The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper

Born in Los Angeles, California, in 1971, Hallie Rubenhold is a British American historian and author with a particular interest in art and the social history of women in the 18th and 19th centuries. Her educational credentials include a bachelor of arts in history from the University of Massachusetts, master of arts in British history and the history of art, and a master of philosophy in history from the University of Leeds in Britain. She has worked as a curator for the National Portrait Gallery in Britain and has been a historical consultant for various period TV shows taking place in the 18th century, including Harlots and Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell.

Rubenhold has a particular interest in the experiences of women involved in sex work and scorned by mainstream society. Much of her work has been about the history of outsider women, especially sex workers, in Britain. Her first book, The Convent Garden Ladies: Pimp General Jack and the Extraordinary Story of “Harris’ List” (2005), was a history of a directory of sex workers in London published in the latter 18th century. This was followed up in 2005 by The Harlot’s Handbook: Harris’s List, a book of selections from the directory, which later formed the basis of The Harlot’s Handbook, a 2007 BBC documentary hosted by Rubenhold herself.