Share

cover art for Bedlam

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society

Bedlam

Ep. 8

Bedlam: a scene of uproar and confusion, a noisy situation with no order or, originally, the slang name for a mental hospital in London… which for a while also happened to be a popular tourist attraction.


From chains on the wall to leeching - the history of mental health treatments is a lesson in questionable science and humanity.


Bethlehem hospital, founded around the 11th century in London, is a study of this history.


Kate is joined Betwixt the Sheets by Catharine Arnold: journalist, academic, popular historian and author of ‘Bedlam: London and Its Mad’.


*WARNING this episode includes adult themes and conversations about mental health*


Produced by Charlotte Long and Sophie Gee. Mixed by Matt Peaty.


Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society. A podcast by History Hit.


This episode includes music by Epidemic Sound and an archive clip from an American public service announcement from 1952.

More episodes

View all episodes

  • 416. The Depravity of the Marquis De Sade

    44:46||Ep. 416
    Sadism - the derivation of pleasure from inflicting pain, suffering and humiliation on others - is named after this man. So what exactly did he do?Kate is joined by journalist and author Joel Warner to discuss the Marquis de Sade, an 18th Century French aristocrat who committed a multitude of crimes, yet survived three distinct political regimes and decades of imprisonment.Joel is the author of ‘The Curse of the Marquis De Sade’, and managing editor at 'The Lever'.This episode was edited by Hannah Feodorov. The producer was Sophie Gee. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  All music from Epidemic Sounds.Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.
  • 415. Inside the Moulin Rouge

    36:58||Ep. 415
    The Moulin Rouge opened its doors in 1889, at the height of the Belle Epoch - 'the Beautiful Age'.Its famous windmill structure stood on the fringes of Paris, where intellectuals and artists mixed with thugs and criminals in a hedonistic neighbourhood.What really went on inside the Moulin Rouge? Why was there a giant elephant in the garden? And did sex workers really solicit business while riding donkeys?!Joining Kate today is the wonderful Mike Rapport, author of ‘City of Light, City of Shadows: Paris in the Belle Epoque’.This episode was edited by Hannah Feodorov. The producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds.Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.
  • 414. The Truth About the Little Mermaid

    42:42||Ep. 414
    What is a mermaid? Do sirens, selkies and Aquaman fit into this category? And how far back in history do they go?Kate is joined by Diane Purkiss to discuss the Little Mermaid, both the Disney and Hans Christian Anderson versions, and more!Professor Diane Purkiss is a Fellow and Tutor of English at Keble College, Oxford. She specialises in Renaissance and women's literature, witchcraft and the English Civil War.This episode was edited by Tim Arstall. The producer was Sophie Gee. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds.Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.
  • 413. Inside the Brothels of New Orleans

    50:59||Ep. 413
    Storyville was the red-light district in New Orleans, created in 1897.What was it like in this neighbourhood, and inside the brothels there? How was race and segregation a factor in Storyville? And what triggered the downfall of Storyville?Joining Kate today is the wonderful Dr. Alecia P. Long, Professor of History at Louisiana State University, to take us back to this time and place.This episode was edited by Hannah Feodorov. The producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds.Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.
  • 412. The Victorian Sex Trafficking Panic

    46:54||Ep. 412
    Was there really a boom in sex trafficking at the end of the 19th century? What was 'white slavery'? And how often did the traffickers get caught?Kate is joined by Dr Julia Laite for this episode. Julia is a historian at Birkbeck, University of London, and the author of 'The Disappearance of Lydia Harvey'.This episode was edited by Hannah Feodorov. The producer was Sophie Gee. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds.Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.
  • 411. The Truth about Charlie Chaplin

    42:45||Ep. 411
    Charlie Chaplin had an extraordinary life: from the workhouses of Victorian London to the glamorous films sets of Hollywood's Golden Age.He revolutionised the art form, but he wasn't without his scandals. So much so that he was monitored by the FBI and eventually exiled from America.Joining Kate today is Charlie Chaplin expert Dr. Lisa Stein Haven, Professor of English at Ohio University Zanesville, to help us find out more about the man and his controversies.This episode was edited by Hannah Feodorov. The producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds.Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.
  • 410. Did Fashion Kill Marie Antoinette?

    01:05:33||Ep. 410
    Marie Antoinette went to her death as one of the most hated people in the world, but in recent years she has inspired millions with her style. How did she become such a contradiction?For this episode, Kate and the Betwixt team went out and about, specifically to the V&A Museum in London. There, Kate met Dr Sarah Grant, curator of the exhibition 'Marie Antoinette Style', about the life of Marie Antoinette, just how much she spent on her clothes and jewelry, and how this may have led to her death.This episode was edited by Hannah Feodorov. The producer was Sophie Gee. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds.Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.
  • 409. Hollywood's Shocking First Sex Symbols

    49:16||Ep. 409
    Nearly 100 years ago, films in Hollywood were so much sexier and shocking than you might think they were.One of the most shocking things was how empowered and sexual women were in those films.Who were these women? And what are the scandalous reasons behind the censorship that came in?Joining Kate to tell her about these incredible women is journalist and author Mick LaSalle.This episode was edited by Tim Arstall. The producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds.Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.
  • 408. Tiberius and his Island of Depravity

    45:48||Ep. 408
    The Roman Emperor Tiberius has a harrowing reputation based on stories surrounding his latter years on the island of Capri. Stories of debauchery and abuse of the worst kind. But who was Tiberius and where does the truth lie?Kate Lister is joined by is Rome-based historian and tour guide Alex Meddings.This episode was edited by Hannah Feodorov. The producer was Sophie Gee. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds.Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.