Historical Snapshots

Episode transcript: "To stand at the edge of the sea, to sense the ebb and flow of the tides, to feel the breath of a mist moving over a great salt marsh, to watch the flight of shore birds that have swept up and down the surf lines of the continents for untold thousands of years ... is to have knowledge of things that are as nearly eternal as any earthly life can be." - Rachel Carson Born in 1907 in Springdale, Pennsylvania, Rachel Carson grew up in the hills overlooking the Allegheny River. It was there that she fell in love with nature after many walks in the area with her mother, observing the natural landscapes and the wildlife. And it was also there that, in her youth, she fell in love with writing, winning several awards. She published her first story in a children's magazine at ten years old, and around that time began telling people that she wanted to be a professional writer.  While her family was not well off, her mother insisted that Rachel attend college to become a writer. She ente

Story transcript & sources: https://historicalsnaps.com/2023/09/21/snapshot-marian-anderson-biography/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historical-snapshots/support

Transcript and original post: Langston Hughes: writer, “My People” & other works Episode photo source: National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; acquired through the generosity of Elizabeth Ann Hylton, NPG.2011.101  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historical-snapshots/support

Snapshot biography of Jesse Owens on Historical Snapshots --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historical-snapshots/support

Our snapshot biography of actress and inventor, Hedy Lamarr: Some said Hedy Lamarr was the most beautiful woman in the world. Some said she had the most beautiful face they had ever seen. Some just stopped talking mid-sentence, in awe, when she walked into a room. Born in Vienna, Austria, in 1914, Hedy was an only child of two loving and devoted parents. She spent time with her mother learning about the arts, and with her father, they explored the city, often stopping to learn about the workings of different machines they came across. Her father spent much time teaching her, developing in her a love and understanding for technology. By five years old, Hedy was taking apart and reassembling gadgets like music boxes at home. But it was acting that captured young Hedy’s heart. Enamored with the art, dedicating herself to the craft, she began to play roles in films. And by her late teens, Hedy was a star. Soon she married. Her husband, infatuated with the star, treated her less like a wife and more as a prize. “I

Story transcript: “There is nothing so beautiful as the free forest. To catch a fish when you are hungry, cut the boughs of a tree, make a fire to roast it, and eat it in the open air, is the greatest of all luxuries. I would not stay a week pent up in cities, if it were not for my passion for art.” – Edmonia Lewis — Most people didn’t know her age; she kept those details a mystery. But no one questioned her remarkable talent. For as a sculptor, Edmonia Lewis was one of the best. People traveled from all over the world to see her art and watch her at work. Edmonia was born in New York sometime around 1844. Like her age, details of her upbringing and parents are sparse. Edmonia’s mother was of mixed African and Native American descent and was known for her weaving and craftsmanship. Her father was of African American descent and was known for being a writer. Both of her parents passed away by the time Edmonia was nine years old. Afterward, aunts raised her and her older half-brother. But while family life came

The short story of Anne Sullivan, who after overcoming much hardship in her early years, became a teacher, governess and friend to Helen Keller. -- Sources are on original post at Historical Snapshots. Source for episode photo: Popular Science Monthly Volume 63 - Wikimedia Commons. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/historical-snapshots/support