Atelier

A trailblazing biochemist turned bodywork pioneer, Ida Rolf developed “Rolfing,” a method of structural integration that challenged conventional medicine and redefined movement therapy. In Paris, she was a resident of the American University Women’s Club in 1926, and worked at the Institut Pasteur. From Barnard College to the labs of the Rockefeller Institute, and eventually to the alternative cir...

Columbia University’s M.A. in History and Literature is an innovative program that explores the interconnections and intersections between history and literature. It is the only Master’s degree from Columbia run entirely outside of New York City. In this episode, the program’s Associate Director Keithley Woolward discusses his path to joining the Reid Hall team in 2023 and his role in encouraging...

A Southern-born trailblazer, Anne Wilson Goldthwaite made her mark in the art world as a painter, printmaker, and fierce advocate for women’s rights. From sharpening her craft in New York to mingling with avant-garde legends like Matisse and Picasso in Paris, she led the American Women's Art Association and exhibited in the groundbreaking 1913 Armory Show.  More on Anne Wilson Goldthwaite: re...

The first woman to graduate in architecture from the École des Beaux-Arts and California’s first licensed female architect, Julia Morgan designed over 700 projects—including the iconic Hearst Castle in California. Despite her incredible work, she avoided the spotlight. In this episode, we explore her legacy, the biography that brought her story to light, and the long-overdue recognition she receiv...

During a recent visit to the Institut de France, Reid Hall Faculty Visitor Nikolas Kakkoufa explored the archives of Claude Fauriel, who collected Greek folk songs and poetry—including what is considered the first Greek homosexual poem. In this episode, he shares insights on the emotional connections to archival research, teaching Modern Greek to undergraduates, and his upcoming book, A Queer Hist...

Jane Harrison, a trailblazing classical scholar, and Hope Mirrlees, a modernist writer, shared a deep intellectual and personal bond. Harrison, a Cambridge Ritualist, reshaped the study of Greek mythology, while Mirrlees, her student-turned-companion, made her mark with the avant-garde Paris: A Poem . Together, they lived at Reid Hall in Paris during the 1920s, immersing themselves in literary and...

Democracies are eroding, and climate skepticism is on the rise worldwide—in some countries more than others. In this episode, we speak with climate adaptation consultant Mélody Braun about the growing attacks on climate projects and professionals, and the need for innovative support strategies. This spring, Mélody is organizing a three-part event series highlighting the vital role of women in clim...

Grace Gassette was an American portraitist, nurse, and inventor whose impact spanned both the art world and wartime medicine. Born in Illinois, she moved to Paris in 1896, studying under Mary Cassatt and exhibiting her work in prestigious Paris salons. When World War I broke out, she managed the surgical dressing department at the American Hospital in Paris, where she invented orthopedic devices t...

Leonora Raines was a self-styled American journalist, war correspondent, and patron of the arts. For over thirty years, she immersed herself in the sociocultural world of Paris, becoming an active member of the Girls' Art Club at 4 rue de Chevreuse. As a WWI war correspondent for The New York Sun , she provided a personal and emotional perspective on the conflict. Throughout her life, Raines trave...

The Maison des femmes, located at Saint-Denis Delafontaine Hospital, offers medical, psychological, legal, and social support to women facing violence and trauma. In this episode, newly appointed director Violette Perrotte discusses the support they received following the #MeToo movement and their ambitious plan to establish a Maison des Femmes in every department across France. Perrotte returns t...

Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller overcame racism and sexism, from subtle slights to overt segregation, to become a celebrated sculptor and a key figure of the Harlem Renaissance. In Paris, she studied under Auguste Rodin, exhibited at the Salon des Beaux Arts in 1903, and formed a close friendship with W.E.B. Du Bois. Returning to the United States, she dedicated over sixty years to her artistic career, c...

When you think of a librarian, what comes to mind? Constance Winchell worked as a highly influential reference librarian for over 30 years—but her career took her far beyond the dusty stacks you might imagine! Winchell traveled to Paris during the Roaring Twenties, worked on Franco-American relations at the newly founded American Library in Paris, and traveled extensively throughout Europe. Upon h...

Kate Daudy believes that discussing honey can inspire better communication. A British visual artist and 2024-2025 Fellow at the Institute for Ideas and Imagination , Daudy explores this idea in her ongoing project, Telling the Bees . In this episode, she takes us from the cloud forests of Bolivia to her favorite café on Portobello Road—places that inspire her interdisciplinary art, which delves in...

Born in Japan, Helen Waddell was an Irish writer and scholar who began her studies at Oxford at the age of 31. After two years in Paris as a fellow at the American University Women’s Club, she became a literary sensation in the late 1920s and 1930s.  Waddell first gained acclaim with The Wandering Scholars (1927), an exploration of 12th- and 13th-century goliards, followed by the widely prais...

Anna Ladd was an unconventional American sculptor whose work bridged art and humanity. During World War I, she founded the Studio for Portrait Masks under the American Red Cross, crafting face masks that restored both the appearance and self-esteem of soldiers disfigured by war. This remarkable contribution earned her France’s prestigious Legion of Honor. While she is best known for her wartime ef...

The Columbia Institute for Ideas and Imagination , established in 2018, brings together scholars and artists for a year-long exploration of ideas, creativity, and collaboration. In this episode, we delve into the vibrant intersection of intellectual rigor and artistic expression at the core of the Institute, with Mark Mazower, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Director, and Marie d’Origny, the Paris...

Two remarkable women brought humanity’s oldest stories etched in stone to light. Mary Boyle and Suzanne de Saint-Mathurin, pioneers in prehistoric art, were key collaborators of the renowned Abbé Henri Breuil. Together, they explored and documented ancient petroglyphs, spanning Europe’s caves to Africa’s cliffs. Boyle’s vivid illustrations and writings, combined with de Saint-Mathurin’s groundbrea...

Reid Hall’s Elizabeth Taylor was not the Hollywood icon, but a trailblazing 19th-century explorer. Scientific curiosity and unshakable independence led Taylor from her birthplace in Columbus, Ohio, to the bohemian heart of Montparnasse, to the icy wilderness of the Arctic. She chronicled her adventures in Alaska, Iceland, Norway, and the Faroe Islands through articles and sketches, published in va...

The vast, alien landscape of the Arctic is Marco Tedesco’s laboratory. Due to climate change, this region is the most endangered place on Earth. In this episode, Tedesco discusses what ice science can teach us about our environment and takes us through a day in the life of an arctic climate scientist, as he does in his book The Hidden Life of Ice. Marco Tedesco is a Lamont Research Professor at th...

We are joined by Mary Louise Taylor, great-granddaughter of Helen Rogers Reid, who will offer a glimpse into the lives and motivations of the Reid women and their significant global philanthropic contributions. After Elisabeth Mills Reid purchased the property in 1911, she oversaw a period of transformation, enhancing the estate and fostering a vibrant artistic community. Her daughter-in-law, Hele...

After a fire devastated Notre-Dame in 2019, only three photographers were chosen to document its reconstruction. Among them was Tomas van Houtryve, a 2024-2025 Fellow of the Institute for Ideas and Imagination. Over four years, van Houtryve captured the cathedral’s revival using a range of techniques—from the historic collodion process to drone photography—highlighting the moment's historical dept...

Brunhilde Biebuyck, Director of Reid Hall and the Columbia Global Center in Paris, welcomes you to 4 rue de Chevreuse. Today, this address houses several Columbia University initiatives in Paris, serving as a vibrant hub for intellectual exploration across the arts, humanities, and social sciences. But when, and how, did it become Reid Hall? In 1893, American philanthropist Elisabeth Mills Reid be...

Columbia Professor Frank Guridy's latest book, The Stadium , traces the history of the American stadium as a battleground for social justice since its inception. In this episode, he discusses his origins as a sports fan growing up in the Bronx and the experience of combing through vast digital archives to assemble a narrative filled with anti-fascist rallies, Black Power demonstrations, feminist p...

Launched in 2022, Génération Leaders is a training program dedicated to mentoring a new generation leaders committed to justice, equality, and the fight against all forms of discrimination. It was founded by Assa Traoré , an activist whose brother, Adama Traoré, died in police custody in 2016 on the day of his 24th birthday. The program highlights the power of collective decision-making, a strengt...

In 2022, Le Monde expanded its reach to English-speaking audiences, adapting its award-winning journalism for a global readership. In this episode, Elvire Camus , Editor-in-Chief and founder of Le Monde in English, shares insights on the translation process—from selecting key stories to preserving nuance and cultural context, to the unique challenges of multimedia reporting. She also reflects on b...