April 5, 2022

EP. 259 — What Was It Like To Get Loved Up In Georgian England? with Dr. Sally Holloway

This one’s for everyone who watched Bridgerton and wondered: could I get it in Georgian England?! Dr. Sally Holloway joins Jonathan to discuss the ins and outs of love and courtship in this era, including gifts and letters people would exchange, 18th century contraception, and the historical equivalents of ghosting and catfishing.

 

Dr. Sally Holloway is a historian of gender, emotions, and visual and material culture over the long 18th and nineteenth centuries, and is a Vice Chancellor’s Research Fellow at Oxford Brookes University. She is the author of The Game of Love in Georgian England: Courtship, Emotions, and Material Culture (Oxford, 2019), which will be published in paperback in June.

 

You can follow Dr. Holloway on Twitter @sally_holloway.

 

Here are some visual resources to pair with the episode:

 

“The Unwilling Bridegroom, or Forc’d Meat Will Never Digest”

 

“Sympathetic Lovers”

 

Eye Miniature

 

18th c. Sheep’s Gut Condoms

 

The love letter from William Martin to Hannah Smith, sent on February 15, 1714, is from the Hampshire Record office in Winchester, ref. 3M51/684. You can find their contact details here.

 

Join the conversation, and find out what former guests are up to, by following us on Instagram and Twitter @CuriousWithJVN.

 

Transcripts for each episode are available at JonathanVanNess.com.

 

Jonathan is on Instagram and Twitter @JVN and @Jonathan.Vanness on Facebook.

 

Our executive producer is Erica Getto. Our associate producer is Zahra Crim. Our editor is Andrew Carson.

 

Our socials are run and curated by Middle Seat Digital.

 

Our theme music is “Freak” by QUIÑ; for more, head to TheQuinCat.com.

 

Getting Curious merch is available on PodSwag.com.

Love listening to Getting Curious? Now, you can also watch Getting Curious—on Netflix! Head to netflix.com/gettingcurious to dive in.

Transcript

Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness & Dr. Sally Holloway  JVN [00:00:00] Welcome to Getting Curious. I’m Jonathan Van Ness and every week I sit down for a gorgeous conversation with a brilliant expert to learn all about something that makes me curious. On today’s episode, I’m joined by Sally Holloway, where I ask her: What was it like to get loved up in Georgian England? Welcome to Getting Curious, this is Jonathan Van Ness. We have got such a gorgeous, scintillating, sexy history episode for you with none other than Dr. Sally Holloway, who is a historian of gender, emotions, and visual and material culture in Britain over the long 18th and 19th centuries. She is the author of the book “The Game of Love in Georgian England.” Welcome to the show, Dr. Sally Holloway. How are you?  SALLY HOLLOWAY [00:00:47] Thank you. What an introduction! I wish I could be introduced like that every time I do any sort of public event.  JVN [00:00:53] Oh my gosh. I am totally, you know

Recent Episodes

See All

March 31, 2023

Today is March 31, 2023. It’s International Transgender Day of Visibility. And Queer Youth Assemble has organized the March For Queer & Trans Youth Autonomy.

March 29, 2023

This week, we’re touring Washington, DC, to learn how the nation’s capital is a Native capital—with returning guest Dr. Elizabeth Rule! She and Jonathan explore the city’s significance for the 574 tribal nations in the US today and spotlight Indigenous art, architecture, and activism. Put on your walking shoes and join us for a journey that’ll change how you see the city, and the United States.

March 22, 2023

Ninety-five years ago, the world’s first television station launched in upstate New York. And this week, we’re celebrating the small screen with a TV legend: World of Wonder’s Fenton Bailey!