What if the iconic blue-and-white pottery sitting on your grandmother’s mantle was actually the key to an art history mystery? In this episode of Now I’ve Heard Everything, host Bill Thompson sits down with decorative art advisor, author, and former Antiques Roadshow expert Genevieve Wheeler Brown to discuss her new book, Beyond Blue and White. Genevieve shares the serendipitous story of stepping into a quiet New York City townhouse and discovering a rare cache of 17th- and 18th-century Dutch Delftware. What unfolded was an incredible “who-done-it” that revealed the hidden, powerful history of women in the arts and financial history. From female pottery owners who grew up down the street from Vermeer to the Gilded Age wives who bypassed sexist museum boards to found their own institutions, this episode explores how decorative arts served as a gateway to independence for women throughout history.
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Chapters:
01:16 – Porcelain vs. Earthenware: The 9th-Century Imitation Game
02:02 – From Antiques Roadshow to a New York City Mystery
03:41 – The Secret Women Entrepreneurs of the Dutch Golden Age
05:14 – Craft vs. Art: From Everyday Tables to Royal Commissions
07:03 – Financial Literacy and Equal Rights in the 17th Century
08:12 – The Golden Age of Archiving and Connecting the Dots
09:14 – Gilded Age Rebels: How Women Built Their Own Museums
10:48 – A 5-Year Writing Journey Born Out of a Zoom Lecture
14:00 – Getting Lost in the Smithsonian: Childhood Inspirations
16:38 – The Centennial Exposition of 1876 and the Women’s Pavilion
18:11 – Ceramics as a Gateway to Women’s Suffrage and Independence
20:02 – The Science of Cobalt Blue: Technology Thinner Than Porcelain
21:46 – Is There Valuable Delftware Hiding in Your Attic?
22:51 – Wrap-up & Where to Find Beyond Blue and White
Guest Information
Genevieve Wheeler Brown
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