Rose Valland (1898-1980) was an art historian and curator based in Paris during the Nazi occupation. She hid in plain sight as a secretary, documenting the shipments of artistic masterpieces out of France, and is responsible for the discovery and protection of over 60,000 pieces of looted artwork. For Further Reading: Monuments Men and Women: Rose Valland Rose Valland: Art Historian Turned Spy To Save Art From Nazis Rose Valland, The Heroine Who Saved Nazi-Looted Art Historically, women have been told to make themselves smaller, to diminish themselves. Some have used that idea to their advan ..read more

Sugawara no Takasue no musume (1008 - c. 1059), or Takasue’s daughter, was the author of “Sarashina Nikki,” or “Sarashina Diary,” a well-known book providing an in-depth look at life during Japan’s Heian period. While the book remains prolific and relevant even today, we don’t know the author's name.  For Further Reading: Heian Period (794–1185) The Sarashina Diary: A Woman’s Life in Eleventh Century Japan The Tale of Genji: A Japanese Classic Illuminated Historically, women have been told to make themselves smaller, to diminish themselves. Some have used that idea to their advantage, d ..read more

Anastasia Romanov (1901-1918) was the youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II, the last Tsar of Russia. Her death was hotly debated for years, as she was believed to have survived her family’s execution.  For Further Reading:  A Romanov Fantasy: Life at the court of Anna Anderson  The Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra OTMA - The Romanov Sisters Will the Real Anastasia Romanov Please Stand Up? Historically, women have been told to make themselves smaller, to diminish themselves. Some have used that idea to their advantage, disappearing int ..read more

Marguerite de la Rocque (c. 1542) was meant to disappear. That’s what her older relative, Sieur de Roberval, intended to happen when he marooned Marguerite on an uninhabited Canadian island. But against all odds, she survived instead.  For Further Reading: The Elusive Isle of Demons | Worlds Revealed LA ROQUE, MARGUERITE DE – Volume I (1000-1700) – Dictionary of Canadian Biography Alone Among Demons: Marguerite de la Roque  Meet Marguerite de Roberval, Canada’s female Robinson Crusoe  Historically, women have been told to make themselves smaller, to diminish themselves. Some h ..read more

Barbara Newhall Follet (1914-unknown) was an American child prodigy novelist. She published two books before she was a teenager and wrote poetry as well. When she was in her twenties, she left her house after fighting with her husband and was never seen again. For Further Reading:  Farksolia: Barbara Newhall Follett’s life and letters Barbara Newhall Follett: A Life in Letters Vanishing Act Historically, women have been told to make themselves smaller, to diminish themselves. Some have used that idea to their advantage, disappearing into new identities. For others, a disappearance was t ..read more

Clara Bow (1905-1965) was an American film star of the 1920s. Her flapper persona helped bring about the “it” girl and popularize the fads of the era. Her sudden retirement at the age of 28 essentially erased her from later films as the studio system grew, but she left an undeniable imprint on film history.  For Further Reading: Clara Bow: Biography Hollywood Walk of Fame Clara Bow: the hard-partying jazz-baby airbrushed from Hollywood history Historically, women have been told to make themselves smaller, to diminish themselves. Some have used that idea to their advantage, disappearing ..read more

Irmgard Keun (1905-1982) was a best-selling novelist in Germany in the early 1930s. After she ran afoul of Nazi censorship, she became an exiled, “anti-German” expatriate hiding from the Nazi regime. That’s when she was reported dead by suicide. But was that really the full story?  For Further Reading: The Extraordinary Disappearing Act of a Novelist Banned by the Nazis | History| Smithsonian Magazine Novelist Irmgard Keun's Weimar-era tales find a new audience – DW – 08/01/2011  The Second Life of Irmgard Keun - The Millions How Irmgard Keun's fiction captured a generation of bold ..read more

Nadine Hwang (1902-1972) was a Chinese pilot, a lesbian writer’s driver, a foreign diplomat, and a resistance fighter. In 1944, she was captured by Nazisand vanished into the Ravensbruck concentration camp – where she endured inhumane conditions, and, met the love of her life.  For Further Reading (And Watching!) Mysterious Displays of Will The story of Nadine Hwang: The ‘Chinese Joan of Arc’ Nelly and Nadine Historically, women have been told to make themselves smaller, to diminish themselves. Some have used that idea to their advantage, disappearing into new identities. For others, a ..read more

Petra Herrera (1887-1916) was a soldadera who dressed and lived under the name Pedro Herrera. While disguised as a man, she fought with the insurgent troops of the Mexican Revolution and reached incredible heights — but once it revealed she was a woman, she was refused military rank and removed from the army. Afterwards, she served undercover once again, this time, as a spy. For Further Reading: The Mexican Revolutionary who Fought for Freedom Mexican Revolutionary Petra Herrera Posed as a Man to Fight for Her Country Remembering Petra Herrera, the Unsung, Cross-Dressing Heroine Of the Mexica ..read more

Artemisia Gentileschi (1593- c.1656) was an Italian Baroque painter. She was one of the most accomplished 17th century artists, painting naturalistic depictions of forms and figures. But, her achievements have often been overshadowed by scandals in her personal life. For Further Reading:  A Fuller Picture of Artemisia Gentileschi Isn’t She Good – For a Woman? Artemisia’s Moment Orazio and Artemisia Gentileschi Historically, women have been told to make themselves smaller, to diminish themselves. Some have used that idea to their advantage, disappearing into new identities. For others, a ..read more