Today, we're joined by the fabulous Amanda Matta, host of the Art of History podcast, to talk about theft and New York's Metropolitan Museum. On the one hand, the Met has acquired a good chunk of its collection by dubious means, including the purchase of looted objects. On the other hand, the museum itself has become the target of thieves, leading to some of New York's most astounding art heists. Make sure to check out Art of History and follow Amanda on social media. If you're interested in roy...
Apr 02, 2025•55 min•Season 4Ep. 15
One Monday morning in 1958, Nina Lawson, Mistress of Wigs at the Metropolitan Opera, came into work to discover that someone had stolen thirty thousand dollars' worth of wigs from the Met. The theft made national headlines, and the FBI joined the hunt for the culprits. Show notes and full transcripts available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com . If you'd like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast ....
Mar 19, 2025•37 min•Season 4Ep. 14
Today, I'm thrilled to share an episode of a wonderful podcast, ArtMuse. This is part one of a two-part episode about Audrey Munson, sometimes referred to as "America's first supermodel." She inspired more than a dozen prominent statues throughout New York. After reaching the height of her fame, she got roped into one of the early twentieth century's most sensational homicide trials, right up there with the trial of Harry Thaw for the murder of Stanford White. You can learn more about ArtMuse he...
Mar 12, 2025•51 min•Season 4Ep. 13
In 1931, a trio of thieves stole a rare book by Edgar Allan Poe worth more than half a million dollars from the New York Public Library. To bring them to justice, the library called in G. William Bergquist, an investigator who specialized in recovering stolen books.
Mar 05, 2025•1 hr•Season 4Ep. 12
In 1927, blond-haired bombshell and future movie star Mae West performed the lead role in a play about a prostitute titled SEX . The risqué production launched her to stardom on Broadway. There was just one problem--it also launched her straight into a jail cell. Show notes and full transcripts available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com. If you'd like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast ....
Feb 19, 2025•59 min•Season 4Ep. 11
In the Roaring Twenties, Arthur Barry stole millions of dollars' worth of jewels from some of New York's wealthiest residents. Today, we talk about the cat burglar's audacious capers with best-selling author Dean Jobb, whose new biography of Barry is titled A Gentleman and a Thief. For more about Jobb's writing, visit his website at https://www.deanjobb.com/ . If you'd like to support the show, please consider beocming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast ....
Feb 05, 2025•51 min•Season 4Ep. 10
In 1901, Broadway chorus girl Evelyn Nesbit met Stanford White, the fabulously wealthy and influential architect who designed Madison Square Garden. They formed a relationship that ended in murder six years later, right in the middle of a crowded performance at Madison Square Garden. If you'd like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast . For show notes and full transcripts, visit www.artofcrimepodcast.com ....
Jan 22, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 4Ep. 9
In the 1860s and '70s, hundreds--maybe thousands--of Italian children migrated to New York to make money as street musicians. They worked for bosses known as padroni, living in squalor and suffering abuse at the hands of their employers. In 1873, the plight of these little street performers unleashed outrage in New York and neighboring states, which prompted the federal government to take action. If you'd like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepo...
Jan 08, 2025•48 min•Season 4Ep. 8
In 1990, three separate art heists took place in the week leading up to Christmas, baffling New York authorities as well as the FBI. In this special holiday episode, we look at police efforts to recover the stolen artworks as well as the many mysteries that hover over the case to this day. Music featured in this episode: "Deck The Halls" by Alexander Nakarada (CreatorChords) | https://creatorchords.com-- Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music. com Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 Inter...
Dec 18, 2024•18 min•Season 4Ep. 7
Today, we're joined by best-selling author Margalit Fox to talk about Fredericka "Marm" Mandelbaum, who rose to the top of New York's underworld as a criminal fence and financial backer of bank burglaries in the 1860s and '70s. Earlier this year, Margalit published a brand-new biography of the crime boss, titled The Talented Mrs. Mandelbaum, which you will most assuredly enjoy if you like this podcast. If you'd like to learn more about Margalit's work, including The Talented Mrs. Mandelbaum, mak...
Dec 04, 2024•58 min•Season 4Ep. 6
In the late 1860s, gentleman bank robber George L. Leslie arrived in New York and started working for Fredericka Mandelbaum, one of the city’s most notorious crime bosses. Leslie always claimed to have studied architecture in college and drew on his training to mastermind some of the most daring heists of the century, earning the nickname of “King of Bank Robbers.” His reign would prove short-lived, however, after a robbery went bad in 1878. Show notes and full transcripts available at www.artof...
Nov 20, 2024•54 min•Season 4Ep. 5
In 1817, Italian-born painter Francesco Mezzara had a spat with his patron, New York attorney Aaron Palmer. As the feud escalated, Mezzara painted an insulting picture of Palmer and put it up for auction. Mezzara was giddy when the picture fetched $40—but not for long. Soon, he stood accused of criminal libel on account of the offensive portrait. If you'd like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast . Show notes and full transcripts available a...
Nov 06, 2024•44 min•Season 4Ep. 4
In this special Halloween episode, we explore an urban legend that emerged from the trial of Levi Weeks. After the verdict came down, a vengeful Catherine Ring is said to have cursed Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, and Justice John Lansing, causing all three to die lamentable deaths. Show notes available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com . If you'd like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast ....
Oct 30, 2024•31 min•Season 4Ep. 3
On January 2, 1800, a group of New Yorkers discovered the body of a missing local in the disused Manhattan Well. The Manhattan Well Murder, as the crime came to be known, led to a sensational trial, in which two of America’s Founding Fathers participated. Given the intense public interest in the homicide, publishers raced to print the first—and fullest—account of the proceedings, spawning a new genre of crime writing. Show notes and full transcripts available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com. If you...
Oct 23, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 4Ep. 2
This season, we explore crimes that only could have happened in the Big Apple. Show notes and full transcripts available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com . If you'd like to suppor the show, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast .
Oct 16, 2024•2 min•Season 4Ep. 1
Today, I'm sharing an episode of the chart-topping podcast, History Daily. This episode is about the premiere of one of the greatest horror films ever made, Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. What better way to kick off spooky season? Next week, we're announcing the theme of season 4 of The Art of Crime, so watch this space! If you'd like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast.
Oct 09, 2024•16 min•Season 3Ep. 18
Thanks to everyone who submitted questions and comments! For show notes and full transcripts, please visit www.artofcrimepodcast.com. If you'd like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast.
Aug 21, 2024•36 min•Season 3Ep. 17
Today, we're joined by Ann Foster, host and creator of the Vulgar History podcast. Gavin and Ann talk about the enigmatic Princess Caraboo, an exotic princess who washed up on English shores in 1817 and generated a sensation in the press as various observers tried to work out where she had come from. Make sure to check out Vulgar History here: https://vulgarhistory.com/ If you'd like to support The Art of Crime and gain access to exclusive bonus episodes, please consider becoming a patron at www...
Jul 31, 2024•43 min•Season 3Ep. 16
Today, I'm releasing an episode that became available exclusively to patrons of The Art of Crime at the end of last season. It's about Iranian photographer Azadeh Akhlaghi and her photo-series, By an Eye-Witness, which reconstructs politically significant deaths in twentieth-century Iranian history. If you want more content like this, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast.
Jul 17, 2024•20 min•Season 3Ep. 15
Today, we're joined by Will Clark, host and creator of Grey History: The French Revolution . He and Gavin discuss their favorite works of art from the French Revolution. Show notes available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com. If you'd like to support the show and gain access to exclusive bonus episodes, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast. And make sure to check out Grey History: The French Revolution, hosted by the brilliant Will Clark....
Jun 26, 2024•53 min•Season 3Ep. 14
In 1823, John Thurtell murdered the gambler William Weare while the two were riding in a horse-drawn gig. Cashing in on public fascination with the case, the Surrey Theatre staged The Gamblers , a play that recreated the murder and incorporated the actual horse-drawn gig in which the crime took place. The Gamblers became one of the most explosive melodramas of the nineteenth century and came back to haunt Madame Tussaud more than two decades later. For show notes and full transcripts, visit www....
Jun 12, 2024•29 min•Season 3Ep. 13
A surprising number of crime stories from the Golden Age of Detective Fiction take place in wax museums. Today, we're joined by Caroline Crampton, host and creator of Shedunnit , a podcast that unravels the mysteries behind classic detective stories, to talk about why the wax museum has fueled the imagination of so many crime writers. Link to "Waxworks" by Ethel Lina White: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/47480274/4608076 . Spoiled Stories: "Waxworks" by Ethel Lina White Hound of the ...
May 29, 2024•29 min•Season 3Ep. 12
Beaumarchais’s madcap comedy, The Marriage of Figaro , smashed box-office records when it opened in Paris in 1784. The following year, a team of real-life con artists drew inspiration from a crucial scene in the play as they planned—and pulled off—the swindle of the century. Show notes and full transcripts available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com. If you'd like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast....
May 15, 2024•25 min•Season 3Ep. 11
In 1849, George and Maria Manning murdered a guest in their London home and fled the British capital . A dramatic hunt for the killers ensued. After the law caught up with the Mannings, the glamorous Maria achieved near-celebrity status as she made her way through the justice system. A staggering thirty thousand spectators gathered to watch her and George's public execution, triggering a ferocious debate about the ethics of capital punishment. When renowned wax modeler Madame Tussaud unveiled a ...
Apr 18, 2024•53 min•Season 3Ep. 9
After more than three decades of touring the provinces, Madame Tussaud made the unexpected decision to settle down in London in 1835. Within a matter of years, Tussaud was running the metropolis’s number-one tourist destination, and she updated the Chamber of Horrors more frequently than ever before. In 1838, she unveiled an effigy of Sir William Courtenay, a charismatic cult leader who committed a murder that led to a government massacre of his followers. Show notes and full transcripts availab...
Apr 04, 2024•1 hr•Season 3Ep. 8
For more than three decades, Madame Tussaud toured England, Scotland, and Ireland, winning nationwide acclaim. Over the years, her enterprise morphed into a family business, with both her sons dedicating their lives to the wax museum. In 1829, Madame Tussaud and Sons scored one of their biggest hits of the ’20s with controversial effigies of Burke and Hare, Edinburgh-based murderers who sold their victims' cadavers to anatomists for dissection. Show notes and full transcripts available at www.ar...
Mar 20, 2024•1 hr•Season 3Ep. 7
From 1803 to 1808, Madame Tussaud toured Scotland and Ireland, exhibiting her handiwork in major cities. During this time, she took drastic measures to win her freedom from her exploitative business partner, Paul Philipstahl. Tussaud went years without creating new figures related to crime, but in 1828 she introduced a likeness of William Corder, perpetrator of the infamous Red Barn Murder. This brutal homicide sparked a cultural phenomenon that lasted for the rest of the nineteenth century and ...
Mar 06, 2024•1 hr•Season 3Ep. 6
After marrying and starting a family, Madame Tussaud accepted an offer to partner with another showman and exhibit her handiwork in London. To her dismay, she soon realized that she had teamed up with a snake. Despite a rough start in the British capital, Tussaud scored a major hit with a wax effigy of Colonel Edward Marcus Despard, a convicted traitor who was hanged, drawn, and quartered in February 1803. For show notes and full transcripts, visit www.artofcrimepodcast.com. If you'd like to sup...
Feb 22, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Season 3Ep. 5
As the French Revolution ran its course, the monarchy crumbled, and the nation descended into wanton violence. During the Reign of Terror, thousands of French citizens went to the guillotine, and Tussaud made waxen replicas of important revolutionaries’ severed heads, including that of Maximilien Robespierre. In 1793, she also created a wax tableau inspired by perhaps the most notorious crime of this period: the assassination of Jean-Paul Marat. Show notes and full transcripts available at www.a...
Feb 08, 2024•1 hr 10 min•Season 3Ep. 4
