#54 The Queen of the PE Teachers & A Chef On The Run (Martina Bergman Osterberg & Hercules Posey)

Welcome back to Mostly Unsung the weekly comedy history podcast hosted by women, where Annie and Andrea bring you two bite-sized biographies of the forgotten people, overlooked pioneers, and surprising true stories history didn’t quite hang onto.If you enjoy funny history podcasts, women in history, social history, and fascinating stories from the past, you’re in exactly the right place.This week, we’re uncovering two brilliant and very different lives:First, Annie introduces Martina Bergman-Österberg, a trailblazer in women’s physical education and fitness. At a time when women were expected to sit still and look delicate she helped train generations of PE teachers and played a key role in the development of modern physical education and women’s sport. (And yes, she also had a hand in popularising the gym kit, groooan I guess you’re welcome.)Then Andrea brings us the story of Hercules Posey, an enslaved man who became one of the most skilled chefs in early American history. Cooking for George Washington, Hercules was known for his talent, style, and commanding presence in the kitchen until Washington's 65th birthday, when Hercules decided it was time to take a chance on freedom.Expect women’s history, food history, social change, and plenty of surprising moments as we dive into two lives that shaped culture in ways you might not expect.If you love history podcasts, forgotten women in history, African American history, fitness history, and true stories that are equal parts inspiring and eye-opening, Mostly Unsung is your new favourite listen.For this episode Andrea used these sources:https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/herculeshttps://www.bbc.co.uk/travel/article/20220201-hercules-posey-george-washingtons-unsung-enslaved-chefhttps://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/hercules-b-ca-1754/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hercules_PoseyFor this episode Annie used these sources:https://www.ournetballhistory.org.uk/content/topics/history-of-netball/martina-bergman-osterberghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martina_Bergman_%C3%96sterbergWhere you can find us:https://www.instagram.com/mostlyunsung/https://www.facebook.com/share/16J4vuMy1h/https://www.tiktok.com/@[email protected] you next Wednesday!