Episodes
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This week Dr Nicola Tallis talks to historian, writer and maritime history expert Dr Ian Friel about pirates, their treasure (the T word), and the story and the significance of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island.
Ian is the author of several major books on maritime history, The Good Ship (1995), The British Museum Maritime History of Britain & Ireland c 400 – 2001 (2003) and Henry V’s Navy (2015) and Britain and the Ocean Road (2020), with its sequel, Breaking Seas, Broken Ships, due out in 2021. He has also written as a book of local history photographs and over 20 papers, articles and booklets on maritime history, local history and education.
Join the conversation on social media and check out images of some of the jewels discussed by visiting @historygemspod on both Twitter and Instagram.
Special 'pirate music' from Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/a-seafaring-adventure
License code: 1M3GO1DWYUWPYLHD -
This week Dr Nicola Tallis explores one of the world's most revered jewellers - Atelier Torbjörn Tillander - with the youngest of the Tillander family - Jenny.
The firm of A. Tillander was established by Alexander Tillander in Russia in 1860. After completing a seven year apprenticeship with a master goldsmith he went to work for Carl Becks who was a supplier to the Russian Imperial court. Before long however, Alexander decided to go into business on his own and at just 23 he opened his first premises in the heart of St Petersburg.
Whilst the firm remained relatively unscathed by the Russian Revolution of 1905, the same was not true of the one that occurred in 1917. Along with many other Russian jewellery manufacturers, the firm was forced to closed and the Tillander family moved their lives and business to Helsinki. Here, in 1918 Alexander Jr. re-established A. Tillander and the firm is still in existence today and remains family owned.
Jenny has been fully involved in the family business since 2014. In 2017, she graduated as a gemmologist from the Gemological Institute of America in London. Jenny is a natural-born customer service representative who, as the youngest in the family business, also naturally ensures that Atelier Torbjörn Tillander's product range follows trends. In spring 2020, Jenny launched her first jewellery collection – Transparency by Jenny Tillander. Check out the collection here.Join the conversation on social media and check out images of some of the jewels discussed by visiting @historygemspod on both Twitter and Instagram.
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Missing episodes?
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This week Nicola is joined by author and historian Valerie Schutte to explore the history of one of the world's most famous pearls - La Peregrina, which was worn by kings and queens in paintings and apparently eaten by Elizabeth Taylor's puppy!
Valerie Schutte earned her PhD in History from the University of Akron. She is author or editor of six books on Queen Mary I, unexpected heirs, and queens in Shakespeare. She has also published several journal articles and book chapters on Queen Mary I, royal Tudor women, history of the book, and book dedications.
Her research interests include Queen Mary I, Tudor queens, book dedications, Princess Elizabeth, and books related to Tudor kings. You can find out more about her work here - Valerie Schutte – Read about the work of historian Valerie Schutte (tudorqueenship.com).
Join the conversation on social media and check out images of La Peregrina by visiting @historygemspod on both Twitter and Instagram.
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In the latest episode of History Gems, Dr Nicola Tallis is joined by writer and one of Britain’s leading authority on jewellery and gemstones, Carol Woolton, to discuss the jewellery in the Netflix series Bridgerton.
According to Carol, "parallels can be drawn between the uncertain times which influenced Regency sparkle on the hit TV series, and the jewel-loaded runways for spring/summer 2021 during our Covid era." Listen and make up your own mind!
Carol Woolton is Britain’s leading authority on jewellery and gemstones and has entertained and informed the readers of British Vogue and Tatler as Jewellery Editor for more than 25 years. She is a writer, lecturer, historian, editor, curator, stylist, and author of five books on the fascinating subject of jewellery. She has contributed widely to magazines, newspapers and online supplements around the world including the Financial Times, Vogue China, Vanity Fair, Air Mail, American Vogue, Tatler and the Daily Telegraph.
Read Carol's take on the jewellery in Bridgerton in Vogue here.
Join the conversation on social media and check out some of the items discussed in this episode by visiting @historygemspod on both Twitter and Instagram.
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In the latest episode of History Gems Dr Nicola Tallis delves into the fascinating story of French queen Marie Antoinette with royal historian and author Dr Carolyn Harris.
Dr Carolyn Harris is a historian, author and royal commentator based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She is the author of Magna Carta and Its Gifts to Canada: Democracy, Law, and Human Rights and Queenship and Revolution in Early Modern Europe: Henrietta Maria and Marie Antoinette. Her 3rd book, Raising Royalty: 1000 Years of Royal Parenting was published in 2017. She is a co-editor of the English Consorts, Power, Influence, Dynasty series, which will be published in 2022.
You can find out more about her work here.
Join the conversation on social media and check out some of the items discussed in this episode by visiting @historygemspod on both Twitter and Instagram.
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In the latest episode of History Gems Dr Nicola Tallis delves into the history of pearls with Sue Prichard, Senior Curator of Arts at the National Maritime Museum, in Greenwich.
Nicola and Sue also discuss the new Tudors to Windsors exhibition at the musuem, which includes over 150 of the finest portraits from across five royal dynasties. Discover how royal portraiture has developed over the last five centuries, from Henry VII to Elizabeth II.
You can book tickets for the exhibition or find out more information here.Join the conversation on social media and check out some of the items discussed in this episode by visiting @historygemspod on both Twitter and Instagram.
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Historian and author Dr Nicola Tallis explores the astonishing story of the House of Kutchinsky, from its modest beginnings in the East End of London to becoming a Post-World War II jewellery powerhouse that became internationally renowned.
And her guide is none other than journalist Serena Kutchinsky, whose father, Paul Kutchinsky, created the world’s largest jewelled egg – one that would rival Fabergé’s.
Join the conversation on social media by visiting @historygemspod on both Twitter and Instagram - and check out @house_of_kutchinsky and @Skutchinsky for more information about the jewellery discussed and Serena's upcoming book.
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Historian and author Dr Nicola Tallis delves into the history of one of the 17th century's most fascinating characters, Queen Christina of Sweden, and explores the story of her crown and how she lost it!
Nicola is joined by Amy Saunders, who's studying for her PhD at the Uni of Winchester and specialises in 17th century gender, sexuality and the monarchy.
Join the conversation on social media and find images of the jewels and items discussed by visiting @historygemspod on both Twitter and Instagram.
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Historian and author Dr Nicola Tallis explores the topic of Nazi gold - what it is, where it came from and where it might be now - with Callum McKelvie, the Features Editor at All About History Magazine.
Callum has researched and written extensively about Nazi gold and he tells Nicola how the gold, as well as precious stones and art work, was collected by the Nazis as part of Aryanization, the forced expulsion of Jews from business life in Nazi Germany, Axis-aligned states, and their occupied territories.
It entailed the transfer of Jewish property into "Aryan" hands.
Join the conversation on social media and find images of the jewels and items discussed by visiting @historygemspod on both Twitter and Instagram.
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Historian and author Dr Nicola Tallis explores the incredible story of one of the world's most famous authors, Jane Austen, in the company of Sophie Reynolds, the Collections and Interpretations Manager at Jane Austen House, in Hampshire.
Find out more about the incredible work of Jane Austen and Jane Austen's House, which is found in the village of Chawton, here.
Join the conversation on social media and find images of the jewels and items discussed by visiting @historygemspod on both Twitter and Instagram.
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In the second episode of Series Two, Dr Nicola Tallis is joined by fellow historian and author Helen Carr to explore the story of English prince, military leader, statesman - and the third of the five sons of King Edward III - John of Gaunt.
Helen, whose book The Red Prince, a biography of John of Gaunt, is out now (but it here), tells Nicola about the controversial Duke of Lancaster and the pair delve into his love life and the story behind the famous SS collar.
Join the conversation on social media and find images of the jewels and items discussed by visiting @historygemspod on both Twitter and Instagram.
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History Gems is back!
In the first episode of Series Two, historian and author Dr Nicola Tallis uncovers the secrets of the Anglo-Saxon ship burial at Sutton Hoo, made famous in the Netflix film 'The Dig', with Dr Sue Brunning, the curator of the European Early Medieval and Sutton Hoo collections at the British Museum.
Nicola and Sue explore the glittering findings, including a very unique pyramid and the iconic helmet, and discuss how the discovery of the site transformed historians' understanding of the early medieval period.
Find out more about the Sutton Hoo discovery here.
Join the conversation on social media and find images of the jewels and items discussed by visiting @historygemspod on both Twitter and Instagram.
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In the final episode of the first series of History Gems, Nicola is joined by historian, author and royal commentator Professor Kate Williams to delve into the story of Mary Queen of Scots - and of course, her love of jewels.
Nicola and Kate explore why Mary was sent to France, who was fighting over her pearls and why mystery remains over the location of a jar containing her heart.
To see images of the jewels and other items discussed in this episode, check out @historygemspod on both Twitter and Instagram.
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In this episode of History Gems, Nicola is joined by historian and author Elizabeth Norton to explore the story of Queen Arnegunde and the mystery of her mummified lung.
The remains of Arnegunde were found in 1959 by the archaeologist Michel Fleury. Along with the skeleton and preserved lung were a strand of hair, jewelry, and several fragments of textiles and leather. A gold signet ring, with the inscription "Arnegundis" showed that the remains belonged to the Merovingian queen.
To see images of the jewels and other items discussed in this episode, check out @historygemspod on both Twitter and Instagram.
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In this episode of History Gems, Nicola is joined by Stuart Orme, the curator of the Cromwell Museum, in Huntingdon, to discuss the life of Elizabeth Cromwell, wife of the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell - and of course, her jewels.
They also explore a very unusual recipe book with an even more unusual essay inside which, according to Stuart is akin to "a cookery book by Michelle Obama containing an essay by Donald Trump criticising Barack Obama"!
Intrigued? You should be. Listen to find out more!
To see images of the jewels and other items discussed in this episode, check out @historygemspod on both Twitter and Instagram.
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In this episode of History Gems, Dr Nicola Tallis ventures back to ancient Egypt to uncover the tomb of Tutankhamun in the company of Egyptologist and author Dr Chris Naunton.
Tutankhamun was barely known to the modern world until 1922, when British archaeologist Howard Carter chiseled through a doorway and entered the boy pharaoh’s tomb, which had remained sealed for more than 3,200 years.
Join Nicola and Chris as they explore what he found in the tomb - and find out why Tutankhamun was buried with clean underwear and a packed lunch!
To see images of the jewels and other items discussed in this episode, check out @historygemspod on both Twitter and Instagram.
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In the latest episode of History Gems, Dr Nicola Tallis is joined by writer, historian and TV producer Rebecca Rideal to explore the story of Colonel Thomas Blood and his audacious attempt to steal the Crown Jewels in 1671.
Rebecca tells Nicola how Blood befriended the newly appointed Master of the Jewel House, 77-year-old Talbot Edwards, to get close to the jewels, and how he even had to flatten St. Edward's Crown to hide it beneath his clerical coat.
Did he get away with it?? You’ll have to tune in to find out!
For images of the jewels discussed in this episode, follow the podcast at @historygemspod on Twitter and Instagram.
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In the latest episode of History Gems, Dr Nicola Tallis is joined by Dr Ellie Woodacre, senior lecturer in early modern history at the University of Winchester and a specialist in queenship and royal studies, to discuss the Queen of England that you've probably never heard of - Joan of Navarre.
Born into Navarrese nobility, Joan became Queen of England after marrying Henry IV of England in 1403. But it wasn't all plain sailing as you'll find out if you listen! And as ever, there are gems and jewels to discuss along the way.
For images of the jewels discussed in this episode + a special bonus clip, follow the podcast at @historygemspod on Twitter and Instagram.
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In the latest episode of History Gems, Dr Nicola Tallis is joined by historian, author and playwright Gareth Russell to explore the history of the Romanovs and the stories behind some of the most famous pieces of jewellery of all time - the Fabergé Eggs.
Nicola and Gareth go back to the 1885 when Emperor Alexander III, through the intermediary of his uncle, Grand Duke Vladimir, commissioned an Easter egg from Fabergé as an Easter present for his wife, Empress Maria Feodorovna. Initially planned by Fabergé to contain a diamond ring, the actual finished version, following specific instructions of the Emperor, included a ruby pendant of great value.
Only 57 of the eggs remain, and according to Gareth only one looks like an actual egg. Which one is he talking about? You’ll have the listen to find out!
For images of the jewels discussed in this episode, follow the podcast at @historygemspod on Twitter and Instagram.
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In the first episode of 2021, Dr Nicola Tallis is joined by historian and author Susan Ronald to explore the story of one of history's most fascinating and most beautiful jewels - the Sancy Diamond.
Nicola and Susan trace the 55 carat diamond around Europe, India and even to the USA as they discover its incredible past, and why it's definitely NOT to be called the Sancy Blood Diamond!
For images of the jewels discussed in this episode, follow the podcast at @historygemspod on Twitter and Instagram.
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