From Women Doctors to Women Criminals

February 2, 2018 5:53 PM

We begin with the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania, which opened in 1850. There are many photos of women students at class, at autopsy, at home. And there's considerable discussion of how much they had to put up with from the male students and from the media and current culture. Nevertheless, they persisted.

Across the water in London, in about 1870 (to 1950), the city was plagued by a large gang of women shoplifters, some affiliated with male gangs and some not. Shoplifter Mafia. There's considerable discussion of how voluminous Victorian clothing helped hide goods, as well as how methods were devised for getting away and having lookouts.

posted by MovableBookLady (5 comments total)

I thought the mutton-chop was men's sideburns, while leg o'mutton was ladies' sleeves.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 8:31 PM on February 2, 2018

There's that photo again. There is no evidence whatsoever that the women in that photo at the bottom of the 2nd article are members of a girl gang.
posted by interplanetjanet at 6:06 AM on February 3, 2018 [1 favorite]

I heard about a play about the Elephant Girls doing the fringe festivals which sounds good. But I haven't seen it.
posted by interplanetjanet at 7:15 AM on February 3, 2018 [1 favorite]

Men thought it was a joke when a woman applied for medical school.

More about Elizabeth Blackwell
posted by SyraCarol at 10:29 AM on February 3, 2018

My mother worked at Women's Medical College before it was absorbed by Hahnemann and then Drexel, and she was born there.
posted by Peach at 2:15 PM on February 3, 2018