Leaving Devil's Island

<p>Established in 1852, Devil’s Island, one of six penal colonies in French Guiana, was finally closed on 22nd August, 1953. Nicknamed the ‘Green Hell’ and the ‘Dry Guillotine’, it earned a reputation as ‘The Alcatraz of South America’: the world’s most brutal prison.</p><br><p>Established by Emperor Napoleon III to remove political opponents and jumpstart France’s programme of colonisation, the horrors of the islands became more understood in France following the publication of memoirs by René Belbenoît and Henri ‘Papillon’ Charrière.</p><br><p>In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain why a spell on Devil’s Island was potentially preferable to elsewhere in Guiana; reveal what the guards did with rebellious prisoners and their cadavers; and check out some contemporary perspectives - on TripAdvisor…</p><br><p><strong>Further Reading:</strong></p><p><strong>• </strong>Why Devil's Island Was The World's Most Feared Prison (All Thats Interesting, 2021): <a href="https://allthatsinteresting.com/devils-island" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://allthatsinteresting.com/devils-island</a></p><p>• ‘Notorious French Prison Turns Into a No-Man's Land’ (LA Times, 2002): <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-dec-15-adfg-devilisle15-story.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-dec-15-adfg-devilisle15-story.html</a></p><p>• ‘Devil's Island Prison Colony’ (British Pathé, 1947): <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_xCHbpkDss" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_xCHbpkDss</a></p><br><p>#Crime #France #Macabre #50s</p><br><p><strong>Love the show? Join </strong>🌴<strong>CLUB RETROSPECTORS </strong>🌴<strong> to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode every SUNDAY!</strong></p><p>Plus, get weekly bonus bits, unlock over 70 bits of extra content and support our independent podcast.</p><p><strong>Join now via </strong><a href="https://url6.mailanyone.net/scanner?m=1pT2Lf-0009qi-5n&d=4%7Cmail%2F90%2F1676646000%2F1pT2Lf-0009qi-5n%7Cin6f%7C57e1b682%7C10917358%7C13772167%7C63EF986FDB77B8781C00E7AE89BE8ABC&o=%2Fphtp%3A%2Fats3.plCo%2FxecXQWW&s=1-saMneAG6Jlxwm-HSpmcJnDbt8" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Apple Podcasts</strong></a><strong> or </strong><a href="https://url6.mailanyone.net/scanner?m=1pT2Lf-0009qi-5n&d=4%7Cmail%2F90%2F1676646000%2F1pT2Lf-0009qi-5n%7Cin6f%7C57e1b682%7C10917358%7C13772167%7C63EF986FDB77B8781C00E7AE89BE8ABC&o=%2Fphta%3A%2Fptsootr%2F.cmenerRetspctosro&s=tfEv-TbMNzGzaXbO1_4ITwuG0Jc" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Patreon</strong></a><strong>. </strong>Thanks!</p><p> </p><p><strong>We'll be back tomorrow! Follow us wherever you get your podcasts:</strong><a href="https://url6.mailanyone.net/scanner?m=1pT2Lf-0009qi-5n&d=4%7Cmail%2F90%2F1676646000%2F1pT2Lf-0009qi-5n%7Cin6f%7C57e1b682%7C10917358%7C13772167%7C63EF986FDB77B8781C00E7AE89BE8ABC&o=%2Fphtr%3A%2Fctsaeeatacst.im.coepso%2Ff%2Fde4a19sc-0a14214-9-a6ad004-e3d4bfbaef2ld%2Fpwolooftm.coRero%2Fsrotceps&s=g7hb_-H27bz-WIWjb7rKPnPDai8" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong> </strong></a><a href="https://url6.mailanyone.net/scanner?m=1pT2Lf-0009qi-5n&d=4%7Cmail%2F90%2F1676646000%2F1pT2Lf-0009qi-5n%7Cin6f%7C57e1b682%7C10917358%7C13772167%7C63EF986FDB77B8781C00E7AE89BE8ABC&o=pphtd%2F%2Fot%3Aclfomw.olopt%2FRcoseersrot&s=9p-CJByv4bA_k4hXBMAXG1F_oXk" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>podfollow.com/Retrospectors</strong></a></p><p> </p><p><em>The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.</em></p><p><em>Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Sophie King.</em></p><p><em>Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2023.</em></p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Today In History with The Retrospectors