The immeasurably famous Irving Berlin seems like the perfect example of a U.S. immigrant success story. But reality is complicated and imperfect, and so was Berlin’s music-filled life. Research: Bergreen, Laurence. “Irving Berlin: This Is the Army.” Prologue. Summer 1996, Vol. 28, No. 2 https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1996/summer/irving-berlin-1 Carlson, Olivia. “What’s White Christmas without Minstrelsy?” Music 345: Race, Identity, and Representation in American Music. Student Bl...
Dec 26, 2022•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast This 2012 episode from prior hosts covers King Wenceslas. He's known from a Christmas carol, but was a 10th-century Bohemian prince, known for his kindness to children and promotion of Christianity. But he was murdered at only 22. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 24, 2022•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Holly and Tracy discuss the disruptive French Republican calendar, banana dishes, the Universal Chopper, and other kitchen implements. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 23, 2022•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast This eponymous foods episode only has two foods in it – and they couldn’t be more different! One is a flaming dessert, and one is a meat patty. Research: Salisbury, James Henry. “The Relation of Alimentation and Diseases.” New York. J.H. Vail and Company. 1888. Accessed online: https://archive.org/details/relationaliment00saligoog/page/n10/mode/2up “Universal Food Chopper.” John Fitzgerald Kenned National Historic Site. https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/universal-food-chopper.htm “Salisbury Steak...
Dec 21, 2022•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast The new year approaches. But what if you had to learn a completely new calendar for the coming year? For about a dozen years starting in the late 19th century, France abandoned the Gregorian calendar for an entirely different one. Research: Alfred, Randy. “Sept. 22, 1792: Day One of Revolutionary Calendar.” Wired. Sept. 22, 2011. https://www.wired.com/2011/09/0922revolutionary-calendar/ Suplee, Curt. “A Brief History of Time-keeping.” Washington Post. Nov. 16, 1994. https://www.washingtonpost.co...
Dec 19, 2022•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast This 2017 episode covers the Wright Brothers, yes, but also other contenders to the title of "first in flight," and each has their own compelling story and list of achievements. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 17, 2022•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast Tracy and Holly talk about the artwork of Zinaida Serebriakova and the personal style of Ella Williams. They then discuss the ruthless business practices of John Jacob Astor and his son William. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 16, 2022•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast John Jacob Astor came to the U.S. from Germany not long after the colonies gained their independence as a nation. He made his first fortune in the fur trade, and then diversified his income and built a legendary fortune. Research: Irving, Washington. “Astoria, Or, Anecdotes of an Enterprise Beyond the Rocky Mountains.” G.P. Putnams Sons. 1861. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Astoria/DAzBRmfcZloC?hl=en&gbpv=0 “ROMANCE OF THE HISTORIC EDEN FARM OWNED BY ASTOR FAMILY SINCE 1803.” New York ...
Dec 14, 2022•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today’s six impossible episode subjects are all by listener request! Topics include the Iron Mountain baby, Leslie’s Retreat, Lady Hao, Ella Williams, and more. And these are examples of how short tales can sometimes have intense details. Research: “Tale of The Iron Mountain Baby.” Reprinted from the St. Louis Iron Mountain & Southern Railway ALL ABOARD Vol.16. https://washington.mogenweb.org/imbaby.html Dotson, Avery M. Pennsboro News, Pennsboro, West Virginia, August 21, 1980. https://wash...
Dec 12, 2022•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this 2011 episode, previous hosts Sarah and Deblina recount some of history's most famous fires, Including the Peshtigo Fire, the Great Fire of London, the Great Fire of Meireki, and the Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 10, 2022•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast Tracy and Holly discuss food safety in their own lives, and particularly their comfort levels with various risks. They also discuss the different pronunciations of the name Louis, and Wain's progression as an artist. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 09, 2022•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Louis Wain’s cat-centric art was extremely popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and some of his later work became an inspiration for the psychedelic movement of the 1960s. Research: Beetles, Chris. “Louis Wain’s Cats.” Chris Beetles and Canongate Books. 2011, 2021. Benge-Abbott, Bryony. “Louis Wain’s Cryptic Cats.” Wellcome Collection. 5/19/2020. https://wellcomecollection.org/articles/Xrqh1BAAACMAhHcl Bethlem Museum of the Mind. “Louis Wain (1860-1939).” https://museumofthemind.or...
Dec 07, 2022•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast The development of a systematic approach to food safety didn’t happen until the 20th century. And it's tied directly to NASA trying to make sure astronauts didn’t get food poisoning in space. Research: Cronk, Theodore C. “The Historic Evolution of HACCP: Better Questions, Safer Foods.” Food and Drug Law Journal , 1994, Vol. 49, No. 3 (1994). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26659230 DiCicco, Mike. “How the Moon Landing Led to Safer Food for Everyone.” NASA Spinoff. 11/23/2020. https://spi...
Dec 05, 2022•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast This early 2017 episode covers Ed Roberts, a disability rights activist known as the father of the Independent Living movement. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 03, 2022•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Tracy and Holly talk about Charles Drew’s marriage and the impact of the early HIV/AIDS crisis on blood donation. They also discuss all the aspects of the Chatterley story that didn’t make it into the episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 02, 2022•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast Thirty years after D.H. Lawrence died, his book "Lady Chatterley's Lover," which had been banned for decades in many countries, was central to a trial in Great Britain over whether the novel was obscenity or whether it had literary merit. Research: Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Obscene Publications Act". Encyclopedia Britannica , 17 Apr. 2017, https://www.britannica.com/event/Obscene-Publications-Act Delavenay, Emile. “A SHRINE WITHOUT RELICS?” The D.H. Lawrence Review, vol. 16, no....
Nov 30, 2022•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast Dr. Charles Drew was once described as “one of the most constructively active figures in the medical profession.” His work as a key figure in the development of blood banking continues to impact lives today, long after his tragic death. Research: "Charles R. Drew." Notable Black American Men, Book II, edited by Jessie Carney Smith, Gale, 1998. Gale In Context: U.S. History, link.gale.com/apps/doc/K1622000127/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=3948f072. Accessed 21 Oct. 2022. "Drew,...
Nov 28, 2022•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast This 2012 episode from previous hosts Sarah and Deblina covers some of the performers he worked with, including General Tom Thumb. Swedish singer Jenny Lind, and his biggest act, Jumbo the Elephant. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 26, 2022•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast Holly and Tracy talk about why Robert-Houdin has been lauded as the father of modern magic. They also discuss dangerous aspects of his work, and the lack of nuance in stories about his Algerian performances. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 25, 2022•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast After the 1844 Paris expo, Robert-Houdin turned his efforts to creating his own stage show. He created automata tricks that still delight today, and quickly became a very famous magician. Research: Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin". Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Jun. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jean-Eugene-Robert-Houdin “How to Do the Classic Cups & Balls Trick.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVXNCMdKs-Y&t=124s “ROBERT-HOUDIN TRIPLE MYSTE...
Nov 23, 2022•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast Robert-Houdin was the magician that Houdini named himself after, his story is hard to pin down, because even his own memoir is written to be entertaining, not accurate. Part one covers his early life, marriages, and beginnings in magic. Research: Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin". Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Jun. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jean-Eugene-Robert-Houdin “How to Do the Classic Cups & Balls Trick.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G...
Nov 21, 2022•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast This 2012 episode from prior hosts Sarah and Deblina covers P.T. Barnum the circus man, museum entrepreneur, and freak show runner. Barnum attracted people to his American Museum through shrewd advertising, and he wasn't afraid of a hoax. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 19, 2022•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Tracy and Holly talk about how the Mancini sisters episode shifted focus as Tracy was researching it, and divorce not being an option in France during their lifetimes. They also talk about the inconsistent details of accounts of the Cocoanut Grove fire. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 18, 2022•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast The tragedy at Boston’s Cocoanut Grove in 1942 is still the deadliest nightclub fire in history. The cause of the fire is still unknown; in its wake, advancements were made in fire safety and medical treatments for burn victims. Research: Boston Public Library. “Great Fires of Boston: November 28, 1942.” 12/20/2021. https://guides.bpl.org/bostonfires/cocoanutgrove National Fire Protection Association. “The Cocoanut Grove Fire.” https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Staying-safe/Safety-in-living-...
Nov 16, 2022•44 min•Transcript available on Metacast Hortense and Marie Mancini tried to make a place for themselves in 17th-century Europe, defying all kinds of conventions along the way. Their lives were full of adventure and daring, but they were also both stuck in abusive marriages. Research: "Jules Mazarin." Historic World Leaders, edited by Anne Commire, Gale, 1994. Gale In Context: U.S. History, link.gale.com/apps/doc/K1616000407/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=68d5e2f8. Accessed 11 Oct. 2022. "When lesbian passions stirred...
Nov 14, 2022•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast This 2019 episode covers a woman who was the Spanish empire's most widely published poet of her time. Her work has survived until today, but not her own thoughts about much of her life. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 12, 2022•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast Tracy and Holly talk about animated shows, camping, and the items that didn't make it into the most recent Unearthed! episode. They then discuss the legacy of Pauline Johnson, and criticisms of her work that perceive it as inauthentic. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 11, 2022•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Emily Pauline Johnson, also known as Tekahionwake, made a career writing poetry and prose and performing it onstage in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Research: "Pauline Johnson." Encyclopedia of World Biography Online, vol. 23, Gale, 2003. Gale In Context: U.S. History, link.gale.com/apps/doc/K1631008167/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=90bf3cec. Accessed 5 Oct. 2022. Chiefswood. https://chiefswoodnhs.ca/ Gary, Charlotte. “Flint & Feather: The Life and Times of E. Pa...
Nov 09, 2022•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast The second part of our autumn list of things that were unearthed in the recent past includes potpourri, repatriations, shipwrecks, medical finds, Viking items, and books and letters. Research: Abbott, Dennis. “Archaeologists unearth skeleton dating from Battle of Waterloo” Brussels Times. 7/13/2022. https://www.brusselstimes.com/belgium/254695/archaeologists-unearth-skeleton-dating-from-battle-of-waterloo Amaral, Brian. “A R.I. wreck that may be Captain Cook’s Endeavour is being eaten by ‘shipwo...
Nov 07, 2022•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast This 2011 episode covers the discriminatory laws English Catholics faced under Queen Elizabeth I and King James I, which led a group of Catholics to attempt regicide. But the plot was discovered days before the event. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 05, 2022•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
