The Invisible Lady
05/28/20 • 37 min
4 Listeners
In 1804, an Invisible Lady arrived in New York City.
She went on to become the most popular attraction in the country. But why? And who was she? In this episode, we chase her through time, finding invisible women everywhere, wondering: What is the relationship between keeping women invisible and the histories of privacy, and of knowledge?
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In 1804, an Invisible Lady arrived in New York City.
She went on to become the most popular attraction in the country. But why? And who was she? In this episode, we chase her through time, finding invisible women everywhere, wondering: What is the relationship between keeping women invisible and the histories of privacy, and of knowledge?
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Detection of Deception
1 RecommendationsWhen James Frye, a young black man, is charged with murder under unusual circumstances in 1922, he trusts his fate to a strange new machine: the lie detector. Why did the lie detector’s inventor, William Moulton Marston, a psychology professor and lawyer, think a machine could tell if a human being is lying better than a jury? And what does it all have to do with Wonder Woman?
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Unheard
In 1945, Ralph Ellison went to a barn in Vermont and began to write Invisible Man. He wrote it in the voice of a black man from the south, a voice that changed American literature. Invisible Man is a novel made up of black voices that had been excluded from the historical record until, decades earlier, he’d helped record them with the WPA’s Federal Writers Project. What is the evidence of a voice? How can we truly know history without everyone’s voices? This episode traces those questions — from the quest to record oral histories of formerly enslaved people, to Black Lives Matter and the effort to record the evidence of police brutality.
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The Last Archive - The Invisible Lady
Transcript Summary
In the mesmerizing episode "The Invisible Lady," the podcast explores the riveting concept of privacy and the fear of machines exposing personal information. Drawing inspiration from H.G. Wells' "The Invisible Man," as well as the concerns raised by renowned figures like Lewis Brandeis, this episode delves into the historical implications of invading privacy. Through intriguing anecdotes such as the case of the invisible lady, a small woman hidden in a building's plumbing, whose voice was delivered through tubes to a glass box, the episode delves into the Victorian fetish for privacy and its impact on women's rights. As the search for the invisible lady unfolds, parallels are drawn to the privacy struggles faced by women throughout history, leading to societal changes like women's suffrage and participation in public life. This thought-provoking episode sheds light on the tension between knowledge and privacy in the 21st century, inviting listeners to contemplate the significance of privacy in an increasingly interconnected world.
Transcript
Pushkin. Imagine there's a place in our world where the known things go, a quarter of the mind, an endless vault crammed with evidence, proof clues me. I like to go there and poke around. A book of poems by Emily Dickinson, flowers pressed between its pages. Oh, I wonder if this old radio still works. I must ended up the downs music for a moment. I have an urgent message when police had called griefy. Imagine that this place, this chamber of know
The Invisible Lady Top Questions Answered
What is the right to privacy and how is it linked to the concept of public and private selves?
The right to privacy is the right to have a public self and a private self. It refers to the protection of one's personal information and the ability to control access to it.
What are some references to novels that discuss the fear of new technologies exposing one's hidden self?
"Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" and "The Invisible Man" are referenced as novels that explore the fear of new technologies revealing one's hidden self.
Can you tell me about the movie "The Invisible Man" from 1933?
"The Invisible Man" is a movie from 1933 about a chemist who becomes invisible and goes on a crime spree. It explores the power of sound and sound machines in exposing the otherwise invisible man.
How does wiretapping relate to the violation of privacy and what is Justice Brandeis's dissent?
Wiretapping is mentioned as a case that violated privacy rights, and Justice Brandeis's dissent refers to his disagreement with the majority opinion on wiretapping, emphasizing the importance of privacy.
What is the connection between knowledge and privacy, and how does it relate to the modern era?
The movie referenced highlights the tension between knowledge and privacy. In the modern era, every door is open, and information can be accessed freely, challenging the notion of privacy and creating new concerns.
Who was Louisa Bayard and why is her funeral significant?
Louisa Bayard was the wife of the Secretary of State. Her public funeral became a melodrama due to her husband's position and the public speculation surrounding her daughter's death.
What essay influenced the right to privacy and how did Louisa Bayard's funeral play a role?
Samuel Warren and Lewis Brandeis's essay, published in 1890, explored the right to privacy. It originated from the publicized funeral of Louisa Bayard, which drew attention to the issue.
What did the right to privacy initially focus on, and how was it related to women's lives?
The right to privacy initially focused on protecting women from unauthorized photographs and invasion of their private lives. It aimed to safeguard women from unwarranted interference.
Can you explain the concept of a "wound to one's soul" in relation to privacy violations?
The violation of privacy is compared to breaking into someone's house and is considered a wound to one's soul, emphasizing the emotional impact of privacy intrusions.
What is the Last Archive podcast, and how does it relate to the search for the Invisible Lady?
The Last Archive is a podcast set in a chamber of knowledge between uncertainty and reasonable doubt. The podcast host and her producer search for the Invisible Lady in New York City, exploring the symbol of women's invisibility.
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