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.

Bradley Martin Ball

3 days ago 44m 22s

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

SYMHC Classics: Croesus

5 days ago 36m 16s

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/lis

Behind the Scenes Minis: Piggy Banks and Ruby Slippers

6 days ago 24m 54s

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.

Unearthed! in Spring 2024, Part 2

8 days ago 43m 54s

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 Medite

Unearthed! in Spring 2024, Part 1

10 days ago 49m 40s

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 i

SYMHC Classics: Croquet History

12 days ago 27m 46s

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.

Behind the Scenes Minis: Eclipse Games

13 days ago 31m 29s

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.

Milton Bradley and the Game That Started It All

15 days ago 46m 21s

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 Education

Thales and the Battle of the Eclipse

17 days ago 48m 39s

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. Resear

SYMHC Classics: Sylvia of Hollywood

19 days ago 37m 17s

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 informati

Behind the Scenes Minis: Vinnie's Wild Life

20 days ago 24m 53s

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.

Vinnie Ream, Part 2

22 days ago 43m 16s

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. htt

Vinnie Ream, Part 1

24 days ago 47m 30s

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.” Natio

SYMHC Classics: Pig War

26 days ago 33m 24s

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.

Behind the Scenes Minis: Wrong Photo and the Rules

27 days ago 33m 53s

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.

Henry Martyn Robert’s Rules of Order

29 days ago 49m 23s

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

The Inventive Mind of Margaret E. Knight

1 month ago 44m 4s

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

SYMHC Classics: James G. Fair

Mar 23rd, 2024 41m 4s

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.

Behind the Scenes Minis: Divorce, Marriage, and Manners

Mar 22nd, 2024 41m 31s

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 priv

Six Impossible Episodes: Etiquette Manuals

Mar 20th, 2024 56m 37s

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, Th

Divorce Ranches

Mar 18th, 2024 43m 38s

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'

SYMHC Classics: Ambroise Paré

Mar 16th, 2024 41m 53s

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.

Behind the Scenes Minis: Arsenic and Arm Prosthetics

Mar 15th, 2024 32m 49s

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.

Götz of the Iron Hand

Mar 13th, 2024 44m 5s

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. “ArtiFa