Isabel Davis's Avatar

Isabel Davis

@drbeldavis.bsky.social

Historian @ Natural History Museum, research on repro history, nat history, collections. https://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/people/isabel-davis.html Book: Conceiving Histories: Trying for Pregnancy, Past & Present MIT Press. 🐁 lover (someone's got to be).

7,398 Followers  |  2,548 Following  |  184 Posts  |  Joined: 30.09.2023  |  2.028

Latest posts by drbeldavis.bsky.social on Bluesky

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Richard Fallon. Contesting Earth’s History in Transatlantic Literary Culture, 1860–1935: Believers and Visionaries on the Borderlines of Geology and Palaeontology What if humans could tell the story of Earth’s history without rocks, or at least without an over attachment to the rock record as interpreted by palaeosci

Patrick Morgan on Contesting Earth's History in the Review of English Studies: 'beautifully detailed, intricately researched, and compelling'. What more could you wish for? The review, for those with access: academic.oup.com/res/advance-...

19.01.2026 07:57 β€” πŸ‘ 11    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
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The Womb and the Web | Los Angeles Review of Books Isabel Davis considers Amanda Hess’s new book about bringing a baby into a world of smart technology and data harvesting.

lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-...

24.12.2025 06:56 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Isn't it! Yes.

24.12.2025 06:51 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Screenshot of my review on the LA Review of Books' website, showing a picture of the cover of Amanda Hess's book, 'Second Life'.

Screenshot of my review on the LA Review of Books' website, showing a picture of the cover of Amanda Hess's book, 'Second Life'.

My review of @amandahess.bsky.social book 'Second Life' in the @lareviewofbooks.bsky.social

This is a thoughtful and important book about digital pregnancy and motherhood.

Have you read it? What did you think?

24.12.2025 01:53 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0

πŸ˜…

15.12.2025 19:20 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

πŸ˜…

15.12.2025 18:59 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I your cat trying to read it? Maybe it likes the bit about the 🦜?

15.12.2025 18:50 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Copy of the book β€œConceiving Histories” held in my left hand while a black cat rubs her face on the right edge of it. A colorful blanket backgrounds them. A cat tree is visible beyond the edge of the bed.

Copy of the book β€œConceiving Histories” held in my left hand while a black cat rubs her face on the right edge of it. A colorful blanket backgrounds them. A cat tree is visible beyond the edge of the bed.

#caturday afternoon read in bed of β€œConceiving Histories” with Annie. Congratulations to @drbeldavis.bsky.social and Anna Burel on their inventive and intriguing collaboration! @mitpress.bsky.social #booksky #histmed #blackcat

13.12.2025 19:00 β€” πŸ‘ 15    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0

Thank you Donna! Glad you enjoyed it.

15.12.2025 18:48 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Love it!

11.10.2025 20:26 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Job Opportunity at Royal Holloway University of London: Postdoctoral Research Associate (16th-18th century focus) - Inclusive Histories Full-time, Fixed Term (12 months)Applications are invited for the post of Postdoctoral Research Associate in the School of Humanities.Inclusive Histories is a collaborative research and schools engage...

jobs.royalholloway.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx...

08.08.2025 10:38 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
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The Year When Pregnancy Was a Fashion Statement For one strange year in the 18th century, flaunting a false pregnancy was all the rage.

For one strange year in the 18th century, flaunting a false pregnancy was all the rage.

(An excerpt from @drbeldavis.bsky.social's book "Conceiving Histories")

14.07.2025 16:53 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1

Yes. Amazing. Can we get an update on the Singapore wirecard-related trial? Ft gave us a mid-trial piece in Feb. But nothing on the outcome. What's happened?

20.06.2025 19:05 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Birkbeck Medieval Seminar 2025: "Medieval Economic Imaginaries" Join us for the 2025 Birkbeck Medieval Seminar for a discussion of Medieval Economic Imaginaries.

Everybody medievally inclined in cent. London - Friday is a great day. Check out the Birkbeck Medieval Seminar.

Followed by:
www.bbk.ac.uk/events/event...

Followed by the Matthews Lecture on the Medieval & Modern Fertility industry

Free, but book. See you there!

#medievalresearchseminars

27.05.2025 21:42 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Such a beautiful book JA. Who wouldn't want it in their window? They're super lucky to have a window to put it in.

27.05.2025 19:12 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I love this Grace! I should have known it was you.

27.05.2025 19:10 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Look what came in the post for me 2 beautiful books by @jackashby.bsky.social and @taoleighgoffe.bsky.social

Looking forward to reading both.

22.05.2025 11:51 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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At @nhm-london.bsky.social Collections and Culture we've become a bit obsessed with finding historical 'named animals'. Here's Maurice Wilson's 1955 painting of Rota the lion, who lived at @zslofficial.bsky.social's London Zoo 1940–1955. Β© the copyright holder. Credit: Zoological Society of London.

15.05.2025 07:14 β€” πŸ‘ 21    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0
Photo collage of a woman wearing a red fallopian hat, tied with a red bow under her chin, the fallopian tubes make it rather like a jester's hat. The ovaries are like bells. She holds her finger to her lips because this image illustrates a section of my book about women's secrets. The photo is black and white. The background a pistachio ice-cream green colour.

Photo collage of a woman wearing a red fallopian hat, tied with a red bow under her chin, the fallopian tubes make it rather like a jester's hat. The ovaries are like bells. She holds her finger to her lips because this image illustrates a section of my book about women's secrets. The photo is black and white. The background a pistachio ice-cream green colour.

I enjoyed collaborating with the Big Fat Negative newsletter, writing a guest post on the consolations of history.

The image is one of Anna Burel's collages for our book Conceiving Histories
@mitpress.bsky.social

#consolationsofhistory

open.substack.com/pub/bigfatne...

13.05.2025 22:05 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Day 2 of #NatSCA2025 @natsca.bsky.social is up and running! I’m speaking later on behalf of @curioustravellers.bsky.social and the @nhm-london.bsky.social Thomas Pennant Collections #HistoryOfNaturalHistory #NaturalHistoryMuseums

09.05.2025 09:23 β€” πŸ‘ 10    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Achene fibres such a bane though.

13.05.2025 12:17 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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I think this is the coolest thing I've ever discovered... www.isabeldavis.co.uk/resources/ar...

#TudorPortraits

13.05.2025 07:59 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Thank you!

12.05.2025 21:53 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Like the moth corners.

12.05.2025 20:37 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Rethinking the Armada Portrait β€” Isabel Davis

I enjoyed making this resource, which shows the relationship between the famous Armada portrait of Elizabeth I and a sea chart or portolan map. www.isabeldavis.co.uk/resources/ar...

#TudorHistory

12.05.2025 20:36 β€” πŸ‘ 10    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Looking forward to giving the William Matthews Lecture on 30th May 6-7.30pm at Birkbeck, University of London, Torrington Square WC1E 7JL.

I'm talking to the title:
In Vitro: The Fertility Industry Medieval and Modern.

Come!

Tickets are free but you need to book: www.bbk.ac.uk/events/event...

09.05.2025 16:57 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
KUAF Public Radio KUAF | 91.3 Public Radio

I really enjoyed talking to Kyle Kellems at KUAF radio when I visited Fayetteville AR. Radio is such a cool medium. I grew up with it and still really like it.

You can catch my interview with him here: www.kuaf.com

01.05.2025 17:33 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

And a shout out to @drbeldavis.bsky.social whose book Conceiving Histories was the topic of the review and which sounds amazing.

30.04.2025 21:06 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1

Thank you Nora! Glad it inadvertently captures your family story.

30.04.2025 21:52 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

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