
A British Burlesque Artist in Belle Époque Cairo
From Ottoman History Podcast by Ottoman History Podcast
January 9, 2026
About this episode
Gwendolyn Collaço discusses her research on British burlesque artist Miss Kitty Lord and the social life of Belle Époque Cairo.
featuring Gwendolyn Collaço with Andras Riedlmayer and Paul Drummond | While killing time at the Booksellers' Row in Westminster, historian and curator Gwendolyn Collaço stumbled on a collection of postcards from early 20th-century Egypt, some featuring the British burlesque artist Miss Kitty Lord. When she realized that the postcards were a set belonging to a single person — none other than Kitty Lord herself — the chance discovery became a research quest that culminated in an exhibition at Harvard Fine Arts Library, presenting a visual time capsule of Belle Époque Cairo that mapped the social and romantic life of a fascinating and little-known figure. In this episode from the Ottoman History Podcast vault, Collaço discusses what she uncovered about Kitty Lord through collaborations with the historian and bibliographer András Riedlmayer and memorobilia shop owner Paul Drummond, who appear in the podcast to share their side of the story. « Click for More »
People in this episode
Host: Ottoman History Podcast
Guest: Gwendolyn Collaço
Topics covered
- British burlesque
- Belle Époque
- Cairo
- historical postcards
- social history
- exhibition
Keywords
- Gwendolyn Collaço
- Kitty Lord
- postcards
- Cairo
- burlesque
- exhibition
- Andras Riedlmayer
- Paul Drummond
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Harvard Fine Arts Library
Books & works: Miss Kitty Lord
Places: Belle Époque Cairo, Westminster
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