Atelier highlights some of the unique discussions that take place at Reid Hall, a third space at the threshold of academia and beyond.
With Atelier, we open our doors to listeners anywhere. Engaging across borders and disciplines, these conversations feature some of the people who inspire us most and explore a vast range of topics, from art and science to social justice and climate.
Atelier is produced by the Columbia Global Paris Center, a Columbia University initiative housed at Reid Hall.
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Discover the untold stories of remarkable women who shaped Reid Hall. Each episode highlights the lives and accomplishments of artists, scientists, philanthropists, or scholars, from 1893 to 1939. Providing rich historical context, “Women of Reid Hall” ensures that these women's contributions are not forgotten.
Atelier S1
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, life and work have changed drastically for Ukrainian academics. A new book edited by Tetiana Kostiuchenko and Tamara Martsenyuk gathers personal reflections from the first three months of the war, featuring voices across disciplines—from sociology and political science to international relations and literature. In this episode, Kostiuchenko discusses the motivation and process behind co-editing this interdisciplinary and deeply personal volume, and shares her own experiences as a displaced scholar in Germany.
Russia’s War in Ukraine 2022: Personal Experiences of Ukrainian Scholars was published by ibidem Press in December 2024.
Dr Tetiana Kostiuchenko is Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. After her evacuation from Kyiv to Germany, she became also affiliated with the Free University of Berlin and Leuphana University of Lüneburg.
Journalist Marguerite Holloway arrived at the Women’s Tree Climbing Workshop as a climbing novice, but with a passion for trees and a deep concern about their future. In this episode, she shares lessons learned from everyday tree lovers and women arborists, which would come to shape her latest book, Take to the Trees (Norton, 2025). Visiting Paris as a Reid Hall faculty visitor, she recounts how Paris's long history of integrating trees into the urban landscape is evolving to combat climate change.
The Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma, based at the Columbia Journalism School, was founded to support ethical, informed reporting on violence, conflict, and tragedy. Executive Director Bruce Shapiro, visiting Reid Hall for a PGIF workshop on forced migration, highlighted Dart’s vital role in equipping journalists to cover trauma with skill and sensitivity.
American universities are in the midst of a crisis, as federal government interference in academic inquiry continues to grow. In this episode, Lee C. Bollinger—former president of Columbia University and this year’s Sidney N. Zubrow Memorial Lecture speaker at the Institute for Ideas and Imagination—explores the mounting threats to free speech and what they mean for the future of higher education in the United States.
Filmmaker Kamal Aljafari and scholar Gil Hochberg explore the intersections of their work in this special conversation at Reid Hall. Aljafari discusses The Museum of Days, an extension of his film trilogy set in post-1948 Jaffa, while Hochberg shares insights from her research based on past exhibitions, including Jews and Muslims: From Colonial France to the Present Day.
Columbia University’s M.A. in History and Literature is an innovative program that explores the interconnections and intersections between history and literature. It is the only Master’s degree from Columbia run entirely outside of New York City. In this episode, the program’s Associate Director Keithley Woolward discusses his path to joining the Reid Hall team in 2023 and his role in encouraging students to take a multidisciplinary approach to research—contributing to the program’s vibrant, collaborative energy.
During a recent visit to the Institut de France, Reid Hall Faculty Visitor Nikolas Kakkoufa explored the archives of Claude Fauriel, who collected Greek folk songs and poetry—including what is considered the first Greek homosexual poem. In this episode, he shares insights on the emotional connections to archival research, teaching Modern Greek to undergraduates, and his upcoming book, A Queer History of Modern Greek Writing.
Democracies are eroding, and climate skepticism is on the rise worldwide—in some countries more than others. In this episode, we speak with climate adaptation consultant Mélody Braun about the growing attacks on climate projects and professionals, and the need for innovative support strategies. This spring, Mélody is organizing a three-part event series highlighting the vital role of women in climate adaptation, featuring organizations with a presence in France.
The Maison des femmes, located at Saint-Denis Delafontaine Hospital, offers medical, psychological, legal, and social support to women facing violence and trauma. In this episode, newly appointed director Violette Perrotte discusses the support they received following the #MeToo movement and their ambitious plan to establish a Maison des Femmes in every department across France. Perrotte returns to the organization after initially volunteering there, following further studies in the U.S. and serving as Chief of Staff to the Mayor of Saint-Denis.
Kate Daudy believes that discussing honey can inspire better communication. A British visual artist and 2024-2025 Fellow at the Institute for Ideas and Imagination, Daudy explores this idea in her ongoing project, Telling the Bees. In this episode, she takes us from the cloud forests of Bolivia to her favorite café on Portobello Road—places that inspire her interdisciplinary art, which delves into intellectual, emotional, and environmental connections.
Learn more about Kate’s work: katedaudy.com
The Institute for Ideas and Imagination, established in 2018, brings together scholars and artists for a year-long exploration of ideas, creativity, and collaboration. In this episode, we delve into the vibrant intersection of intellectual rigor and artistic expression at the core of the Institute, with Mark Mazower, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Director, and Marie d’Origny, the Paris Director. They discuss the Institute’s dynamic scholarly initiatives, the cross-disciplinary connections it fosters, and the engaging encounters that take place at its regular public events.
The vast, alien landscape of the Arctic is Marco Tedesco’s laboratory. Due to climate change, this region is the most endangered place on Earth. In this episode, Tedesco discusses what ice science can teach us about our environment and takes us through a day in the life of an arctic climate scientist, as he does in his book The Hidden Life of Ice.
Marco Tedesco is a Lamont Research Professor at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University and Adjunct Scientist at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS). Learn more about his work. His latest book is The Hidden Life of Ice.
After a fire devastated Notre-Dame in 2019, only three photographers were chosen to document its reconstruction. Among them was Tomas van Houtryve, a 2024-2025 Fellow of the Institute for Ideas and Imagination. Over four years, van Houtryve captured the cathedral’s revival using a range of techniques—from the historic collodion process to drone photography—highlighting the moment's historical depth and significance. In this episode, he reflects on how the present and the past intersected throughout the project, his collaborations with fellow photographers and craftspeople, and the journey that led to 36 Views of Notre-Dame, a book and an exhibition now on view at Galerie Miranda in Paris through December 23, 2024.
Tomas van Houtryve is a Paris based artist, photographer and filmmaker whose major works interweave investigative journalism, philosophy and metaphor. Learn more about his work, and the book, 36 Views of Notre Dame.
Access to the work site was organized in partnership with Rebatir Notre-Dame de Paris and National Geographic.
Columbia Professor Frank Guridy's latest book, The Stadium, traces the history of the American stadium as a battleground for social justice since its inception. In this episode, he discusses his origins as a sports fan growing up in the Bronx and the experience of combing through vast digital archives to assemble a narrative filled with anti-fascist rallies, Black Power demonstrations, feminist protests, and more.
Launched in 2022, Génération Leaders is a training program dedicated to mentoring a new generation of leaders committed to justice, equality, and the fight against all forms of discrimination. It was founded by Assa Traoré, an activist whose brother, Adama Traoré, died in police custody in 2016, on the day of his 24th birthday. The program highlights the power of collective decision-making, a strength Traoré draws from her model of collaborative leadership. In this episode, she reflects on her journey as an activist and shares how the Comité Adama has fostered intersectional solidarity in the pursuit of justice.
Since its second year, Génération Leaders has been hosted at Reid Hall. Learn more about its partnership with Columbia and how to apply for the third cohort.
In 2022, Le Monde expanded its reach to English-speaking audiences, adapting its award-winning journalism for a global readership. In this episode, Elvire Camus, Editor-in-Chief and founder of Le Monde in English, shares insights on the translation process—from selecting key stories to preserving nuance and cultural context, to the unique challenges of multimedia reporting. She also reflects on building trust and transparency with readers through accessible, high-quality journalism, fostering an informed and connected global community.
Since its founding in 2017, Forbidden Stories has delivered a powerful message: killing the journalist won’t kill the story. This Emmy-winning global network of journalists is committed to continuing the work of their colleagues who face threats, imprisonment, or have been murdered. In this episode, Laurent Richard, founder and executive director of Forbidden Stories, shares the origins of this groundbreaking initiative, inspired by his own investigative work and the urgent need to protect press freedom.
We also discuss Forbidden Stories’ partnership with the Columbia Global Paris Center, including public panel discussions with journalists focused on their latest investigations, The Gaza Project and The Baku Connection.
Après six ans de lutte, Assa Traoré a créé en 2022 Génération Leaders, un programme visant à former une nouvelle génération de leaders engagés pour l'égalité et la justice, et à combattre les discriminations sous toutes leurs formes. Elle y souligne l'importance de la prise de décision collective et la force qu'elle puise dans ce modèle de leadership collaboratif. Dans cet épisode, Assa Traoré revient sur son parcours d'activiste et explique comment le Comité Adama a tissé des liens de solidarité intersectionnelle dans la lutte pour la justice.
La formation Génération Leaders se déroule à Reid Hall depuis sa deuxième année. Découvrez plus d'informations sur le programme, ses liens avec Columbia, et comment postuler pour la troisième promotion.
The creative process offers a liberating counterpoint to other work, encouraging diverse thinking through varied mediums and perspectives, reframing failure as a first step toward innovation, and balancing professional and academic efforts. In this episode, Delphine Grouès discusses the role of creativity in education at Sciences Po and its influence on her career as an academic, teacher, and artist. Delphine Grouès is a scholar, writer, and the Dean of the Maison des Arts et de la Création at Sciences Po.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more.
Ursula Kwong-Brown and Daniel Erdberg performed Driftscape on May 13, 2024, at the second annual Nuit de l’Imagination, exploring the theme of boredom. After discussing how boredom influences their creativity, we invited them to share a version of the performance with Atelier listeners.
What should be the role of academic institutions to lead the fight against climate change? Regrouping the expertise of Columbia faculty and researchers across the university, the Climate School aims to create and inspire solutions and educate future leaders for just, prosperous societies on a healthy planet. In this episode, Alex Halliday discusses why Columbia created a Climate School in the first place.
Professor Alex Halliday is Founding Dean Emeritus of the Columbia Climate School and a former director of the Earth Institute.
How can combining historical exploration and travel memoir reveal the poignant histories of diverse African Americans who left the United States over the past century? In this episode, Tamara Walker discusses her recent book Beyond the Shores: A History of African Americans Abroad (Crown, 2023). Her own travel experiences inform not only her written work, but also impelled her to co-create non-profit organization The Wandering Scholar, which makes international travel more accessible to high schoolers from underrepresented backgrounds.
Tamara J. Walker is an historian and Associate Professor of Africana Studies at Barnard College. Her scholarship focuses on the history of slavery in Latin America and its legacies in the modern era.
Anne Atheling’s advice to other travelers can best be summed up as follows: “Go young, go often, and go long.” A Barnard graduate of the class of 1950, she studied abroad at Reid Hall in the Summer of 1949 with the Smith Junior Year Abroad program, one of the first post-WWII and in the same year as future First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier. As she puts it, this “kicked off a life-long love of everything French.” From May to October 1950 she hosteled alone throughout Europe. It then took her 50 years to return to France. On one of her now-regular trips to Paris since 2000, she tells us about the impact of study abroad on her life, her love of solo travel, and the importance of independent thinking.
Narrative medicine is a medical approach that emphasizes the importance of understanding and integrating patients' narratives into their healthcare. In this episode, Delphine Taylor and Nellie Hermann discuss this innovative field at the intersection of humanities, the arts, clinical practice, and health care justice. They were at Reid Hall in Paris for a conference with French and European colleagues, and shared anecdotes with us about the cross-cultural application of this approach.
Dr. Delphine Taylor, M.D., is Associate Professor of Medicine at the Columbia University Medical Center and practices at NewYork-Presbyterian and Columbia University Irving Medical Center.
Nellie Hermann is Creative Director of the Program in Narrative Medicine at Columbia University. She has published two novels, The Cure for Grief and The Season of Migration.
How can journalists report on traumatic events, protect sources, and ensure a safe newsroom? In this episode, Juliana Ruhfus, director of Dart Centre Europe, a Columbia Journalism School project, explores their cross-cultural work through online resources, in-person retreats, workshops, and events at the Paris Center.
What does it mean to be bored, and what is the impact of boredom on creativity, connection, and inspiration? Ursula Kwong-Brown and Daniel Erdberg, in Paris for Reid Hall's annual "Nuit de l'Imagination," discuss their relationships with boredom and introduce listeners to their new composition, Driftscape, an immersive musical performance that attempts to create a space, both personal and collective, where listeners can rest their attention for sixty minutes, be present, and allow their minds to gently wander.
Throughout his multi-disciplinary, international career, Mohamed Elshahed has found that the most apt description of his work is storytelling. In this episode, he guides us through Cairo, London, Mexico City, and Paris, intertwining histories and personal anecdotes to provide context for the book project he's currently undertaking as an Institute Fellow.
Lois Grjebine, Smith class of 1952, first came to Reid Hall as a study-abroad student over seven decades ago. In this episode, she talks about how the experience changed the course of her life, launching a pioneering career in journalism and women’s rights.
In the 1960s, she worked first as editor-in-chief of the French monthly, Réalités, then as editor-in-chief of the weekly English-language edition of Le Monde. She also served on the executive board of the French feminist organization, Choisir, where she was named delegate to the UN International Women’s Year meeting in Paris. An activist in American politics overseas, she was also elected committee woman to the Democratic National Committee in Washington, D.C.
What does it take to train tomorrow's leaders? What does it mean to be politically engaged? Alice Barbe, founder of the Académie Des Futurs Leaders and former Obama Scholar, talks to us about community organizing, civic engagement, and empowering people to effect change.
Alice Barbe is an activist and a co-founder of SINGA, a French association which creates interactions that accelerates the inclusion of newcomers in civil society. She was part of the first cohort of Obama Scholars from 2018-2019, and she is a co-founder of the Académie des Futurs Leaders.
How to make people respond to human rights abuses in a way that actually has impact? Jack Snyder explores these questions in his book, Human Rights for Pragmatists (Princeton University Press, 2022).
Jack Snyder is the Robert and Renee Belfer Professor of International Relations in the political science department and the Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies at Columbia University.
In the face of a war aiming to erase Ukrainian national identity, preserving Ukrainian music becomes a pillar of resilience and resistance. In this episode, Anna Stavychenko, a tireless advocate, describes her efforts to safeguard Ukrainian musical legacy and provide refuge for displaced talents.
Anna Stavychenko is a musicologist, music critic, and classical music manager. Last year Anna was a Harriman Resident at Reid Hall, and this year her visionary organization, the 1991 project, is one of the Displaced Artists Initiatives at Reid Hall.
On the first day of COP28, delegates agreed to formally establish a 'Loss and Damage Fund' to support vulnerable countries dealing with the effects of climate change. Saleemul Huq spent the better part of his career advocating for such a fund. In this episode, he discusses the evolution of this initiative with Mélody Braun, Climate Response Lead at CGC | Paris.
Saleemul Huq OBE was a Bangladeshi-British scientist and had been the Director of the International Centre for Climate Change & Development based in Bangladesh, also Professor at Independent University, Bangladesh.
Saleem died unexpectedly in October 2023. As you’ll hear from this interview, recorded in June 2023 in Paris, he approached his work in the field of climate, particularly in Loss and Damage, with incredible brilliance, vision, and integrity.
On June 19, 2023 we held a panel discussion on Loss and Damage at Reid Hall with Saleem. Watch the event recording.
Reid Hall—once a porcelain factory, then an orthopedic center; a Protestant boy’s school, then a girls’ art club—is home today to the Columbia Global Paris Center and the Institute for Ideas and Imagination. The history of this place was either unknown or largely forgotten until Brune Biebuyck reconstructed the story.
Brune Biebuyck is director of Reid Hall and of the Columbia Global Paris Center. Learn more about Reid Hall's history.
Women of Reid Hall
Reid Hall has often been the site of serendipitous encounters, perhaps none more so than those leading to the discovery of its fascinating story. In the final episode of this special series, Brunhilde Biebuyck and Marie Doezema reflect on their journey through the stories of two dozen women who helped shape the legacy of 4 rue de Chevreuse.
Through archives, digital tools, and historical records, the Reid Hall History Project developed a digital platform to showcase the hall’s history, ensuring it remains both accessible and expandable as new information comes to light. This project underscores the challenges of piecing together a complex past scattered across languages and formats.
Episode coming soon.
Malvina Hoffman (1885 – 1966), a New York-born sculptor, made her mark in Paris’s art world between 1910 and 1914. A protégé and close friend of Rodin, she exhibited in major Salons and won top honors from the American Woman’s Art Association. Best known for her striking sculptures of dancers Nijinsky and Pavlova, one of which became the first woman-created work shown in the Luxembourg Gardens, Hoffman’s legacy bridges art, history, and mystery—her iconic sculpture vanished during WWII and remains lost to this day.
Episode coming soon.
Alabama-born Lucille Sinclair Douglass (1878–1935) was a globe-trotting artist, etcher, writer, and lecturer whose adventurous spirit defined her career. After exhibiting in Paris’s top Salons, she landed in Shanghai, leading a lantern-slide studio and launching a life of travel through South Asia. Her work—ranging from book illustrations to a French government commission at Angkor Wat—blended artistry with exploration. When she died in 1935, her ashes were scattered at Angkor, a poetic tribute to a life devoted to discovery.
Janet Scudder (1869 – 1940) rose from modest beginnings in Indiana to become a celebrated sculptor, suffragist, and wartime contributor. Splitting her time between New York and Paris, she created whimsical garden sculptures for America’s elite and founded the Studio for Portrait Masks to aid the WWI recovery effort. A regular at the Girls’ Art Club and AWAA exhibits, she earned acclaim at the Paris Salons from 1899 to 1914. In 1925, France awarded her the Legion of Honor—cementing her legacy as both artist and changemaker.
Angela Gregory (1903 – 1990), the "doyenne of Louisiana sculpture," broke barriers from New Orleans to Paris. After ditching a scholarship program she found lacking, she talked her way into the studio of Antoine Bourdelle—Rodin’s famed protégé—and spent two formative years under his mentorship. Living at the American University Women’s Club, she exhibited widely before returning home to shape Louisiana’s visual landscape with bold public works. She became the first woman to earn an M.A. from Tulane University's School of Architecture and later served as state supervisor for the Louisiana Art Project during the Great Depression.
New York-born Alice Morgan Wright (1881 – 1975) was a sculptor, writer, suffragist, and early adopter of Cubism and Futurism. Living at the Girls’ Art Club in Paris, she not only exhibited in major Salons but also turned the studio into a hub of feminist activism—inviting Emmeline Pankhurst to speak and joining the militant suffrage movement in London. Throughout her adult life, Wright pursued the twin paths of sculptor and political activist.
Cincinnati-born Florence Esté (1859 – 1926) found her artistic voice in France, where she became a celebrated painter and watercolorist. A fixture in the Paris art scene from the late 1800s through the early 20th century, she exhibited widely—from the Paris Salons to women-led art clubs. Finding artistic inspiration in Brittany, particularly St. Briac, she spent summers capturing its coastal beauty. Although her work was also showcased in the U.S, and received great critical acclaim, Esté chose to remain in France for the rest of her life.
A trailblazing biochemist turned bodywork pioneer, Ida Rolf (1896 – 1979) developed “Rolfing,” a method of structural integration that challenged conventional medicine and redefined movement therapy. In Paris, she was a resident of the American University Women’s Club in 1926, and worked at the Institut Pasteur. From Barnard College to the labs of the Rockefeller Institute, and eventually to the alternative circles of the Esalen Institute, Rolf’s journey fused science, personal healing, and a bold belief in the body’s potential.
A Southern-born trailblazer, Anne Wilson Goldthwaite (1869 – 1944) made her mark in the art world as a painter, printmaker, and fierce advocate for women’s rights. From sharpening her craft in New York to mingling with avant-garde legends like Matisse and Picasso in Paris, she led the American Women's Art Association and exhibited in the groundbreaking 1913 Armory Show.
The first woman to graduate in architecture from the École des Beaux-Arts and California’s first licensed female architect, Julia Morgan (1872 – 1957) designed over 700 projects—including the iconic Hearst Castle in California. Despite her incredible work, she avoided the spotlight. In this episode, we explore her legacy, the biography that brought her story to light, and the long-overdue recognition she received with the AIA Gold Medal in 2014.
Jane Harrison, a trailblazing classical scholar, and Hope Mirrlees, a modernist writer, shared a deep intellectual and personal bond. Harrison, a Cambridge Ritualist, reshaped the study of Greek mythology, while Mirrlees, her student-turned-companion, made her mark with the avant-garde Paris: A Poem. Together, they lived at Reid Hall in Paris during the 1920s, immersing themselves in literary and artistic circles. In this episode, we explore their groundbreaking work, their influence on classical and modernist studies, and the shared life they built despite their 37-year age difference.
Grace Gassette was an American portraitist, nurse, and inventor whose impact spanned both the art world and wartime medicine. Born in Illinois, she moved to Paris in 1896, studying under Mary Cassatt and exhibiting her work in prestigious Paris salons. When World War I broke out, she managed the surgical dressing department at the American Hospital in Paris, where she invented orthopedic devices to aid wounded soldiers, earning her the Legion of Honor in 1917. After the war, she shifted her focus to rehabilitation and spiritual healing, eventually settling in a 14th-century convent in Yvelines, France. In her later years, she returned to New York, reflecting on a life dedicated to both artistic and humanitarian pursuits.
Leonora Raines was a self-styled American journalist, war correspondent, and patron of the arts. For over thirty years, she immersed herself in the sociocultural world of Paris, becoming an active member of the Girls' Art Club at 4 rue de Chevreuse. As a WWI war correspondent for The New York Sun, she provided a personal and emotional perspective on the conflict. Throughout her life, Raines traveled extensively and shared her adventures and political insights in numerous journals and magazines.
Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller overcame racism and sexism, from subtle slights to overt segregation, to become a celebrated sculptor and a key figure of the Harlem Renaissance. In Paris, she studied under Auguste Rodin, exhibited at the Salon des Beaux Arts in 1903, and formed a close friendship with W.E.B. Du Bois. Returning to the United States, she dedicated over sixty years to her artistic career, creating powerful and enduring portrayals of Black life.
When Fuller first arrived at the Girls' Art Club in Paris, where she had been accepted as a resident based on her letters to the director, she was met with surprise and rejection solely due to the color of her skin. Despite this painful experience, she persevered and went on to exhibit her work at the Club with the American Woman's Art Association.
This episode serves as a stark reminder of a troubling instance of racism in Reid Hall's history.
When you think of a librarian, what comes to mind? Constance Winchell worked as a highly influential reference librarian for over 30 years—but her career took her far beyond the dusty stacks you might imagine! Winchell traveled to Paris during the Roaring Twenties, worked on Franco-American relations at the newly founded American Library in Paris, and traveled extensively throughout Europe. Upon her return to the United States, she authored vital resources for librarians even today: the seventh and eighth editions of the Guide to Reference Books. She stayed at the American University Women’s Club at Reid Hall in 1924.
Born in Japan, Helen Waddell was an Irish writer and scholar who began her studies at Oxford at the age of 31. After two years in Paris as a fellow at the American University Women’s Club, she became a literary sensation in the late 1920s and 1930s. Waddell first gained acclaim with The Wandering Scholars (1927), an exploration of 12th- and 13th-century goliards, followed by the widely praised Beasts and Saints (1934) and The Desert Fathers (1936). Her fascination with the medieval scholar Peter Abelard and his tragic love story with Héloise inspired her only novel, the celebrated Peter Abelard (1933). Though her life was tragically cut short by Alzheimer’s disease, Waddell’s contributions to literature and medieval studies continue to be rediscovered and celebrated.
Anna Ladd was an unconventional American sculptor whose work bridged art and humanity. During World War I, she founded the Studio for Portrait Masks under the American Red Cross, crafting face masks that restored both the appearance and self-esteem of soldiers disfigured by war. This remarkable contribution earned her France’s prestigious Legion of Honor. While she is best known for her wartime efforts, Ladd lectured widely as an outspoken theorist on art and sculpture. In a 1925 public address, she declared:
“Sculptors, to be any good at all, have to touch all sides of life. They must have the physical strength of a blacksmith, the skill of a carpenter, the precision of a dentist, the knowledge of anatomy and psychology of a physician. They must have the soul of a poet and the creative energy of a god.”
Two remarkable women brought humanity’s oldest stories etched in stone to light. Mary Boyle and Suzanne de Saint-Mathurin, pioneers in prehistoric art, were key collaborators of the renowned Abbé Henri Breuil. Together, they explored and documented ancient petroglyphs, spanning Europe’s caves to Africa’s cliffs. Boyle’s vivid illustrations and writings, combined with de Saint-Mathurin’s groundbreaking discoveries—such as the Magdalenian frieze in France’s Rhone Valley—transformed our understanding of prehistoric art. Both scholars, Boyle from Scotland and de Saint-Mathurin from France, resided at Reid Hall in the 1930s as members of the University Women’s Club.
Reid Hall’s Elizabeth Taylor was no Hollywood star, but a pioneering 19th-century explorer and artist. Driven by scientific curiosity and fierce independence, Taylor journeyed from her birthplace in Columbus, Ohio, to the bohemian heart of Montparnasse, and onward to the icy expanses of the Arctic. Through vivid articles and sketches published in prominent periodicals, she chronicled her adventures across Alaska, Iceland, Norway, and the Faroe Islands. During her time at Reid Hall in the early days of the Girls’ Art Club, Taylor focused on documenting wildlife, with her work later showcased in exhibitions by the American Woman's Art Association.
We are joined by Mary Louise Taylor, great-granddaughter of Helen Rogers Reid, who will offer a glimpse into the lives and motivations of the Reid women and their significant global philanthropic contributions. After Elisabeth Mills Reid purchased the property in 1911, she oversaw a period of transformation, enhancing the estate and fostering a vibrant artistic community. Her daughter-in-law, Helen Rogers Reid, later took over management, during which Reid Hall became home to the University Women's Club from 1922 to 1939. After a wartime pause, its study abroad programs resumed, and in 1964, Helen Rogers Reid generously gifted Reid Hall to Columbia University.
Mary Louise Taylor, great-great-granddaughter of Elisabeth Mills Reid and great-granddaughter of Helen Rogers Reid, resides in New York City, where she works in asset management. In addition to researching her family history, she served as Research Lead for Sunita Kumar Nair’s recent book Carolyn Bessette Kennedy: A Life in Fashion.
Brunhilde Biebuyck, Director of Reid Hall and the Columbia Global Center in Paris, welcomes you to 4 rue de Chevreuse. Today, this address houses several Columbia University initiatives in Paris, serving as a vibrant hub for intellectual exploration across the arts, humanities, and social sciences.
But when, and how, did it become Reid Hall? In 1893, American philanthropist Elisabeth Mills Reid began leasing the property, using her vision and resources to create a cultural nexus that connected women artists with instructors, wealthy patrons, and collectors. Renamed Reid Hall in 1928, it became a home and haven for American and international women artists, students, and scholars in Montparnasse for decades. In this podcast, we aim to revive the stories of these women—often overlooked by history—whose contributions profoundly shaped the Reid Hall we know today.
Listen to a teaser for "Women of Reid Hall," a new special series from Atelier. Join us on November 26 when we celebrate the launch of this series with a evening of presentations from the Reid Hall History Project. Register here.