The Black Woman Modernist Muse in Jacob Epstein's Art, 1915-1959

Dr Rochelle Rowe shares from her research into the Black women art models who worked with famous British sculptor Jacob Epstein, but whose lives and labours have been erased from the historical record, until now. An illuminating discussion centred on some forgotten figures of interwar Black London.

Dr Rochelle Rowe is a historian focused on the cultural history of race, gender and the body. She lectures in Black British History at the University of Edinburgh. Her first book is Imagining Caribbean Womanhood: race, nation and beauty competitions and tells a Black Feminist history of beauty spanning the Caribbean, Harlem and London and is published in paperback by Manchester University Press. Rochelle's current research explores the lives and labours of Black art models in nineteenth and early twentieth century Britain; performative blackness and Black Histories in Scotland; and race, gender and identity in the Black British Press. Rochelle's award-winning teaching focuses on Black Histories in the British Empire, including dedicated courses on Carnival in the Atlantic World, Representations of Blackness in Britain and Europe, Black Activism in Britain since 1800 and Black Feminist Thought.

Annually Learning and Programmes in Museums & Galleries Edinburgh works in partnership with CRER (The Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights) to host Edinburgh based lectures to mark Black History Month.

CRER has co-ordinated a uniquely Scottish Black History Month during October since 2001. This encompasses the history of African, Caribbean and Asian people in this country; people who often have a direct link with Scotland through slavery, colonialism and migration. Black History Month focuses on people whose sacrifices, contributions and achievements against a backdrop of racism, inequality and injustice are often forgotten about.

CRER strive to work with a range of partners from across the community, voluntary and public sectors and has helped to collaboratively create a Black History Month Programme that includes an exciting range of events from talks, concerts, workshops, film screenings, exhibitions and more.