Isabelle Held
Historian and author of the book Atomic Bombshells: How Plastics Shaped Postwar Bodies (Duke UP, 2026), specializing in material culture, gender, and the histories of design and the body.
Top 3 podcasts with Isabelle Held
Ranked by the Snipd community
Apr 3, 2026 • 53min
Isabelle Held, "Atomic Bombshells: How Plastics Shaped Postwar Bodies" (Duke UP, 2026)
Isabelle Held, historian and author of Atomic Bombshells, traces how wartime plastics like nylon and silicone migrated into postwar fashion and bodies. She talks about bullet bras, foams, implants, wartime industry pivots, marketing, regulation gaps, and surprising archival finds. Short, provocative conversations about material culture, gender, and design.
Apr 3, 2026 • 53min
Isabelle Held, "Atomic Bombshells: How Plastics Shaped Postwar Bodies" (Duke UP, 2026)
Isabelle Held, scholar of gender and LGBTQ+ history and author of Atomic Bombshells, traces how nylon, silicone, and plastic foams moved from military labs into clothing, cosmetics, and implants. She follows material journeys from wartime tech to bullet bras, padded falsies, and breast implants. The conversation maps links between chemical firms, surgeons, advertising, and performance cultures shaping postwar bodies.
Apr 3, 2026 • 53min
Isabelle Held, "Atomic Bombshells: How Plastics Shaped Postwar Bodies" (Duke UP, 2026)
Isabelle Held, historian of bodies, design, and gender, explores how plastics like nylon, silicone, and foams migrated from wartime labs into women’s clothing and bodies. She traces military origins, fashion and medical crossovers, and the cultural language that shaped bombshell aesthetics. The conversation highlights material histories, legal gaps, and surprising archival links between industry, surgery, and performance culture.
