They called her Madame B

04/05/22 • 26 min

Little was known of famous 19th Century Melbourne businesswoman Madame Brussels, until Barbara Minchinton discovered an old photo album in 2018 still in the hands of an ancestor Dennis James. It finally put a face to the rumours which had dominated her legacy in Melbourne for over a century. Presented by Kate Follington and Public Record Office Victoria this is an interview with archival historian and writer Barbara Minchinton. They called her Madame B is the third episode of the podcast from Public Record Office Victoria, Look History in the Eye.
View the original archival record on the episode page.

This podcast is produced by Public Record Office Victoria the archive of the state government of Victoria. To view the podcast homepage and all episodes, and to view records related to this episode go to https://prov.vic.gov.au/look-history-eye-podcast

Previous Episode

Monuments for the masses

Monuments for the masses, episode 2 of the podcast series Look history in the eye explores the reasons why Melbourne was desperate for a landmark in the 1970s and where it all went wrong. Melbourne loves to look back and laugh at the kitschy ideas that were submitted in the Landmark Competition. But the archives tell a different story, one where world-famous architects and artists were let down by a process too idealistic to ever succeed. Interviews with architectural historians Derham Groves and Seamus O'Hanlon.

Presented by Natasha Cantwell and Public Record Office Victoria.

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Presented by Kate Follington and Public Record Office Victoria

View the original archival record on the episode page