Vulgar History Pins and Buttons

Claire Clairmont is best known as the stepsister of Mary Shelley, and the mother of one of Lord Byron's children. But did you know she lived a fabulous long life of her own, and exemplifies the candy goth aesthetic? Ergo, she is the TRUE Goth Queen. Art by Karyn Moynihan karynmoynihan.com

While imprisoned in England, Mary Queen of Scots made an embroidery called A CATTE. This take on that design, featuring a much happier mouse and a cat(te) inspired by Hepburn Foster (co-host of Vulgar History podcast) is by Jan Jupiter (jupiterillustraties.com)

Empress Elisabeth of Austria, better known as Empress Sisi, was never happier or more at peace than when she was horseback riding. This design by Deborah Wong, inspired by the famous 1865 portrait of Sisi by Franz Winterhaler, shows the free spirit she was forced to hide behind the facade of laced-up Empress.

A legend in her time and ours, Frances Howard is reimagined with her catchphrase rendered in 16th century script by artist Deborah Wong.

This design is inspired by a 17th century portrait of Hortense Mancini. Hortense was a French noblewoman who kept flowering and blossoming no matter what her circumstances were. Her name, "Hortense" is a version of the word "Hortensia" which is a kind of flower. Design by Deborah Wong.

Catalina de Erauso was a Basque person whose adventures in Spanish colonial South America (as outlined in her memoir, The Lieutenant Nun) included card game based stabbings and getting hired to courier thousands of llamas. This design by Deborah Wong is inspired by the design of Spanish playing cards of the 17th century, similar to what Catalina would have played with. Rather than the horse on the actual cards, Catalina is pictured alongside a llama (obviously).

This design by Jan Jupiter (jupiterillustraties.com) is inspired by the iconic Chevalière d'Éon, a trans woman who lived in 18th-century France.

The Mazarinettes were seven women living in 17th century France known as the It Girls of their era. Most of the Mazarinettes were the daughters of an astrologer, and Marie Mancini (one of the Mazarinettes) published a book about astrology. Design by Ann Foster.