This 2014 episode covers the Sultana, which sank the day after John Wilkes Booth was captured and killed for the murder of Abraham Lincoln So the maritime tragedy didn't make headline news. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By iHeartPodcasts

Holly and Tracy discuss Ward McAllister as the ultimate historical mean girl. They also talk about how people were reacting to the Blitz when it was happening. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By iHeartPodcasts

Holly talks with previous podcast guest Dr. Rachel Lance about her new book "Chamber Divers," which details the WWII research that advanced underwater science. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By iHeartPodcasts

The Bradley Martin Ball is sometimes referred to as the last big moment of the Gilded Age. It was a very ostentatious event that sparked a lot of debate, and in some ways helped usher in the crumbling of New York’s Victorian-era society culture. Research: “Bradley Martin Ball.” New York Times. Feb. 7, 1897. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmac…

This 2020 episode shares the story of the ridiculously wealthy Croesus, which was likely fictionalized in a number of ways. It has become sort of a cautionary tale about pride and hubris, and what really has value in life. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By iHeartPodcasts

Tracy shares frustration over a historical find being described as a piggy bank. She and Holly then discuss the Van Gogh Pokémon and whether they would chase similar items. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By iHeartPodcasts

The spring 2024 edition of Unearthed! concludes with books and letters, fashion and cosmetics, medicine, shipwrecks, and the assorted finds that are categorized as potpourri. Research: Abdallah, Hannah. “The first Neolithic boats in the Mediterranean.” EurekAlert. 3/20/2024. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1037843 Adam Rohrlach, Cases of t…

Time for all the things literally or figuratively unearthed in the first quarter of 2024. Part one includes updates, burial sites, walls, edibles and potables, and art and architecture. Research: Abdallah, Hannah. “The first Neolithic boats in the Mediterranean.” EurekAlert. 3/20/2024. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1037843 Adam Rohrlach,…

This 2020 episode looks at croquet's murky origins. Because of its relative ease of play and low barrier of entry, it went through a surge in popularity almost as soon as it was documented. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By iHeartPodcasts

Tracy and Holly talk about how much Tracy loves eclipses. They also discuss their favorite TV jingles for the game of Life. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By iHeartPodcasts

Milton Bradley shaped not only the way people in the U.S. and around the globe play, but also how many kids in the U.S. were educated in their youngest years. Research: Adams, David Wallace, and Victor Edmonds. “Making Your Move: The Educational Significance of the American Board Game, 1832 to 1904.” History of Education Quarterly, vol. 17, no. 4, …

On May 28, in the year 585 BCE, there was a total solar eclipse during a battle between the kingdoms of Media and Lydia. This eclipse had been predicted by Thales of Miletus, and it led to the ends of both the battle and the war. Maybe. Research: "Thales of Miletus." Math & Mathematicians: The History of Math Discoveries Around the World, edited by…

This 2019 episode covers Sylvia of Hollywood, famous in the 1920s and 1930s for shaping up starlets, cementing the idea that Hollywood's beauties were aspirational figures for the average woman. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By iHeartPodcasts

Holly reads Vinnie Ream's account of when she met Franz Liszt. Then discussion turns to Ream's friendships, her shopping habits, and why she lived in Rome instead of closer to Carrara. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By iHeartPodcasts

Part two of our episode on Vinnie Ream covers the completion of her first major work, and the rest of her life, which was just as controversial as her early adulthood. Research: “Andrew Johnson and Reconstruction.” National Parks Service. https://www.nps.gov/anjo/andrew-johnson-and-reconstruction.htm Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Vinni…

Vinnie Ream became the first woman to be given an art commission by the U.S. Government when she was still a teenager. Part one covers the controversy that arose as she lobbied for that job. Research: “Andrew Johnson and Reconstruction.” National Parks Service. https://www.nps.gov/anjo/andrew-johnson-and-reconstruction.htm Britannica, The Editors o…

This 2014 episode covers the story of how in 1859, the United States and Great Britain nearly went to war over an American settler shooting a Canadian pig that was rooting around his garden. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By iHeartPodcasts

Holly and Tracy ponder why the wrong photo has become used so frequently in mentions of Margaret E. Knight. Tracy shares the reasons she almost didn't cover Henry Martyn Robert on the show. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By iHeartPodcasts

Henry Martyn Robert was connected to multiple historical events, but his most lasting legacy is the set of guidelines he created that offered a standardized way to run meetings. Research: "Henry Martyn Robert." Encyclopedia of World Biography Online, vol. 21, Gale, 2001. Gale In Context: U.S. History, link.gale.com/apps/doc/K1631007677/GPS?u=mlin_n…

Margaret E. Knight was an ingenious woman. She started tinkering with things when she was still just a tiny child, and the first invention that really improved the lives of those around her came about at the age of 12. Research: “A Lady in a Machine Shop.” Woman’s Journal, December 21, 1872. Accessed online: https://iiif.lib.harvard.edu/manifests/v…

This 2019 episode covers James G. Fair, known as the Silver King. But though Fair often appears on lists of the richest men in U.S. history, his image was also tainted by scandal. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By iHeartPodcasts

Holly and Tracy talk about there not being a national divorce law in the U.S. and how to pronounce Nevada. Tracy talks about the ways social rules are necessary but can be used in ways that are exclusionary. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By iHeartPodcasts

I talk to psychologist Dr Christopher Kavanagh about the phenomenon of secular gurus. We discussed the secularism of latter day gurus, how they differ and compare to traditional cult leaders, what traits it takes to be a secular guru (galaxy brainedness, cultishness, anti-establishmentarianism), psychopathy/sociopathy, narcissism and techniques for…

Books on etiquette don’t necessarily reflect rules everyone is actually following – they’re more like what the author thinks the ideal standard of behavior should be. This episode looks at six such books from history. Research: Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Giovanni Della Casa". Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Feb. 2024, https://www.britan…

Divorce ranches sprung up in the 1930s when Nevada relaxed its divorce laws. This unique and controversial style of resort was incredibly popular for several decades before becoming obsolete. Research: Brean, Henry. “The rise and fall of Reno's quickie divorce industry.” Reno Gazette Journal. Sept. 18, 2017. https://www.rgj.com/story/life/2017/09/1…

This 2021 episode covers sixteenth-century barber surgeon Ambroise Paré, who has been called everything from “the gentle surgeon” to “the father of modern surgery.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By iHeartPodcasts

Holly talks about the various theories about events in Charles Francis Hall's life. Tracy discusses some of the troubling sources she came across while researching Götz von Berlichingen. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By iHeartPodcasts

In the early 16th century Gottfried von Berlichingen was known as Götz of the Iron Hand because after an injury and amputation, he wore a prosthesis made of sheet iron that was painted to match his skin. Research: Ashmore, Kevin et al. “ArtiFacts: Gottfried "Götz" von Berlichingen-The "Iron Hand" of the Renaissance.” Clinical orthopaedics and relat…

Charles Francis Hall was inspired by expeditions like Sir John Franklin’s push to find the Northwest Passage, but he repeated the pattern of doom when he made a try for the North Pole – though he was the only one from his expedition to die. Research: Besselss, Emil, and William Barr. “Polaris: The Chief Scientist's Recollections of the American Nor…

This 2017 episode covers the extinction of one New Zealand bird species that's often attributed to a single cat. While feline predation played a significant role in the end of the Stephens Island wren, the story is more complex. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By iHeartPodcasts

Holly and Tracy discuss how neither of them like Sloppy Joes, and a cocktail recipe Holly found during research. Tracy shares how very much she adores Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By iHeartPodcasts

The coelacanth was believed to have gone extinct about 66 million years ago, until one was spotted in South Africa in 1938. Naturalist and museum curator Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer played a key part in that event. Research: Ashworth, Willam B. Jr. “Scientist of the Day – Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer.” Linda Hall Library. 2/24/2020. https://www.lindah…

Sloppy Joe, Hot Brown, and the Reuben are all well-known sandwiches, and they are all named after people. Though the specific person is argued in two of these cases. Research: “Bechamel.” Oxford Reference. https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803095454669 “Bechamel Sauce.” ChefIn. https://chefin.com.au/dictionary/becham…

This 2020 episode examines how, though rinderpest was declared eradicated fairly recently, rinderpest's history goes way back. Eradicating the disease took a coordinated, international effort. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By iHeartPodcasts

Tracy mentions tracking down sources for quotes about Rebecca Crumpler during research. She and Holly also discuss measles vaccine protocols. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By iHeartPodcasts

Though measles was declared eliminated in the U.S. decades ago, outbreaks do still happen here, and in other places it’s much more common. Before vaccines were widely available, it killed an estimated 2.6 million people worldwide each year. Research: "Measles cases rising alarmingly across Europe: WHO." IANS, 24 Jan. 2024, p. NA. Gale OneFile: Heal…

Rebecca Crumpler was the first Black woman in the United States to earn a medical degree. She also wrote one of the first, if not the first, medical texts by a Black person in the United States. Research: Allen, Patrick S. “‘We must attack the system’: The Print Practice of Black ‘Doctresses’.” Arizona Quarterly: A Journal of American Literature, C…

This 2017 episode features three unique women, all of whom are notable. They each have a surprising aspect to their stories, and they each have the name Belle. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By iHeartPodcasts

Tracy shares why the story of George Washington Williams makes her so sad. Holly then offers some additional information about John Mytton that wasn't in the Wednesday episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By iHeartPodcasts

John Mytton is often called an eccentric, but that doesn’t really capture his whole story. Despite his wild behavior, he's something of a local hero, and sometimes a joke, but his life is sort of sad in many ways. Research: Bibby, Miriam. “Mad Jack Mytton.” Historic UK. https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Mad-Jack-Mytton/ Haskin, Frederic J. “Joh…

George Washington Williams was one of the first people to publicly describe the atrocities being carried out in the Congo Free State under King Leopold II of Belgium. But so much happened in his life before that. Research: Berry, Dorothy. “George Washington Williams’ History of the Negro Race in America (1882–83).” The Public Domain Review. 9/12/20…

This 2018 episode covers Mary Breckinridge, who advanced the medical field and found new ways to treat underserved communities. But there are problematic elements to her story. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By iHeartPodcasts

Tracy explains why Natalie Clifford Barney needed two episodes. She also shares some of the stories from Barney's stories that didn't make it into either of the episodes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By iHeartPodcasts

Part two of Natalie Clifford Barney week covers her life as a wealthy adult. She moved to France permanently, and established the salon which ran for 50 years and has become one of her most well-known efforts. Research: Barney, Natalie Clifford. “POEMS & POÈMES: autres alliances.” Paris and New York. 1920. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/49942/4994…

Natalie Clifford Barney was an incredibly privileged woman who hobnobbed with many notable intellectual and artistic figures in history. Part one covers her upbringing, her young adult life in Paris, and her massive inheritance. Research: Barney, Natalie Clifford. “POEMS & POÈMES: autres alliances.” Paris and New York. 1920. https://www.gutenberg.o…

This 2021 episode covers Lola Montez, a figure whose life is hard to pin down. That's not because of a lack of documentation, but because that documentation repeats the completely fictional backstory she made up for herself. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By iHeartPodcasts

Holly and Tracy discuss the unfortunate and gruesome event that allegedly happened at Anne-Marie-Louse's funeral. Harrison Dyar's compulsion and cruelty are also examined. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.By iHeartPodcasts

Harrison G. Dyar, Jr. is known today largely as a hobby tunneler. But he was also an influential entomologist, and his personal life was much more convoluted than any tunnel he ever dug. Research: “Allen v. Allen.” The Pacific Reporter, Volume 193. https://books.google.com/books?id=cbyZAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA540&lpg=PA540&dq=wellesca+pollock&source=bl&ots=P…

Anne-Marie-Louise d’Orleans has been described by historians as having been one of the richest heiresses in history, as an insurgent, as unaccomplished, as an Amazon, as a writer, and as a fool. And she was sort of all of those things. Research: Barine, Arvede, and Helen Meyer. “La Grande Mademoiselle 1627-1652.” Putnam. 1902. Accessed online: http…