW YORK, AUSTRALIA & SOUTH AFRICA. Relatedly, a lot of frisky camp activity happened on ships between the UK and its former colonies. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Gay-tolerant P&O and Union Castle vessels were reputed to be the obvious place for a gay man to seek employment as a steward. This clear 'go-to' pattern generated increasingly large and confident gay shipboard communities - as many as 70% of catering employees on ships were gay, say some. Success begat success. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I wonder if Norwegian shipping companies - with their different destinations and clientele - were not magnets in the same way. Certainly Goteberg researcher Arne Nilsson found that the majority of gay Swedish seafarers sailed on Swedish America Lines to New York, not other destinations. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">See Arne's book (in Swedish, pictured) and his ‘Cruising the
Seas: Male homosexual life on the Swedish American Line, 1950-1975', <i>Queer scope articles, SQS,</i> [Suomen
Queer-tutkimuksen Seuran Lehti], vol 71, January 2006, http://www.helsinki.fi/jarj/sqs/SQSNilsson.pdf.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 0cm 36pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">QUESTIONS</span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Bard and Gry's questions include: </span></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">How might seafarers see their temporary home?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">What were the limitations and possibilities that GBT+ men found on board? </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">How did “non-queer” seafafers regard the few queer shipmates who were out? </span></li></ol><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">ANSWERS </span></h2><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The answers to these in the UK situation are:</span></div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Home</b>? As 'queer heaven', a wild hedonsitic haven which was the most permissive and supportive community/industry avaiable at the time, by far.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Limitations and possibilities?</b> A place where ratings and catering pesronnel could be as out and outrageous as they liked. Deck officers had to be closeted. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><b>“Non-queer” shipmates? </b>Some became contingently bisexual or simply 'men who had sex with men (MSMs) but did not see themselves as gay. Most were acceptant of gay men, if the gay man did not insist on pursuing him. Homophobes, outnumbered, sought a transfer. Women crew usually enjoyed 'sisterly relations' with the gay crew. It was a pleasure to be friends, not the object of heterosexual objectification. </span> </span></li></ol><p><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i>I hope you enjoy the exhibition. </i></span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i>What a good reason to take an autumn holiday in Bergen</i></span></b></p>Dr Jo Stanley, FRHistS.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16615448959846276053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889546505060895080.post-44517515316372482242022-07-23T04:11:00.016-07:002022-07-23T04:55:23.172-07:00Mother commanding thousands at sea; Zheng Yi Sao<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuQMqc-J9D0f1Fq1PJl98o6IP5FYTxQwm7XW-Og3DGIk6ZV5guE7tYNbVBPQhhlIRXgwkzVHvuo3VjLtVObbwh_nCGRqFxUXJ8oLmSNkHo0hrSlNNSYtBUGTcPVYUn7N2KkxjzR_zU7kj6d5E_jpaTZQO1x7Bt50pfXTsxzxKxiKTeIpbNc5Moqssi4g/s1050/Zheng%20%20Yih%20Sao.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1050" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuQMqc-J9D0f1Fq1PJl98o6IP5FYTxQwm7XW-Og3DGIk6ZV5guE7tYNbVBPQhhlIRXgwkzVHvuo3VjLtVObbwh_nCGRqFxUXJ8oLmSNkHo0hrSlNNSYtBUGTcPVYUn7N2KkxjzR_zU7kj6d5E_jpaTZQO1x7Bt50pfXTsxzxKxiKTeIpbNc5Moqssi4g/w400-h266/Zheng%20%20Yih%20Sao.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br />Once upon a time, in the early eighteen hundreds, there were two women working as sex industry suppliers in two major ports: one in Macao, the other in Plymouth. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Then both of them married seagoing captains and went sea with them, giving wifely support in his established business: one in the South China Seas, the other on the St Lawrence in Canada. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The business was piracy. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Zheng Yi Sao (1775-1844) and Maria Cobham (fl 1720-1740) were the women. </span></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">FILM COMING UP</span></h3><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">This week I'm preparing to film some of Zheng Yi Sao's story - not in that busy world port, Macao, but in landbound Scisset, West Yorkshire. Next week I can reveal the film production details. For now it’s secret. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpLJnlOTovn_vFebfw6PdJ-pzLdVKqJbDwh3HBYmhF1kDbV11KXgHJHCtz-iZ8upwQuBikEzbCEWiYrhx-GUnzBZ9ttOu54taBzRVbFS2OGPbNjVZAQjhf7a9AvYu4xZpfWAOb8yWxh9bFo77KHMaoNc6v4yi6CRL1bD2OYPs1R0c9l2OCaghOAiioUw/s142/Bold.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="142" data-original-width="93" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpLJnlOTovn_vFebfw6PdJ-pzLdVKqJbDwh3HBYmhF1kDbV11KXgHJHCtz-iZ8upwQuBikEzbCEWiYrhx-GUnzBZ9ttOu54taBzRVbFS2OGPbNjVZAQjhf7a9AvYu4xZpfWAOb8yWxh9bFo77KHMaoNc6v4yi6CRL1bD2OYPs1R0c9l2OCaghOAiioUw/w131-h200/Bold.jpg" width="131" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Why am I telling you? Because I’m so happy about sharing stores of women working in fascinating ways at sea. I like boning up on her global context too. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I hold no brief for pirates at all. But they - and the fantasies about them - do interest me.<br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">WONDERING</span></h3><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">And I like to wonder about: </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">1. how women in authority on the waves handle the male hostility. Did the skills she learnt in managing men as clients on floating brothels on the Pearl River help her with her extraordinary feat: organising and streamlining a confederacy of 400 vessels as seafarers plundered ports and terrorised ships local in South China? </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Maria Cobham was only involved in one ship, with a maximum of 100 workers. Zheng Yi Sao was commanding 60,000 bandits, the same amount of people as Amazon employs in the UK, and twice the number of fulltime personnel in today's UK Royal Navy. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">2. How family/work balance works. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Zheng Yi Sao had her two young sons with her. </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">LEARNING MORE</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">You can find out more, now, from: </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjltkhwewgkp6Jp7UQKRXVU3c0FJlAW2bouEyBMyx-993Cwo7MZbH1UdJQKxREjcBmr8N_Jam2u_JAai_ldolDCGil1VD4XDSGZiR88qxa0-Lk_TVJxSssqbo3vooMM5RLauhB8u75NlgaUdDHf_6N_A362H6M2YNWknWHiMFdyQMJIWl0nvOM5Q_c5sw/s750/Professsor%20Dian%20H%20Murray.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjltkhwewgkp6Jp7UQKRXVU3c0FJlAW2bouEyBMyx-993Cwo7MZbH1UdJQKxREjcBmr8N_Jam2u_JAai_ldolDCGil1VD4XDSGZiR88qxa0-Lk_TVJxSssqbo3vooMM5RLauhB8u75NlgaUdDHf_6N_A362H6M2YNWknWHiMFdyQMJIWl0nvOM5Q_c5sw/w160-h200/Professsor%20Dian%20H%20Murray.jpg" width="160" /></a></span></div><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The main expert on Zheng: Dian H Murray (pictured). See her TED-Ed animation <i>The most successful pirate of all time,</i> <a href="https://youtu.be/6BALmDghybk">https://youtu.be/6BALmDghybk</a>; and her (now online) chapter 'Cheng I Sao in Fact and Fiction,' in my 1995 book: <i>Bold in her Breeches: women pirates across the ages</i>: <a href="https://catalogs.marinersmuseum.org/media/Media/00001/chen%20i%20sao00635822369289288277.pdf">https://catalogs.marinersmuseum.org/media/Media/00001/chen%20i%20sao00635822369289288277.pdf</a></span></li><li></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Dian Murray, “One Woman’s Rise to Power: Cheng I’s Wife and the Pirates.” <i>Historical Reflections / Réflexions Historiques</i> 8, no. 3 (1981): pp147–61. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41298765.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Dian Murray,<i> Pirates of the South China Coast</i>, Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1987.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">For a feminist academic view see Yoriko Ishida, 'A Desexualized Pirate in Yuan Yung-Lun's Ching Hai-Fen Chi: Analysis of Ching Yih Saou's Body and Gender from a Perspective of Butlerian Theory.'<i> International Journal of Literature and Arts.</i> Vol. 6, No. 6, 2018, pp. 83-93. doi: 10.11648/j.ijla.20180606.11</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">For the wider context see Robert J. Antony, “The Suppression of Pirates in South China in the Mid-Qing Period.” </span><i style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">American Journal of Chinese Studies</i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"> 1, no. 1 (1992): 95–121. </span><a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/44289182" style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">http://www.jstor.org/stable/44289182</a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">.</span></li></ul><p></p><div><br /></div>Dr Jo Stanley, FRHistS.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16615448959846276053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889546505060895080.post-14300426424022844992022-06-18T03:25:00.001-07:002022-06-18T06:56:11.746-07:00Sexual assault at sea: poignant celebrating and mourning<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI6jcqhjknWhjI8HSG-uXL4TSjyrA62fUkICBynl-WlzOnQrrmk0t3lCeBzuaaxawTrPk8eXrZRtAVvXaxbNv6ChXrNqdKwQwwrNKYWWCQOwvQToU3sBodMg9WCCvZED5XNxXSOsGgmJvYKj9p9zSqqRvHO8wHtyAEsJvwnEdHQvyzsy5HFSwo9uDysQ/s700/Hope-Hicks-Midshipman-X-photo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="700" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI6jcqhjknWhjI8HSG-uXL4TSjyrA62fUkICBynl-WlzOnQrrmk0t3lCeBzuaaxawTrPk8eXrZRtAVvXaxbNv6ChXrNqdKwQwwrNKYWWCQOwvQToU3sBodMg9WCCvZED5XNxXSOsGgmJvYKj9p9zSqqRvHO8wHtyAEsJvwnEdHQvyzsy5HFSwo9uDysQ/w400-h300/Hope-Hicks-Midshipman-X-photo.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Hope Hicks</span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Please celebrate and mourn with me today. There are two inspiring things relating to </span><span style="font-size: medium;">whistle-blowing officer cadet Hope Hicks, the most famous maritime rape survivor: </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">1. this afternoon she graduates from the US Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA), despite her ordeal. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">2. this week she waived anonymity for the first time. Up until Tuesday she'd only been known only as Midshipman-X and not seen in any photograph.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Hope has not enjoyed a simple training period. The then-19-year- old's revelation that an engineer raped her in 2019 went viral. The appalling story of drunkenss and shipmates' complicity led to hundreds more disclosures by women <i>and </i>men, and to much discussion by policy-makers. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Hope's brave honesty has created the most productive furore yet in the history of battling to end sexual abuse at sea.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Ahead of her is a future as an officer with the US Navy -- and soon her well-supported New York court proceedings against Maersk Line Ltd. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">She's alleging that 'Maersk failed to adequately protect U.S. Merchant Marine Academy midshipmen from sexual assault and sexual harassment while working aboard Maersk ships as part of the USMMA’s “Sea Year” program.'</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">'“Speaking up against a powerful corporation is intimidating, which is why, up to this point, Hope has declined to reveal her identity, opting instead to go by the moniker Midshipman-X,” said Christine Dunn, Partner at Sanford Heisler Sharp and counsel for plaintiffs [14 June]. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">“But, today, Hope is publicly identifying herself in an effort to seek justice for the sexual assault and harassment that she, and others – like Midshipman-Y, endured aboard Maersk vessels.”'</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Akhona Geveza: murder or suicide?</span></h2><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnPjZJQmbZq7Tdu_LxWgRoYSP4xPrPi064QtWPYlbh6M4NAq73fwYTz2rBHTLjcymaHND5HDCaWbYbGs6J2eADGTUUtThbW6cUcwNepJUZ6bc2Ih93skdLvNAo5zYJc8TplFPgs5TAkHkp6pgXuxLjkXYvHFo1cZaD69Sizwgbmjr2PQo_nQRxcB9aLw/s426/Akhona%20her%20facebook%20cropped.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="408" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnPjZJQmbZq7Tdu_LxWgRoYSP4xPrPi064QtWPYlbh6M4NAq73fwYTz2rBHTLjcymaHND5HDCaWbYbGs6J2eADGTUUtThbW6cUcwNepJUZ6bc2Ih93skdLvNAo5zYJc8TplFPgs5TAkHkp6pgXuxLjkXYvHFo1cZaD69Sizwgbmjr2PQo_nQRxcB9aLw/s320/Akhona%20her%20facebook%20cropped.jpg" width="306" /></a></div>Let's respectfully mourn Hope's predecessor, possibly the most tragic maritime rape victim of the 21st century: officer cadet Akhona Geveza from <i>Safmarine Kariba</i>. <br /></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">She didn't survive to campaign in court and on social media.</span></div><div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Both women are crucial figures in this struggle for safety at sea. </span></p></div><div><p></p></div><div><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Akhona was drowned off Croatia on 24 June 2010, twelve years ago next Friday. Both she and Hope were only 19 at the time that these alleged and separate-but-related incidents shifted the courses of their lives forever. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Did Akhona jump (to avoid the imminent showdown with her alleged rapist) or was she pushed (to shut her up?) And was she lying? And was sexual misconduct really not a problem at all on Safmarine ships? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Those are still the telling questions being asked. Akhona made headlines, briefly, before #MeToo took off. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Her case has yet to bring the staggering amount of useful publicity and the attempts at legal redress that Hope's situation continues to generate. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpG7iWe6lFgEw17YQ-0ZbllUsEUr5AfhIHbukDufM0WVrRqW6tJf050n0yBUC6IkTOqYYzNNf8D5EwU1pU0Mq6leKBSULqdhmPb8hU8Vrgs7m8FjedxiTmEkAJqwbh6izXFAE1_DjBuzgV-p3fNO6x8CLvjxLYO228mFLnLFY7LpLtS9rmkD7xmBfViA/s800/ALLIANCE_FAIRFAX.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpG7iWe6lFgEw17YQ-0ZbllUsEUr5AfhIHbukDufM0WVrRqW6tJf050n0yBUC6IkTOqYYzNNf8D5EwU1pU0Mq6leKBSULqdhmPb8hU8Vrgs7m8FjedxiTmEkAJqwbh6izXFAE1_DjBuzgV-p3fNO6x8CLvjxLYO228mFLnLFY7LpLtS9rmkD7xmBfViA/s320/ALLIANCE_FAIRFAX.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Midshipman-Y: knife, begged</span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Plus ca change? One of Hope's colleagues, Midshipman Y, is joining in filing a civil lawsuit against Maersk. In 2020 she was on the same ship, M/V <i>Alliance Fairfax</i>, (pictured) just after Hope. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">"According to the complaint, Midshipman-Y was so severely sexually harassed aboard a Maersk ship during her Sea Year that she slept clutching a knife for protection.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">"Midshipman-Y’s complaint alleges that she experienced extreme sexual harassment, unwanted touching and discrimination while on board the same Maersk vessel two years later. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">"... Midshipman-Y was severely sexually harassed by a crewmember who was known to other Maersk officers and crewmembers as being violent. Although crewmembers and officers were allegedly aware of the harassment, no one intervened or reported the misconduct.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> "The complaint further alleges that Midshipman-Y was treated less favorably than male crewmembers on account of her gender. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">"Driven to desperation, at the first opportunity, Midshipman-Y begged USMMA representatives to get her off the ship prior to the completion of her required sea time. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">"As a result, Midshipman-Y is unsure if she will ever be emotionally capable of completing the USMMA."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Will <i>Alliance Fairfax</i> go down in history as a Ship of Shame; The Ro-ro That Put Rape Culture on the Map of Infamies; or as The Final Frontier for Sexual Abuse at Sea? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">More importantly, </span></p><p></p><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Will all shipping companies now be working harder to change their cultures? </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Will there be discussion about charges that offshore abuse is an extension of onshore abuse in headquarters? </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Can we air some seawomen's telling concern that speaking out about abuse is counter-productive; it can lead to shipping companies deciding not to employ women at sea because it's too much trouble? </span></li></ul><p></p><h2><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Read about Hope's latest steps at:</span></h2><p></p><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/midshipman-x-reveals-her-identity-in-suit-against-maersk-line-ltd</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">https://www.tradewindsnews.com/containerships/midshipman-x-revealed-usmma-student-heartened-by-response-to-essay-detailing-sex-assault-at-sea/2-1-1238048</span></li></ul><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Making ships safer, happier workplaces</span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Hope celebrated her 22nd birthday last Tuesday, the day that she inspiringly went even more public. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Akhona didn't get to be that old, nor that publicly courageous. And she died just a fortnight before she was about to celebrate her graduation day. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">But Akhona <u><i>can</i></u> posthumously inspire others to speak out. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">As a veteran historian of so many seafarers who've suffered discrimination I feel sad and angered. All young seafarers deserve to celebrate their birthdays, to feel pride as they pass out into graduate life, and to enjoy long careers free from harassment and assault. Don't they?</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">'Say no to violence against women',urges the International Transport Workers' Federation. Here's how: <a href="https://www.itfglobal.org/media/1169/womens_violence_guide_english.pdf ">ITFguide</a> </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">You can get free support and info via <a href="https://saferwaves.org/.">Safer Waves</a>. It's the charity supporting merchant seafarers who have experienced sexual assault, sexual harassment or gender discrimination.</span></li></ul><p></p></div>Dr Jo Stanley, FRHistS.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16615448959846276053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889546505060895080.post-40227583199252917062022-06-13T10:32:00.003-07:002022-06-13T10:38:14.836-07:00Hello Sailor exhibition spawned Queer at Sea show, 2006 to 2022<p><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoOVQoo527KTePrKi8_tz5m7vfVTF0ewlrVjFyea3BKLIP5jjh8JIog0duTupnMLG0gmL_ILm-Do1bTcn6bdRSMIlL5w2XIARsyJJPz0Xl8pF0drzT1Ejj4SOAOnaQf-WLlyyIfjzEZ9OJiYzks5vv3al8I61H-vecGEPVXYlWFgdiEs6fjrxf7B3F7w/s2560/MMBC_QueerAtSea_FB_header_web-scaled.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="2560" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoOVQoo527KTePrKi8_tz5m7vfVTF0ewlrVjFyea3BKLIP5jjh8JIog0duTupnMLG0gmL_ILm-Do1bTcn6bdRSMIlL5w2XIARsyJJPz0Xl8pF0drzT1Ejj4SOAOnaQf-WLlyyIfjzEZ9OJiYzks5vv3al8I61H-vecGEPVXYlWFgdiEs6fjrxf7B3F7w/w400-h148/MMBC_QueerAtSea_FB_header_web-scaled.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br />One
of the loveliest moments of my life happened this morning. I’ve just found out,
by fluke, that I inadvertently played a
part in the creation of a new exhibition I admire.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">This
is what happened. I was googling for more information about the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Queer at Sea</i> exhibition that’s just
opened in Canada. I <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>found a podcast by museologists
at the Maritime Museum British Columbia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">In
it MMBC Board member Jelena Putnik<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> (pictured) </span>said
that its <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Queer at Sea</i> exhibition developed
when Jamie Webb, ‘our board chair, was
out east in Halifax [Nova Scotia] and came across the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hello Sailor!</i> exhibit of queer lives in the trans-continental liner
community.’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5hem8HRB2b4b_Et_beBHC4xKChBIQbO8YoheiodDJEWWSaTZFlGnUvOpOAQP4PVzDuXcHMUOldI2wZKosy7tJK9GmqUtBLVfnnZzgNZjUaCsVfc6E_GbBa3jVi1bxFx5nqvqfs3Nsp9Ez4HuZ4rVszh-L-bX_E41EOz2avq3RUtA_OAL0qoP4ZQLr0w/s1180/jelena-putnik.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1180" data-original-width="1180" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5hem8HRB2b4b_Et_beBHC4xKChBIQbO8YoheiodDJEWWSaTZFlGnUvOpOAQP4PVzDuXcHMUOldI2wZKosy7tJK9GmqUtBLVfnnZzgNZjUaCsVfc6E_GbBa3jVi1bxFx5nqvqfs3Nsp9Ez4HuZ4rVszh-L-bX_E41EOz2avq3RUtA_OAL0qoP4ZQLr0w/w200-h200/jelena-putnik.jpg" width="200" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b><u>2006-2011</u></b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Now,
it so happens that I (Jo) was co-curator of the original <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hello Sailor</i>! exhibition, in Liverpool in 2006. The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax NS then hired it and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>expanded
it in 2011. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I’d
been delighted to go out and be part of the launching process in Halifax. See this pic of that
happy opening night (I'm in the foreground, in a dark top). </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I hadn't known maritime museums could rock, till then!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC92-CpwWyERlOnbe_Mmvwzn7k9ljYbIiM5q8U2oY_-R7HUkn9GSVIwclpJP6k4FFGlm9skFE-mr2hZiEi8FqoxsyUCzYNqDcqjeSz-5HBG7X4ogwHOnJjnbfbsUBjgIOjkaJ_sjRBfBQuSoNCX3y2e17raICthc1RabQXclUTT8QQ0vvVv-QPVToaKw/s1772/0%20small%20Kim,%20Farrah%20Moan,%20Eureka%20Love,%20me%20and%20Elle%20Noire.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1181" data-original-width="1772" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC92-CpwWyERlOnbe_Mmvwzn7k9ljYbIiM5q8U2oY_-R7HUkn9GSVIwclpJP6k4FFGlm9skFE-mr2hZiEi8FqoxsyUCzYNqDcqjeSz-5HBG7X4ogwHOnJjnbfbsUBjgIOjkaJ_sjRBfBQuSoNCX3y2e17raICthc1RabQXclUTT8QQ0vvVv-QPVToaKw/w400-h266/0%20small%20Kim,%20Farrah%20Moan,%20Eureka%20Love,%20me%20and%20Elle%20Noire.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">Anyway,
a decade later Jelena recalled that Jamie (pictured) had been ‘really excited about the
exhibit, loved that it featured part of the history of the maritime community
that doesn’t often get seen or heard ... [He] came back really charged, with
ideas about how we can do something similar on the west coast [of Canada].’</span></span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRLp9QKbQjBZOvGWJdAKpoWIeJzWNYC2rAcdKUXmfZa0FryTjpXkRjZXkwg-EKXpgcndBZukd1CvaFK-nYXq0qd7pd4IU8SLDsoyWKNd8GtjFfCc4_tCk3imHNmrbr3CTBSCXTouF5ar0En6erUXc09nhvYqoz_PorHkKZvzIM3ce0vgH2yRfaW4iZog/s2560/Jamie%20Webb.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="2344" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRLp9QKbQjBZOvGWJdAKpoWIeJzWNYC2rAcdKUXmfZa0FryTjpXkRjZXkwg-EKXpgcndBZukd1CvaFK-nYXq0qd7pd4IU8SLDsoyWKNd8GtjFfCc4_tCk3imHNmrbr3CTBSCXTouF5ar0En6erUXc09nhvYqoz_PorHkKZvzIM3ce0vgH2yRfaW4iZog/w183-h200/Jamie%20Webb.jpg" width="183" /></a></div>MMBC Executive Director Curator Brittany Vis (pictured) added ‘Around the same time of that happening, museum staff here were also aware of that exhibit and ... starting to consider, “Oh, like maybe there’s something we could do on this coast as well.” </div><div><br /></div><div><div>'It just finally became the right time... I was like, “... that was right on my list as well’” ...[there was] a melding of everyone’s minds all at once.'</div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Bctu-T3GE_-RlyTy37t4ZsWHN74CNfEBkIvJWEj0A8k7Ho4MyAGPiVMlFwYcb3M3dgyRmPYhThRzGGPkNOmdsxTSgy1jY4yJZBCZxYz8a8wFOA-OOX20Ft_frp9mZO67JCO5o5sD4IJwE2RVvnpGpy1HaT4Wg38mJTlCPquBVc4dWFoCIU1jsyQpTw/s690/Brittany%20Vis.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="690" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Bctu-T3GE_-RlyTy37t4ZsWHN74CNfEBkIvJWEj0A8k7Ho4MyAGPiVMlFwYcb3M3dgyRmPYhThRzGGPkNOmdsxTSgy1jY4yJZBCZxYz8a8wFOA-OOX20Ft_frp9mZO67JCO5o5sD4IJwE2RVvnpGpy1HaT4Wg38mJTlCPquBVc4dWFoCIU1jsyQpTw/w200-h133/Brittany%20Vis.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div><div><b><u>2022</u></b></div><div><br /></div><div>And the result? On May 17 this year the exhibition, curated by Heather Feeney (pictured looking up at boat) opened in Victoria, BC.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXE8KjnAuf6LfywzoIpb4I6DAShoTvOzpz36oIfy-pJlOyCqR6pjyTFu802xvFMPmggBlWf_ck04HC5iC9oIHKkFFAKfh-cmU8R51USELe5eRSmORCfhwQARslLeMLTyrJrpsRZyjbECb-ZZ5vHfhGiqYA_Vh4FDbImMR9jaEZUgm9A0jaWQkGP4p7tg/s449/Heather%20Feeney.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="412" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXE8KjnAuf6LfywzoIpb4I6DAShoTvOzpz36oIfy-pJlOyCqR6pjyTFu802xvFMPmggBlWf_ck04HC5iC9oIHKkFFAKfh-cmU8R51USELe5eRSmORCfhwQARslLeMLTyrJrpsRZyjbECb-ZZ5vHfhGiqYA_Vh4FDbImMR9jaEZUgm9A0jaWQkGP4p7tg/s320/Heather%20Feeney.jpg" width="294" /></a></div></div><div>Did I get to celebrate there as I had in Halifax, NS?</div><div><br /></div><div>No. But I’m hoping a fairy-godmother will help me go out to Canada and see this interesting off-shoot of a dream I had round about 1975. </div><div><br /></div><div>I never imagined then, pre-internet, that the subject of homosexuality at sea would grow in all these interesting ways! </div><div><br /></div><div><div> </div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBD4OdyZ9ohuFo2urKMMNzt15pOL1p7S70dIl6LzoQfD7GKXUnWYX6VtU74Y06d9oaA87EEWiQEmuvSvgdEPs7cKn4nUv29ekk_0g2lnCuwVvNgdzUpPM2MyM2h4Tiy5KRWZ4T5Qh1ugSlLOhR7AhQ22uxtNk9J5ch5_N7-XdncEJhSQVYtocG59R4wQ/s4032/IMG_8175.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBD4OdyZ9ohuFo2urKMMNzt15pOL1p7S70dIl6LzoQfD7GKXUnWYX6VtU74Y06d9oaA87EEWiQEmuvSvgdEPs7cKn4nUv29ekk_0g2lnCuwVvNgdzUpPM2MyM2h4Tiy5KRWZ4T5Qh1ugSlLOhR7AhQ22uxtNk9J5ch5_N7-XdncEJhSQVYtocG59R4wQ/w400-h300/IMG_8175.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u><span style="color: #ffa400;">Learning more</span></u></b></div><div><b><u><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></u></b></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400;"># Hear/read the podcast about the evolution of the current Victoria Queer at Sea exhibition at Queer(y)ing Museums: Maritime Museum of BC: https://museum.bc.ca/brain/transcript-queerying-museums-maritime-museum-of-bc/</span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400;"># Take a virtual tour of the Queer at Sea exhibition at https://mmbc.bc.ca/queer-at-sea<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgttIbhXYs5-iZPuHenfIdUAk-BvFNP-ttxSfIsG1D78VMzIhtBhY1tNOwXPovfkVoHwHamCFaxoJou8ukMstsyxqOFuo2q4tt9QYmiV7usrCf0_DC5uXFeTkkUBkvWzDvy0aVR-vABHU2xER96PmNPZKzHNK0gMCJ-xSVkKgT042n9OgUf1eRmGzSdkw/s1200/dan-conlin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgttIbhXYs5-iZPuHenfIdUAk-BvFNP-ttxSfIsG1D78VMzIhtBhY1tNOwXPovfkVoHwHamCFaxoJou8ukMstsyxqOFuo2q4tt9QYmiV7usrCf0_DC5uXFeTkkUBkvWzDvy0aVR-vABHU2xER96PmNPZKzHNK0gMCJ-xSVkKgT042n9OgUf1eRmGzSdkw/w200-h150/dan-conlin.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400;"># Watch the Halifax curator Dan Conlin (pictured) and me speaking about the 2011 exhibition on TV:.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiC9I4dbO4o</span></div></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400;"> </span></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></div>Dr Jo Stanley, FRHistS.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16615448959846276053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889546505060895080.post-34038903797642366042022-05-22T09:58:00.000-07:002022-05-22T09:58:36.078-07:00New play: Sexual harasssment at sea<p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>C</i><i>orrina Corrina</i>, Everyman Theatre, Liverpool, UK (17 May – 4 June 2020 https://www.everymanplayhouse.com/</span></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaFbEGrpGE-Sx127NHhG1gp1-nZASh9LBpaRXpi_Jwkit_wCPZhyaMiCnmz1lyxNiJ1iCk4kH4SiSzWzhjiJIp7zqg5L-2B0jMN-ENB79VPbJOfMvX5y4JgmLNgT2TiL057MMMvcQH694PqCA7kL462_HwxRu7JHhm5yhtCLL97Ir6GDwlOMiR4ZYOiQ/s1152/CORRINA%20STORM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1152" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaFbEGrpGE-Sx127NHhG1gp1-nZASh9LBpaRXpi_Jwkit_wCPZhyaMiCnmz1lyxNiJ1iCk4kH4SiSzWzhjiJIp7zqg5L-2B0jMN-ENB79VPbJOfMvX5y4JgmLNgT2TiL057MMMvcQH694PqCA7kL462_HwxRu7JHhm5yhtCLL97Ir6GDwlOMiR4ZYOiQ/w400-h266/CORRINA%20STORM.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corrina faces a metaphorical storm. All pictures by Helen Murray</td></tr></tbody></table></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Workplace sexual harassment today is a big mental health issue,
especially for seafarers. Victim’s lives are wrecked. Promising careers are
wasted in an industry facing severe shortages.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The death of Cadet Akhona Geveza in 2010 and the at-sea rape of
Midshipman X in 2021 mean most people now know that being on a ship where
someone senior is pursuing and disrespecting you is a 24:7 hell that needs to
be stopped forever. Pronto.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">For the first time, a play – not a trade union survey or policy
document – is making that story of sexual harassment at sea come alive. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Corrina Corrina</i> also shows the
structural injustice and the gas lighting in a context of the racial injustice
against the Filipino crew.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">THE STORY</span></span></h3><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Third Mate Corrina Wilkinson (Laura Elsworthy) is 28, smart, fair-minded
and set on becoming a captain. She joins container ship MSC <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Keto</i> in Felixstowe, headed for Singapore.
The good news is that her captain (smug David Crellin) prides himself on being
progressively pro-women. That’s one battle less for her, she thinks.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Then Corrina<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>finds that she
knows the First Officer, Will Lewis<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(creepy
Mike Noble) from Warsash training college. He’s a guy who once before didn’t believe
her ‘No’ meant no, although conveniently he now mis-remembers her as complicit.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Being a prat and egotist, he thinks he’s in with a chance this
trip. But she’s makes it clear she just wants to get on with her job.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The Filipino crew have mixed feelings about a woman onboard.
Corrina doesn’t endear herself by telling bitter gendered jokes, swearing,
eating in the crew space and not being up for karaoke. She’s not being an acceptable
sort of lady, and that’s as upsetting as Mr Bligh’s bad language was on the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bounty. <o:p></o:p></i></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Luckily, in this tenderness-free zone, deck worker Angelo (loveable
James Bradwell) and Corrina become pals. They enjoy the kind of extraordinary
camaraderie that can be possible between even the most mismatched of shipmates;
they<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>trust, despite the class divide. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Not so luckily, Will takes against this (non-sexual) affinity. In a
racist way he warns her that as an officer and woman she should keep her
distance. They aren’t used to a woman being
... <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">open</i> with them.’ <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4iNLHQ67TxWUqHcVfbbCT9OaDRm-Om4Ij3bNHHD2ufxcznkWBOKTjVOikAY8htEYufU20cwj5sTvbw2_IvAxZOUkYOS592mHhhLQ9JYuCLQLQP2nO1pTbjsiPv6bOD3I_wU5v9Iuo6lMVzYoDPPz3PPb96-VM2uPWLrX7lXKTGNQWv3rUPLuxhj63Rw/s1152/CONFRONTATION.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1152" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4iNLHQ67TxWUqHcVfbbCT9OaDRm-Om4Ij3bNHHD2ufxcznkWBOKTjVOikAY8htEYufU20cwj5sTvbw2_IvAxZOUkYOS592mHhhLQ9JYuCLQLQP2nO1pTbjsiPv6bOD3I_wU5v9Iuo6lMVzYoDPPz3PPb96-VM2uPWLrX7lXKTGNQWv3rUPLuxhj63Rw/w400-h266/CONFRONTATION.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Confrontation on the <i>Keto</i>: Rafael, Coriina, Rizal and Angelo.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Angelo’s fellow crew members are uneasy about this friendship too. </span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Lonely Rafael (a convincingly wary Martin
Sarreal) resents</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">people crossing boundaries. And the older Rizal (Angelo Paragoso) stays circumspectly out of
the way.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Trouble mounts as Will ‘chivalrously’ bullies Rafael, which
undermines Corrina. Will clearly becomes a liability when he plays a
traumatising trick on Corrina. (This is a thriller, so I’m holding back. On what
happens, but it’s so bad that she complains to Captain. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Will not only denies what he did, he wrecks her status – which may
ruin her future career.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Similarly, his impact
on Angelo causes an irredeemable tragedy and worsens class/race relations on
board.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Stressed out of her wits, Corrina takes revenge. See it to find
out how she does so.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>WHY IT WORKS</b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">This is a moving and wise play, about the importance about
integrity and respect, and the proximity of suicide. It’s a world where a Dolly
Parton song can save your life, where loan shark attacks are inescapable, and
where pix of your kids are a constant reminder that your shipmates can never be
your real family.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The two-tier set makes the class conflict clear: white officers
can move between the high-tech site of control aloft and the scruffy crew mess
room below with its pitiful microwave and sauce bottles below. But the crew are
sentenced to the netherworld dump where the karaoke machine is the company
-supplied sweetener that doesn’t ever make up for the structural injustice. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The production by Headlong and Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse, with
a script by Chloe Moss. The director is Holly Race Roughan. If you can't wait until a tour gets sorted then pre-</span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">order the book at https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/corrina-corrina</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b></b></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGKtkPx5Odfwyfh6G0YADDHzhusd8LRZTRh2UvXoIkT4cpgfHRJvuHgO5US1STQ47TSk0yeGfo-98TNjvEDVk95NBEd46OysGvZgpwvcpwYWHmdlLnYsaLetpj90Rebij7qQNWIJR3JGY3ZuP0oMU1CiFOFp8tsIYDI71tLFTwl3E0y6iA4sxkBR45eg/s1152/CONFRONTATION%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1152" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGKtkPx5Odfwyfh6G0YADDHzhusd8LRZTRh2UvXoIkT4cpgfHRJvuHgO5US1STQ47TSk0yeGfo-98TNjvEDVk95NBEd46OysGvZgpwvcpwYWHmdlLnYsaLetpj90Rebij7qQNWIJR3JGY3ZuP0oMU1CiFOFp8tsIYDI71tLFTwl3E0y6iA4sxkBR45eg/w400-h266/CONFRONTATION%202.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Traumatised Corrina faces Will in the ship's citadel</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b><div><br /></div>IT'S SPECIAL</b></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I’ve watched and read a lot of ship-based dramas. This stage play
ranks with the two best modern merchant shipping movies: <i>Stowaways (1997) </i>by Denis Chou
nard and Nicolas Wadimoff, and Fidelio: Alice's Odyssey (2016) by Lucie Borleteau. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">C</span><i style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">orrina, Corinna</i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"> is about a totally different world from </span><i style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Anything Goes, Carry on Cruising </i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">and the
</span><i style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Love Boat</i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"> TV series. The production gives
us a </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">profound understanding of human
relationships and the intensity that can make a voyage life-</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">changing, even
fatal.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Dr Jo Stanley, FRHistS.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16615448959846276053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889546505060895080.post-91737055858358812482022-04-25T02:38:00.000-07:002022-04-25T02:38:30.645-07:00Women working at Lloyd's Register in history<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: arial; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmcLosC0tVdQkj3P-N7lMTqGkST3Qy_ZBMNibkAlM9Tv9d9eA8xs7mydEGKVf-iIIQH7VMQ0mljamh-Jh3ZyMz1WBFmNU83RRIt1NwHZxme5h-UneQpVV0VXUpyt_CWxy7IzeRdf_U9XiiLE5tKcKnpnl4Sgeam8zKVA-4R4uq9No1IcvjDpgt58zzuw/s257/LR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="196" data-original-width="257" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmcLosC0tVdQkj3P-N7lMTqGkST3Qy_ZBMNibkAlM9Tv9d9eA8xs7mydEGKVf-iIIQH7VMQ0mljamh-Jh3ZyMz1WBFmNU83RRIt1NwHZxme5h-UneQpVV0VXUpyt_CWxy7IzeRdf_U9XiiLE5tKcKnpnl4Sgeam8zKVA-4R4uq9No1IcvjDpgt58zzuw/w400-h305/LR.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The justifications for women being excluded from seafaring in the past are understandable, though not solutions-oriented.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span> But why exclude women from the safe premises of shipping businesses on land, for example </span></span>Lloyd's Register (pictured), which began as a<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span> m</span></span>aritime classification society in 1760?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Anyway, a Lloyd's Register blog now reveals that women were indeed in this centre of maritime life and at its outposts. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span>See Mina Ghosh's </span></span><span><a href="https://hec.lrfoundation.org.uk/whats-on/blogs/people-power-women-at-lloyds-register">Women at Lloyd's Register</a>, </span><span>September 12, 2019. Yes, it was was written a while back but it's interesting, and it may not have reached many readers.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">It reveals some elements that are are akin to the history of women at sea: like "she shouldn't have been there, but ... she was, and she did well."</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span>For example </span>Ann Johns was the first unofficial female surveyor, in October 1860. She took over when her husband was poorly - and did a good job at Bangor. The first female surveyor to be properly employed was Sonia Stavroula Anastassaki in 1979. Li-Rong Zhou (pictured) qualified as a surveyor in 2001.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuYtanc6L84TdXQGGToGiEnA1Y6ui9qYl2gRatVJRzSRfwzEvxGa7QTw4xA3bmOmyCuZMcIspv2w5GLqIrJyzDa89b9sfcik1qCSKDu4oGKpoxc4x2DCFjGLzznxxffJdSEkzM0Oe4T753ODw7f0K8bCP0WjcLh0b2-bzYUpDJ3zh6IPXSTmnCAIcJ-g/s2107/253-li-rhong-zhou-surveyor-under-training-dalian-16563-1-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2107" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuYtanc6L84TdXQGGToGiEnA1Y6ui9qYl2gRatVJRzSRfwzEvxGa7QTw4xA3bmOmyCuZMcIspv2w5GLqIrJyzDa89b9sfcik1qCSKDu4oGKpoxc4x2DCFjGLzznxxffJdSEkzM0Oe4T753ODw7f0K8bCP0WjcLh0b2-bzYUpDJ3zh6IPXSTmnCAIcJ-g/s320/253-li-rhong-zhou-surveyor-under-training-dalian-16563-1-2.jpg" width="213" /></span></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">"The first women employed at the Society were the housekeeper’s daughters, the Misses Ginn, who worked as cleaners. It would be another three quarters of a century before another woman was employed at the Society’s head office. Clara Kitchen joined in 1912 as a cleaner. She retired after 49 years of service.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">"Though there was a reluctance to employ women at the head office in a role other than as a cleaner, the Society’s out ports were more forward thinking and began employing women in clerical roles from 1907."</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span>In 1947 the first lady mathematicians came along. And </span>Elspeth Parkes became the first public relations officer, after 1956. (Pictured.)</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKxZr4_45ROB2Nid_kXvJjqWudZ357vOW0lg5xub1aPcYoM2zLYSlpVi3D4VmBh8KYcW5RSW7CZ0eDz4fbHP4ePWIYoSuo9VDS93fyRiZaklqKDydyAXGYPAYQi9C_NXFkUhiSlRKKR772qmPZ2bKv_6AuDb2JVPGXFbA6qWHSD44GAgkLWwDCPSpwPg/s1435/Lloyds%20women%20hist%202019%20elspeth-parkes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1435" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKxZr4_45ROB2Nid_kXvJjqWudZ357vOW0lg5xub1aPcYoM2zLYSlpVi3D4VmBh8KYcW5RSW7CZ0eDz4fbHP4ePWIYoSuo9VDS93fyRiZaklqKDydyAXGYPAYQi9C_NXFkUhiSlRKKR772qmPZ2bKv_6AuDb2JVPGXFbA6qWHSD44GAgkLWwDCPSpwPg/s320/Lloyds%20women%20hist%202019%20elspeth-parkes.jpg" width="312" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Do read on, and check out the telling pictures at <a href="https://hec.lrfoundation.org.uk/whats-on/blogs/people-power-women-at-lloyds-register">Women at Lloyd's Register</a></span></p><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Dr Jo Stanley, FRHistS.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16615448959846276053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889546505060895080.post-46934605471459434742022-03-19T03:48:00.073-07:002022-03-19T04:53:18.157-07:00'Indolent' Madras girl orphans voyaging to Australia 1842 <p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifa_CsmjUPhZzilAlGnON-NIRAwiww93ewnrqmiFo51mHvS36n2kfY8ZA9IDBs4rV5JbKD5TOPxVZr6ZiI0aTVlPJj8xGEwvDmumhUXqr0dqPlw1lJ-9Ekq_CiqZ4hmDsXofnEWQtRR7pXHgHQU2Y8-rGN4ug19F8rucxaPq4cG7UzAH-4BiIG1hr2KQ/s650/female%20orphan%20school%20parramatta.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="650" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifa_CsmjUPhZzilAlGnON-NIRAwiww93ewnrqmiFo51mHvS36n2kfY8ZA9IDBs4rV5JbKD5TOPxVZr6ZiI0aTVlPJj8xGEwvDmumhUXqr0dqPlw1lJ-9Ekq_CiqZ4hmDsXofnEWQtRR7pXHgHQU2Y8-rGN4ug19F8rucxaPq4cG7UzAH-4BiIG1hr2KQ/w400-h295/female%20orphan%20school%20parramatta.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">This month the British Library is running a series of blogs about the emigration of children from the Madras Orphan Asylums to New South Wales: <a href=" HTTPS://BLOGS.BL.UK/UNTOLDLIVES/2022/03/EMIGRATION-OF-CHILDREN-FROM-THE-MADRAS-ORPHAN-ASYLUMS-TO-NEW-SOUTH-WALES-PART-3-.HTML ">BL Blog orphan girls</a></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There's a little information about the usual anxieties about girls' virginity on the voyage, which was safeguarded by a matron. Other histories have shown that some young migrating women </span><span style="font-family: arial;">eagerly</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">escaped their chaperones to secretly </span><span style="font-family: arial;">meet men</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> on dark decks. Some were sexually used by male crew and passengers. Some ended up pregnant, which impaired their job prospects. From 1850 the law stepped in.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">In the BL blog no mention is made of whether the children were mixed race. But occupying British troops in India at that time had children by local women and then abandoned these 'Anglo-Indian' dependents. Possibly only light-skinned children who could pass as white British were sent off overseas. </span></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Here's what the blog says: </span></h4><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">18 MARCH 2022: Emigration of children from the Madras Orphan Asylums to New South Wales – Part 3</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Discussions about sending girls to New South Wales from the Madras Female Orphan Asylum took place throughout 1841 and 1842. The Asylum drew up a list of girls willing to emigrate, with details of their ‘Character, Disposition, and Proficiency’ ..</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">On 3 January 1843 the [new steam] ship <i>Duchess of Kent </i>arrived in Sydney with ... five girls travelling in steerage. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">There were a number of convicts on board ... no objection was raised because a ‘steady and respectable matron’ had been employed to look after the girls in case they might be ‘corrupted’. </span></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Matron Woolller's travels</span></h4><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Mrs Wooller accompanied the girls for a fee of £35, half paid in advance and half paid on arrival in Australia once the ship’s captain had confirmed that she had discharged her duties properly. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">She had recently accompanied the family of Major Cortlandt Taylor [1798-1874, and seemingly his wife Emily] from New South Wales to Madras and now wished to return home to Hobart Town.</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">[From my own ancestry.com searches it looks likely that Mrs Wooller had initially sailed to New South Wales in 1829, on the <i>Princess Royal</i>. I've found an Elizabeth Wooller who was thought to be 30-odd (born 1799-1800). It's not clear why she sailed at that time, for example was she the wife of a convict? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">[Two years later she was granted the right to marry convict Matthew Flynn. We may wonder if he had died or if the marriage had not worked out, as she was sailing under her own surname in 1842 and had a mobile career.]</span></p></blockquote><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Too indolent already</span></h4><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The girls were taken initially to the Female Orphan School near Parramatta [pictured, in 1825] ... the New South Wales authorities said a report on their ‘disposal’ would be sent after six months. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">A letter from Sydney to Madras dated 26 April 1844 ... said that the girls had been ‘kept in India too long, having apparently acquired confirmed habits of indolence’. In future, no girls should be sent from Madras above the age of ten or eleven ... [These five were 13, 14 and 15] </span></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Who sailed?</span></h3><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Four of the five young women were far from biddable. One was:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">• Caroline Smith [14] – Sullen and idle. Went to Mr Mills, schoolmaster at Parramatta, on 25 July 1843 as a children’s maid. Conduct so bad that she was only kept there two months. Then sent to Mr Buchanan, a clerk at North Shore, without wages. Was returned again to the school with ‘a most disgraceful character’.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">• Mary Watts [15] – Very good conduct. Went on 25 July 1843 to live with Dr Smith of 99th Regiment as children’s maid, but returned on 2 December after the baby died. Went on 4 December to Mr Fletcher, shoemaker in George Street Sydney.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><h4 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">LEARNING MORE</span></h4><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2yPAgb0VNz7tyk6KYPVHNSvuf1WN-p1H8oFanpc0aSIiBdctDCKktNs6k84iGchmXhi4ifc5uKqQcNYna6VDUnZuL1SjI-fMIyHDdlrQPtcuyWBJS58DF4LdT0Ng6lkJI8Qcz9vkqY5ljEc1VT5kaVb8_qmeHMoho4-pXQnQQTB_aXPG112juiPU4yw/s607/cabin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2yPAgb0VNz7tyk6KYPVHNSvuf1WN-p1H8oFanpc0aSIiBdctDCKktNs6k84iGchmXhi4ifc5uKqQcNYna6VDUnZuL1SjI-fMIyHDdlrQPtcuyWBJS58DF4LdT0Ng6lkJI8Qcz9vkqY5ljEc1VT5kaVb8_qmeHMoho4-pXQnQQTB_aXPG112juiPU4yw/w132-h200/cabin.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>Shipboard matrons, were NOT akin to employed and domiciled hospital matrons but to prison wardesses, only on one-off contracts to travel on a specific voyage.some became 'frequent business travelers.' For more re voyages see <a href=" https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/stories/shipboard-19th-century-emigrant-experience/female-emigration.">emigrants women sea</a></span></li><li><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">To understand how the matron role morphed into conductress (the first officer role for women), and then into social hostess see pp139-159 of my book: <a href="https://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/publication/cabin-boys-to-captains/9780752488783/">Women on ships</a></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: medium;">For more on the Madras Military Female Orphan Asylum, from which the young women seemingly came, see <a href=" https://wiki.fibis.org/w/Orphan_Schools_in_Madras#Madras_Military_Female_Orphan_Asylum. ">Madras Orphan Girls</a></span></span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>Dr Jo Stanley, FRHistS.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16615448959846276053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889546505060895080.post-46534713619417386352022-02-28T13:47:00.015-08:002022-03-16T13:38:44.257-07:00 High camp, ships, snaps, Cunard' s Green Goddess and the future of archives<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnlV_B_O8gAUq9IkHz2F3EqTKbh9rym0o_kAEzxNP0W4OrbiJwAV1RVYvrU6v_Irg0PjtvyVxQbvo2AA8R9ImYp7GRgeI-4txM3rvzUZE6qn_F0bNn0jtoS1LzmlT79crVJR005SPmjNthJQ6zbOCu3Vzc-Gn6OtdnhkfO5CgluP9FHWE9At07--pvpQ=s201" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="201" data-original-width="150" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnlV_B_O8gAUq9IkHz2F3EqTKbh9rym0o_kAEzxNP0W4OrbiJwAV1RVYvrU6v_Irg0PjtvyVxQbvo2AA8R9ImYp7GRgeI-4txM3rvzUZE6qn_F0bNn0jtoS1LzmlT79crVJR005SPmjNthJQ6zbOCu3Vzc-Gn6OtdnhkfO5CgluP9FHWE9At07--pvpQ=w239-h320" width="239" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">For seafaring men who liked donning glam frocks Cunard’s <i>Caronia II</i> was The Ideal Place To Be in the 1960s. <br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Whatever their sexual, gender or relationship identity, seafarers added extrinsic pleasure to their work aboard such luxurious cruise ships.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Quirky and hilarious photos of seafarers’ extraordinary camp subculture reveal the ways men temporarily staged themselves as flashy ladies: adorable, and irrefutably right.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Fortunately such images are still readily available online. Peter Stevens’ rich <i>Caronia</i> website has the most – both in colour and black and white. See <a href="https://Caronia2.info/">at Steve's site</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Frisky and outrageous camp shots appear in the context of the <i>Caronia'</i>s huge illustrated timeline, with its parallel strands of crew life and the ship’s voyages.</span></p><p><b><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Peter Stevens' take on queer <i>Caronia </i>life</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">As a mere lad, Steve, as he’s called, long before he began this website, was a commis waiter on board the <i>Caronia</i> 1964 into 1965. After a spell working abroad he rejoined as a first class waiter on the 1966 world cruise.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">“When I left school I was so green I could have successfully hidden undetected in a cabbage patch. So, meeting effeminate men at work, and encountering their open expressions of sexual preference, came as quite a shock. I was not a little embarrassed!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">“Next stage was coping with 'gay' men who were not so 'camp'. Talk about adults being totally bewildering!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">“Then there was their secret language to cope with. In Polari they could, apparently, bring you down a peg or two. After a while, I treated Polari like I'd learned French, on the basis that the only point in doing so was to be able to swear back at any Frenchman, in his own language.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">“If someone wants to 'clean' me, then I wanna know - exactly - what they're saying, even if I do end up a nervous wreck. Even to this day, I'd think twice before taking on any queen!</span></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiK76GDZJbfOsc3Hnrfu8HjgmSiUUj0kLFrv_Tes6HFWqO1mkWksae6EKI-SlrWwCwh80IrwyPq_LXQ1hLe4-j9Cp2hbRGY5CeD6QkqG9-mbLx7qAjpRu_f3QpnQKGtfGswUVrXAr_4fw0oD24EE2BzMuUSaBTV6HVQieVCjYLvnrdeRi23ul-pvq9tvA=s880" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="880" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiK76GDZJbfOsc3Hnrfu8HjgmSiUUj0kLFrv_Tes6HFWqO1mkWksae6EKI-SlrWwCwh80IrwyPq_LXQ1hLe4-j9Cp2hbRGY5CeD6QkqG9-mbLx7qAjpRu_f3QpnQKGtfGswUVrXAr_4fw0oD24EE2BzMuUSaBTV6HVQieVCjYLvnrdeRi23ul-pvq9tvA=w400-h284" width="400" /></span></a></div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></h3><span style="color: #ffa400;">Unusual collections elsewhere too</span></span></b></h3><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Steve's pictures are complemented by the Wellcome Institute’s website, which<br /> carries a few camp <i>Caronia</i> pictures. See 1950s pic above: https://wellcomecollection.org/works/yjeyjded/items</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-Dw66bYnxojgWa9WSfLoXVEX9pvQ8IdaIk0HS0_d9ilx9Jm2jvZSDaGijmxt7O-Sa8tt-vHu9_kKzvgcIpn6CzV9Iye3M1wmgAxRORxCMjov14dJKgUZmrnwLhcGX6Ra6xYjfAHelZnq_6HmHkkb4g90U700OopxHo3t7rEjpKaD3MNmy7khYy2tUrQ=s500" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="377" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-Dw66bYnxojgWa9WSfLoXVEX9pvQ8IdaIk0HS0_d9ilx9Jm2jvZSDaGijmxt7O-Sa8tt-vHu9_kKzvgcIpn6CzV9Iye3M1wmgAxRORxCMjov14dJKgUZmrnwLhcGX6Ra6xYjfAHelZnq_6HmHkkb4g90U700OopxHo3t7rEjpKaD3MNmy7khYy2tUrQ=w151-h200" width="151" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">They’re part of James Gardiner’s collection, which he created for his 1996 book <i>Who’s a Pretty Boy Then?</i> (Serpent’s Tail, London. Sadly, it’s now out of print.)</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Several LGBT+ ex-seafarers alive today have carrier bags full of visual records of their time at sea.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">But seafarers were sometimes aboard a fresh vessel every trip. That means their collections reveal the gay subculture on their many different ships, including the <i>Andes </i>('the Queerest Ship Afloat’).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b><i>Caronia</i> timeline site as special resource</b></span></h3><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjyj3JcQ_HiDg4HjTaC7l9eCA3F-p_AfcYTEli8Me4bqEpeO774pAWiwpMygaJ32v3wDztQfLC4qcJcVZeQ4fUHTb7G7ENB_yQ2aVxRiko268pFkV09MxE7yLyHXMzpZJ72rDZxqzxuiPzPbzhCvTpPSaGBqdiwjQcwwDqhxwz8r95ZO67u4V36lOP6Aw=s392" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="392" data-original-width="280" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjyj3JcQ_HiDg4HjTaC7l9eCA3F-p_AfcYTEli8Me4bqEpeO774pAWiwpMygaJ32v3wDztQfLC4qcJcVZeQ4fUHTb7G7ENB_yQ2aVxRiko268pFkV09MxE7yLyHXMzpZJ72rDZxqzxuiPzPbzhCvTpPSaGBqdiwjQcwwDqhxwz8r95ZO67u4V36lOP6Aw=w286-h400" width="286" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">It’s unusual to find collections focused on just one ship. So these visual revelations of continuous life on the <i>Caronia </i>are precious.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">And they’re extra-precious because they reveal how very high the standard of cross-dressing was. Never before have I spent so much time peering at impeccably beautiful ‘women’ and thinking ‘Surely that can’t be a bloke?’ Take, for example, waiter Lana (Allan Horsburgh) here in a photo shared by Ave Quin.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Catch 16 substantial references to LGBT life on board, including the gay scene, the crew variety shows, a mincing laundryman, a 1962 Sandringham Parade queen, and a tongue lashing in Polari.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">There’s a search option ‘LGBT’ and much rich material on the September 1965 page and the October 1960 page. You can also find gay life at:</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Crew → Assorted crew : Party Nights</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Crew → Assorted Crew : Variety Shows</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Crew → Wareham & Bergen Trophies</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">What’s in shot?</span></h3><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Professional shots of campery at sea are usually about shipboard theatricals. By contrast, the amateur shots tend to show cabin parties, frivolity in corridors, and shore excursions. The 1960s <i>Caronia</i> images follow this pattern, too.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiBsJlLcgAWcNULUHg83-CVlyZbUMr46G1RGra9aIFbjMajjPUlKbnkHO99ePrCcY2ceUe-05nNF7KIMl2DuJbFX_YXKxfftQWAUJl-eLHorMjGY6Yxzt87nI-Sw-z0qNwOi29ZqTF0oxVcq9B2KOnRGii7YooF_DjXpgQGN3-j6ou7QQk3tal1iC6XAw=s3088" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1965" data-original-width="3088" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiBsJlLcgAWcNULUHg83-CVlyZbUMr46G1RGra9aIFbjMajjPUlKbnkHO99ePrCcY2ceUe-05nNF7KIMl2DuJbFX_YXKxfftQWAUJl-eLHorMjGY6Yxzt87nI-Sw-z0qNwOi29ZqTF0oxVcq9B2KOnRGii7YooF_DjXpgQGN3-j6ou7QQk3tal1iC6XAw=w400-h254" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><p>Many pictures were taken and donated by seafarers such as Roger Birch and Ave Quin. For decades Steve has also been assiduously buying <i>Caronia </i>images from all over the world. The result is that we can now see camp life as part of the ship’s life, not exceptionalised.</p></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">And unusually we can also see the ship’s camp culture extending – seemingly non-problematically – into life ashore.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The <i>Caronia</i> annually called into Bergen where football teams made up of waiters from Sandringham and Balmoral, the ship’s two restaurants, played each other on a local pitch. (Unlike aircraft carriers, cruise ships didn’t have enough deck space for matches.)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Each team had its supporters club. They planned a new theme for each year's parade through the city. The day was filled with pageant. Seafarers in crazy costumes paraded as if skirt-wearing was just innocent fun, not an exploration into gender transgression. </span></p><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">July 1964. The jolly camp day that's beautifully revealed by the <i>Caronia</i> website is the 1964 North Cape Cruise event. The theme was Cleopatra. Not just any old Cleopatra but Cleopatra as played by Liz Taylor in the hit movie released the previous year. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">In their spare time supporters of the Sandringham Restaurant crew had made a float featuring a huge <i>papier maché </i>sphinx mounted on gold-painted pallets, held aloft by ‘slaves’ in togas. Engineers' steward Denzil ‘Pagan’ Norton posed as Cleopatra. </span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3hK24YdHI2l0seQe5JFDNjk8TzGV6Euqh6qC16rNVodk22_OBDHrJrEZ0Lw0eITk0DsiRmrmnmnDXGxJW-XoXwcrAyToLigRdruLYw0qPAcpHFOkR6WcfBdQXu_MLM14gXnaXxY56F1eswhCVOyCtz0102FLmMizQckcr5X03FfFGDudTDZZ8P-jqOg=s320" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="215" data-original-width="320" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3hK24YdHI2l0seQe5JFDNjk8TzGV6Euqh6qC16rNVodk22_OBDHrJrEZ0Lw0eITk0DsiRmrmnmnDXGxJW-XoXwcrAyToLigRdruLYw0qPAcpHFOkR6WcfBdQXu_MLM14gXnaXxY56F1eswhCVOyCtz0102FLmMizQckcr5X03FfFGDudTDZZ8P-jqOg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">For Pagan it was a day of stardom. He </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Luckily Steve can remember it all. He was one of the poor souls in togas lugging the heavy float through the port’s cobbled streets.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Pagan saved pictures like this, below, forever.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_ZGAk5-QagRLHhwMUXiXUILnZkXg75m_JauCX2uFXZsxqSofaeWVOG5XQr7ySFYWkInh85HMROt-cPAgUpi7wxcO3TdjJcQlLXVJleASjOKgZ_rJjvSZROMw1mnCha5xkqGIUu5lNW7gIuf4p1sUh6pC4c4GyTwC2toTWFAWdYvMCEaUVHHUfuSIcTg=s2880" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="1956" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_ZGAk5-QagRLHhwMUXiXUILnZkXg75m_JauCX2uFXZsxqSofaeWVOG5XQr7ySFYWkInh85HMROt-cPAgUpi7wxcO3TdjJcQlLXVJleASjOKgZ_rJjvSZROMw1mnCha5xkqGIUu5lNW7gIuf4p1sUh6pC4c4GyTwC2toTWFAWdYvMCEaUVHHUfuSIcTg=s320" width="217" /></a></span></div><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Star shooters and camp snappers</span></h3><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Photos of camp theatricals at sea are relatively available because bigger passenger ships carried a ‘floatographer’, sometimes two. They were employed by agencies such as Ocean Pictures and Marine Photo Service. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Shipping companies’ savvy public relations experts had sussed that, if happy passengers could go home and share high-quality visual proofs of fun aboard, then valuable free word-of-mouth publicity would ensue. Professional shots of fancy dress parties like this crew Hawaiian night were enjoyed. (Pic by Ave Quin).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2D7DQzFSRGit37_nqT1UderbWRznzje_wNaJR3EYoIlsu8MJwb1BQQUU9zGiD1qJRt_mT8vA9DgrubV9nYbRUsenSxSEqZujOY3VgxJdEEaA9PABtYqspAMcZtZ5esR3aKC2RgaVA8wCAvNse-h611mDQy77fR_0fGxOM5J8NlNdPmQ_sDQEkzBq0gQ=s600" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="347" data-original-width="600" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2D7DQzFSRGit37_nqT1UderbWRznzje_wNaJR3EYoIlsu8MJwb1BQQUU9zGiD1qJRt_mT8vA9DgrubV9nYbRUsenSxSEqZujOY3VgxJdEEaA9PABtYqspAMcZtZ5esR3aKC2RgaVA8wCAvNse-h611mDQy77fR_0fGxOM5J8NlNdPmQ_sDQEkzBq0gQ=s320" width="320" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">On and off duty, these concessionaires photographed everything that would be lucrative. Some had an anthropologist’s eye. All knew how to compose a flattering shot.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Before the age of selfies, skilled ‘floatographers’ customers included femme crew who wanted to be recorded at the apotheosis of their transformation into stars of the below-decks hedonistic world.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">These many resulting professional 10”x 8” B&W shots are a fine foil to that other genre: amateurs’ colour shots. These were a low-resolution informal record, and faded all too soon.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> It’s possible that the onboard photographer also developed risqué snaps taken by gay crew, who feared they would be reported and prosecuted if they sent their photos to Boots (the usual way films were processed at the time).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">SOS: Save these snaps</span></h3><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">It’s so important that these images are kept for posterity - and restored if needs be. Steve has worked hard to make some faded colour slides viewable.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">But where next? This period's general dilemma is how to ensure websites such as Steve's have a life long after he's gone. Seafarers' stories need preserving. LGBT+ stories need preserving too. Steve says:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">"After 20 years of collecting and assembling a website I've realised that I've created quite an archive in its own right.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">"Along the way visitors have sent me many, many instances of often heartfelt feedback. These add still further to the richness of the social history records that the site has quietly amassed.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">"Then came a steady stream of growing shocks. Several websites that I have enjoyed over the years are suddenly no more!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">"Other sites are being 'rationed' as owners succumb to the inevitable process of reaching their twilight years.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">"Is this the fate that will eventually befall my <i>Caronia </i>Timeline? At this moment the risk is very real!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBao1RoXfXecoAnQ03zGoGydwcUIS7B8Oc5p98reglS0Qya2vuaADjqDP4l0ZEJvaG1ROLsJ9Wgbz59lY-o3kWYI4EunAHdg2bsfK_pbyOeVERGandqBT0LxyC538j0dSm_12bcSvpXjUh_V1gR3kdCtZ3-aVumcWSYUJ9tbrsiYRvM5wBVxDfNX6tDg=s153" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="100" data-original-width="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBao1RoXfXecoAnQ03zGoGydwcUIS7B8Oc5p98reglS0Qya2vuaADjqDP4l0ZEJvaG1ROLsJ9Wgbz59lY-o3kWYI4EunAHdg2bsfK_pbyOeVERGandqBT0LxyC538j0dSm_12bcSvpXjUh_V1gR3kdCtZ3-aVumcWSYUJ9tbrsiYRvM5wBVxDfNX6tDg=s16000" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">"I've found that anyone and everyone will happily accept my paper archive. They would do, wouldn't they! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">"But Instead, I've found that public bodies regard making any kind of commitment to maintaining the website as a step too far.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">"If almost every piece of ephemera collected brings an aspect of the ship's history to life - and if viewing images of these saves endlessly rummaging through the originals - which is the more valuable: The archive or the social history? More on this <a href="https://caronia2.info/wotsnew.php">on Wot's New on Steve's site</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><b><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">READING WIDER</span></b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Paul Baker and Jo Stanley, <i>Hello Sailor: Gay life on the ocean wave</i>, 2003</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Marjorie Garber, <i>Vested Interests</i>, 1993.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">John Graves, <i>Waterline: Images from the Golden Age of Cruising</i>, 2004.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Jo Stanley, section on women ship’s photographers, in <i>From Cabin “boys” to Captains: 250 years of women at sea,</i> 2015, pp.206-7.</span></li></ul><p></p>Dr Jo Stanley, FRHistS.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16615448959846276053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889546505060895080.post-44106617766877879002022-02-06T09:04:00.000-08:002022-02-06T09:04:30.993-08:00Celebrating the first ever Pride in Maritime Day on Mon 28 Feb 28, 2022.<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgaY8OIwjQtkVuUYNq7z3UvN14j_Uo7SAPIg9_mQ-0cN15ZkLKioRyF8VmY-Bfb38a7erJFc39fMOydVq6gC0iTNKcfsgmMvT9YMgIuc9DoZ7cHYlTYJBDVx221HBxWPkQ3-7q_8vF62QMl4x6xBVEHbtEUyJQv3GvOpCCwn8uKdcZkS0jQWGgMlo8XAg=s1280" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgaY8OIwjQtkVuUYNq7z3UvN14j_Uo7SAPIg9_mQ-0cN15ZkLKioRyF8VmY-Bfb38a7erJFc39fMOydVq6gC0iTNKcfsgmMvT9YMgIuc9DoZ7cHYlTYJBDVx221HBxWPkQ3-7q_8vF62QMl4x6xBVEHbtEUyJQv3GvOpCCwn8uKdcZkS0jQWGgMlo8XAg=w320-h320" width="320" /></a></div>
Celebrating the first ever Pride in Maritime Day on Feb 28, 2022. https://www.maritimeuk.org/events/events/pride-maritime-day/ </span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Let's join with all the LGBTQ+ seafarers and their allies ashore and afloat to mark this fine day. Maritime UK is leading the initiative. </span></span></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXuVDDRUmxUsdo2cvPhjTC4vwfIlI_Tn2saGzeCC7EgDBbpcCv5xzdcV4MsXeEyudDgggWsIijHeMZ5XTyXzZ1AvARFK1TuPxOwg6RhWRfVlRCOu8fpUDP--AK7sLZtumkxdNhBZKTlmo95SSDZIVj0GqLp1ld7fU4qjynwb75yy0WDnoR-F4VbpC2vw=s660" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="524" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXuVDDRUmxUsdo2cvPhjTC4vwfIlI_Tn2saGzeCC7EgDBbpcCv5xzdcV4MsXeEyudDgggWsIijHeMZ5XTyXzZ1AvARFK1TuPxOwg6RhWRfVlRCOu8fpUDP--AK7sLZtumkxdNhBZKTlmo95SSDZIVj0GqLp1ld7fU4qjynwb75yy0WDnoR-F4VbpC2vw=w254-h320" width="254" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></h2><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Grabbing a quick taster</span></span></h2><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm proud to have been part of revealing the brave and tragic history. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">If you want a quick taster about the challenging gay maritime past that led to this now-proud present, try: </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;"># Seeing my zoomed whirlwind tour talk about this history, step by step, 1600-2000 at <a href="http://bit.ly/queermarhist">bit.ly/queermarhist</a>. It includes cross-dressed women whose relationships may have been non-heterosexual, like shipwright Mary Lacey (pictured below). <br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimKhEzoErf4fpDZK5InVOnkU0UZ4Jhe53whulrs-A8XvQYFIoQIBItWK6pctPXaeQa5qQbsKl0kh1mQfLFKh4ET4goe8JcxC1tGm_z0-ZVRjOiwPqZSMR5CoTTEqv7EYYv1iZ9qOZUCHusem-TMxoqiIv5IwWXdLXG38R6TNWr2MkNu8U4t8I0_3RElw=s140" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="129" data-original-width="140" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimKhEzoErf4fpDZK5InVOnkU0UZ4Jhe53whulrs-A8XvQYFIoQIBItWK6pctPXaeQa5qQbsKl0kh1mQfLFKh4ET4goe8JcxC1tGm_z0-ZVRjOiwPqZSMR5CoTTEqv7EYYv1iZ9qOZUCHusem-TMxoqiIv5IwWXdLXG38R6TNWr2MkNu8U4t8I0_3RElw=w400-h369" width="400" /></a></div></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;"># Browsing my reading list of books and articles about queer seas, at <a href="http://www.academia.edu/37107492/Queer_Seas_bibliography_doc">www.academia.edu/37107492/Queer_Seas_bibliography_doc</a></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"># Reading my (lite, illustrated) introduction to the subject at <a href="http://www.jostanley.biz/the_sea_and_lgbtqi.html">http://www.jostanley.biz/the_sea_and_lgbtqi.html</a> </span></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></h2><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Exploring further </span></span></h2><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I'm celebrating 20 years of researching, writing and explaining about this subject. This period was prefaced by me thinking for over two decades before that, 'Somebody's got to write up this history. But it should be written by a gay seafaring man, not me.' </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgivcWeDFUlxTWlaLoTyex_IBtNXFyJcBZWb4OLPRuTLsDEGgkyI9OZtlEhbzskHysOSiiTve9sIV-yRn9vtSYnqCJSwWBIr76yMNmkmWK2dOqG2TnQOfjuuoKZmCf-Pizl_a2HZhMukTz1uDGH9T3nEaYccbvwXR1KnHsrAk30T7_scWCeq12aBmxiZw=s2687" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2687" data-original-width="2201" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgivcWeDFUlxTWlaLoTyex_IBtNXFyJcBZWb4OLPRuTLsDEGgkyI9OZtlEhbzskHysOSiiTve9sIV-yRn9vtSYnqCJSwWBIr76yMNmkmWK2dOqG2TnQOfjuuoKZmCf-Pizl_a2HZhMukTz1uDGH9T3nEaYccbvwXR1KnHsrAk30T7_scWCeq12aBmxiZw=w265-h324" width="265" /></a></div>Finally I went ahead. You can see what I've written up by looking at: </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"># my articles: get links via <a href="http://www.jostanley.biz/the_sea_and_lgbtqi.html">http://www.jostanley.biz/the_sea_and_lgbtqi.html</a> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"># the "Hello Sailor" exhibition that Merseyside Maritime Museum mounted, then toured. See the Youtube tour of it at <a href="http://bit.ly/HomotopiaHello">bit.ly/HomotopiaHello</a> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"># the seminal book Paul Baker and I wrote: "Hello Sailor, <a href="https://www.proquest.com/docview/2132054178/$N">https://www.proquest.com/docview/2132054178/$N</a>" </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"># my blog on gender and the sea: <a href="https://genderedseas.blogspot.com">https://genderedseas.blogspot.com</a>/
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">You can help by joining in</span></h2><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSwfSbu7MsG2hVbNcIk9qh_El4TnZDqN9yHY8a8t7K8725gJtVV_3UsBEPiz2g29MFd82cnk2jvRJ9aTuqca0yu711wavJv-rslyPiTom2WDWCnnG2ZLN0R_hWX1S_A5P2DpBj0hrya2AbluS4aD_GTmzvLMgqcPTpvgpkZJFsYDNI03jOdcXi_MAGBw=s637" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="472" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSwfSbu7MsG2hVbNcIk9qh_El4TnZDqN9yHY8a8t7K8725gJtVV_3UsBEPiz2g29MFd82cnk2jvRJ9aTuqca0yu711wavJv-rslyPiTom2WDWCnnG2ZLN0R_hWX1S_A5P2DpBj0hrya2AbluS4aD_GTmzvLMgqcPTpvgpkZJFsYDNI03jOdcXi_MAGBw=w172-h232" width="172" /></a></div>Do you want to take part in a rainbow seas history network, exploring the diverse maritime past? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">A few of us in maritime museums throughout Europe are thinking of getting together for this purpose. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">If you want to talk about joining in please contact me privately via my website, www.jostanley.biz</span></div>Dr Jo Stanley, FRHistS.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16615448959846276053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2889546505060895080.post-9208849229547001802022-02-05T04:34:00.001-08:002022-02-06T05:06:44.293-08:00Conference: Feb 9 to11, 2022. MERMAIDS. (En)Gendering Maritime Labour and Business Histories <p> </p><p><br /></p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcTbNTycs7gqIhh4MAx6MftZqGpk43bA2rgYGICl-zB0wNsDTmol0iSnjFPbuye2k7Mm6UlKgWJc1EmrU9FO-uLT2g_rQokh7qpy9IADEDo1pWyQvT91wqWDuibkLe4TysyMwT-dbZnLjfPS_TyYKm7MCPhIBTSwZC7g5V9qlBGLhrVBwyCdfMu0KsqQ=s1024" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="680" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcTbNTycs7gqIhh4MAx6MftZqGpk43bA2rgYGICl-zB0wNsDTmol0iSnjFPbuye2k7Mm6UlKgWJc1EmrU9FO-uLT2g_rQokh7qpy9IADEDo1pWyQvT91wqWDuibkLe4TysyMwT-dbZnLjfPS_TyYKm7MCPhIBTSwZC7g5V9qlBGLhrVBwyCdfMu0KsqQ=w266-h400" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; text-align: left;">Image by Alison Headley – Tempest, 2017</span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">This is a free online international conference being run by </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">University of Ljubljana 9-11 February 2022.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">It's not about mermaids but real women in maritime business and labour in the last 200 years. They include ship owners, dockworkers, wives, fish-canners i</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">n Yugoslavia and Spain, and</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"> waterfront sex industry workers.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">For details see <a href="https://www.wecan">https://www.wecan</a></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="http://it.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/MERMAID_Programme.pdf">it.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/MERMAID_Programme.pdf</a>. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">No need to register. The zoom link is already there.</span></div><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Catch a programme that includes includes:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">KEYNOTE LECTURE by </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Valerie Burton: '</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Re-Presenting Women’s Maritime Past: an Historian’s Keynote for the Mermaids Conference'</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Sessions on:</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmT1_db-pL-N8ivxUub6oiNOdFcuD0x9jVcm_EgyS6Rkv91cH6EFjGa5_EUxjrw8X-y7d4h10aHoJr-r3VnXjF9qyl9mCeSUN-0Bvdnly6AVzy0Xn8wRFu9F3UBjJ8Wmb2bcf2Gvse744WpLxOqseYXw1iuNFozUsJqponRQzTL-sDt62ZYaYJ53s88g=s350" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="350" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmT1_db-pL-N8ivxUub6oiNOdFcuD0x9jVcm_EgyS6Rkv91cH6EFjGa5_EUxjrw8X-y7d4h10aHoJr-r3VnXjF9qyl9mCeSUN-0Bvdnly6AVzy0Xn8wRFu9F3UBjJ8Wmb2bcf2Gvse744WpLxOqseYXw1iuNFozUsJqponRQzTL-sDt62ZYaYJ53s88g=s320" width="320" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Women into the Deep. Labour on Board and Surrounding </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Undines. Women, Fisheries and Maritime Communities</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Gendering the Waterfront. Women, Ports, and Gender Roles in Maritime Labour</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">An Officer and a Gentle[wo]man. Gender, Navies, and Hierarchies</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">“Call me Ishmael[a]”. When Class, Gender, and Ethnicity Matter</span></li></ul><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The conference is organized in the framework of the MSCA-IF Project 2019 “We Can Do It! Women’s labour market participation in the maritime sector in the Upper Adriatic after the World Wars in an intersectional perspective”. <br /></span><p></p>Dr Jo Stanley, FRHistS.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16615448959846276053noreply@blogger.com0