Memoirs & Diplomats' Wives

Diplomatic historians have become enormously adept at spotting diplomacy's “Hidden Figures.” However, diplomats’ wives (and other women relations) were not only quiet influencers operating within the shadows of diplomatic life. Indeed, the contributions of “the diplomat’s wife” to an evolving culture of diplomacy could not have been more public: they published, often with great success, their personal memoirs, diaries, and correspondence.

The speaker will argue that the popularity and persistence of “diplomat’s wife” memoirs tells scholars about the increasingly public-facing and democratizing culture of foreign relations. While diplomats and statesmen struggled to bring their elite and secretive craft to terms with a democratizing world, the women on their arms successfully provided the public with a window into the world of diplomacy.

Admittance is on a first come–first served basis. Tea and Coffee Provided.

Image Caption: Karl Hochschild (1785–1857), baron, diplomat with his wife: Emilia Catharina Oxholm (1817–1901) by Fritz von Dardel.