Nellie Bly Goes Undercover

History's Heroes

BBC

Society & Culture, History, Documentary

4.8 • 704 Ratings

🗓️ 16 September 2025

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

A young reporter sets out to be admitted to a notorious New York asylum. He aim is to expose its horrors.

Stories of bold voices, with brave ideas and the courage to stand alone. Historian Alex von Tunzelmann shines a light on remarkable people from across history.

A BBC Studios production.

Producer: Elaina Boateng Written and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann Executive Producer: Paul Smith Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts

Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts.
0:09.0	You're dead to me.
0:11.0	No, no, that's the name of our podcast. Sorry.
0:14.6	And we're back for a brand new series.
0:17.1	Not only is it British history, it was a quill drop.
0:21.0	With more fun and facts from history without taking it too seriously.
0:25.8	Empress Matilda, what is she going to do now?
0:27.7	She decides to take back some of the jewels with her.
0:31.0	Yeah, I'm taking these as well.
0:32.7	I'm going to come back for Tuscany one day as well.
0:35.2	You're dead to me.
0:36.7	Again, not you.
0:38.0	Maybe the show.
0:38.8	Listen first on BBC Sounds.
0:41.2	Blackwell's Island Lunatic Asylum, New York, 1887.
0:47.0	A patient, Nelly Brown, was taken into the cold bathroom and ordered to undress.
0:53.4	They said if I did not, they would use force and that it would
0:57.3	not be very gentle. A woman stood by the bath, holding an old rag. I knew now what was to be done
1:04.9	with me. I shivered. They began to undress me and one by one they pulled off my clothes.
1:12.1	At last, everything was gone, accepting one garment.
1:15.8	I will not remove it, I said vehemently, but they took it off.
1:19.8	She noticed a group of patients watching her from the door.
	...

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