Andreane Rellou, with her expertise in both fashion and history, was able to identify two women in Fabergé frames at a British museum. We will discuss her various techniques - that hint at sophisticated forensics approach used outside of the art world. One of the women she identified - turned out to be a relative by marriage to one of the royal women (a Russian duchess) painted by Amalia Kussner. I have included Andreane's story as part of the Searching for Amalia series to highlight the types of research we both do and possibly look at a joint effort in the future. 

Andreane is a digital content creator, filmmaker, and historical sleuth based in London, UK. She holds degrees from the Universities of Essex and York, and has a decade's worth of experience in the film industry. In 2024 she went viral on social media for her detective work when she solved a 120-year-old Fabergé mystery at Brighton Museum. Since then, she has collaborated with historians, curators, and institutions (including Bonhams, William Morris Gallery, and the V&A) to lend her unique talents. 

Through her love of research and great passion for history,  Andreane came to create 'The Three Graces' (2026), a short film inspired by the lives of three forgotten female Pre-Raphaelite artists: Marie Spartali Stillman, Maria Zambaco, and Aglaia Coronio. For more info - Link Here.

As she works to develop this into a long-form TV series, she is involved in the pre-production of numerous other projects, and also co-runs the Wine Dark Short Film Festival. Her discoveries can often be found on her TikTok account: @AndreaneOfTheIsland .

There were at least two articles published about her discoveries:

Smithsonian Magazine - Amateur Sleuth Identifies the Mystery Women in a Museum's Fabergé Frames (link here)

ArtNet - Amateur Sleuth Solves Mystery Behind U.K. Museum's Fabergé Frames (link here). 

For information on my Amalia Kussner biography - please checkout my book website (www.kathleenlangone.com) and use Contact page to connect with me.

Kathleen's social media: Instagram, Threads, BlueSky and X: @phihpod. Facebook: Kathleen Langone Author.

Come along on a journey that connects Taylor Swift's video, The Fate of Ophelia, to artist John Everett Millais and finally a connection to Amalia Kussner. This now famous video has placed Millais's stunning yet tragic painting, Ophelia, squarely in our public consciousness. The video piqued my interest in that artist, which eventually led me to a discovery of sorts with Amalia Kussner in 1896 London and the Royal Academy.

Please do subscribe to this series and listen to the other episodes!

I make various references to other sources which I will list below:

1) Wikipedia - Ophelia's character in Hamlet. 

2) YouTube video about artist John Everett Millais, with commentary by Andrew Marr. Title: The Painting of Ophelia - World's Greatest Paintings - S01 EP09 - Art Documentary. 

For information on my Amalia Kussner biography - please checkout my book website (www.kathleenlangone.com).

Photo credit: John Everett Millais - Mariana (from Wikimedia Commons). 

This is the second full-length episode of the new series, Searching for Amalia, that will explore her life and maybe uncover some of it's mysteries. 

This is a delightful and in-depth interview by Elizabeth Dewolfe who interviewed me - with her own expertise about the Gilded Age women. Her interview revealed some of the more subtle aspects of Kussner's personality - and hopefully will encourage you listeners, to want to read the book (The Miniature Painter Revealed), which is also richly illustrated showing many of Kussner's portraits. 

Elizabeth has recently published a book about two fascinating women from the 1890's, called Alias Agnes.  For more details about this book, featuring courtroom drama and an actual spy, please refer to this Apple podcast, or find in The People Hidden in History series on other podcast venues (episode date: July 16th, 2025). 

Information about the biography of Kussner, such as chapter excertps and reviews can be found at this link (or www.kathleenlangone.com). 

Direct links purchasing are below (eBook also at Amazon/Barnes and Noble):

• Amazon
• Barnes and Noble
• Bookshop.org
• Books a Million
• Check also with your local, independent bookstore. 

Please do subscribe to this series, and I hope to have a new episode each month. NOTE: My original series, People Hidden in History, is still active and has two episodes there are about Amalia Kussner's life. 

SOCIAL MEDIA - Instagram and Threads: @phihpod, BlueSky: @phihpod.bsky.social, Facebook: Kathleen Langone Author

This is the first full-length episode of the new series, Searching for Amalia, that will explore her life and maybe uncover some of it's mysteries. 

Amalia Kussner held her own "teas" both in New York and London, in part to get new customers. She also traveled on the luxury liners of the late Gilded Age, such as the Lusitania (a Cunard ship), who would have provided sumptuous meals. We'll discuss what foods would have been served with Becky Diamond, who is an expert in Gilded Age cooking and events. She will review an actual dinner menu from the Lusitania, that would have been enjoyed by Amalia and her husband, Charles du Pont Coudert. 

Information about the biography of Kussner (and ways to purchase) can be found at this link (or www.kathleenlangone.com). 

For Becky Diamond's Gilded Age Cookbook and her upcoming Christmas cookbook - please use this link (or www.beckydiamond.com). 

Please do subscribe to this series, and I hope to have a new episode each month. And NOTE: My original series, People Hidden in History, still exists and will for some time. There are two episodes there are about Amalia Kussner's life. 

My social media:

Instagram and Threads: @phihpod, BlueSky: @phihpod.bsky.social, Facebook: Kathleen Langone Author

Welcome to my new podcast series - Searching for Amalia. This will focus on Amalia Kussner, the famous miniaturist from the Gilded Age. I completed her biography recently, but knew there was still much more to learn. The biggest mystery was the 1901 lawsuit, the contents of which were never revealed and we don't actually know who the plaintiff was. It was settled out of court for a huge sum of money and I hope to work with archived records in New York State to reveal this lawsuit. Another mystery is the whereabouts of her many miniatures, especially those done of both famous persons and those of royalty during the Gilded Age. She painted at least six of British Royalty that as of now I have not located. Furthermore there a number of gaps in her life where essentially nothing is recorded, such as the last fourteen years of her life, mostly spent in Europe. She was a fascinating woman but there is still much we don't know about her - so please listen to this series as I delve into her mysteries. 

Her biography, The Miniature Painter Revealed, is available for sale and for purchase links - please go to my website:

Kathleen's author site or www.kathleenlangone.com

Use the Contact page at that site to get in touch.

Please do follow me on your favorite social media - see below:

Social media:

Instagram or @phihpod

Facebook or search "Kathleen Langone Author"

Threads or @phihpod

BlueSky or @phihpod.bsky.social