Just a (not so) quick and (mostly unscripted) explanation of why the show is going on hiatus until December, which ends with my reading of Edgar Allan Poe’s poem, “Spirits of the Dead.”*****ReferencesPoe, Edgar Allan. “Spirits of the Dead

2 Sides of Sir William Crookes, Part 2: The Spiritualist

Sep 24th, 2023 32m 22s

In the second episode of my 2-part examination of the life and career of Sir William Crookes (1832-1919), I explore events that inspired his interest in spiritualism, his unique methods of combining his studies in this area with his scientific

2 Sides of Sir William Crookes, Part 1: The Scientist

Sep 10th, 2023 23m 4s

I first learned about British physicist and chemist Sir William Crookes (1832-1919) several months ago, while working on my episode on X-rays. Recently, while reading Violet Tweedale’s Ghosts I Have Seen and Other Psychic Experiences, I learned

Lifting the Lid of the Fisk Patent Air-Tight Metallic Burial Case

Aug 26th, 2023 23m 11s

If you spend any time learning about Victorian Era funeral and burial etiquette, chances are you’ll come across an illustration of a Fisk Patent Air-Tight Metallic Burial Case…and once you do, you’ll never forget it. I discuss the circumstances

Figure Skating, Victorian-Style: A Conversation with Ryan Stevens

Aug 12th, 2023 39m 12s

In this Season 3 premiere, I bring you my recent conversation with Ryan Stevens, in which we talked briefly about the history of figure skating, as well as its increased popularity in the 19th Century and Victorian Era “Skate King,” Jackson Hai

Mrs. Beeton and Victorian-Era Household Management, Part 2

Jul 29th, 2023 32m 19s

In the second episode of my 2-part miniseries on Isabella Mary Mayson Beeton (a.k.a. “Mrs. Beeton”), I delve deeper into her voluminous Book of Household Management.Catch episode 1 here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6cBEAgXffA4uv8doOxpm6l

Introducing Mrs. Beeton and Victorian-Era Household Management, Part 1

Jul 15th, 2023 25m 30s

If you’re a fan of vintage food and cooking (like I am), you’ve probably heard the name “Mrs. Beeton,” and may even have seen an edition of her voluminous Book of Household Management. But who was Mrs. Beeton, and what are some reasons her book

“X” Marks the Spot: Exposing the Late Victorian Fascination with X-Rays

Jul 2nd, 2023 24m 38s

I (& my dog) recently had X-rays, & it hit me that X-rays were a pretty big (albeit short-lived) fad toward the end of the Victorian Era. I discuss the history of the X-ray, & explore why X-rays were initially so popular & why that popularity e

A Journey Into the Life and Works of Edith Nesbit

Jun 17th, 2023 24m 29s

I briefly explore the life of writer Edith Nesbit, a.k.a. “E. Nesbit” (1858-1924), and read excerpts from some of her works.*****ReferencesBanerjee, Jacqueline. “E. Nesbit, Rudyard Kipling and The Strand Magazine.” https://victorianweb.or

To Laugh, or Not to Laugh? A Brief Overview of Victorian-Era Humor

Jun 3rd, 2023 24m 33s

What with popular attribution of the phrase “We are not amused” to Queen Victoria and the widespread belief that Victorians were obsessed with etiquette and death, it’s easy to get the impression that many people during this period lacked a sen

If Books Could Kill (um, actually, they can…): Robert C. Kedzie and Shadows from the Walls of Death

May 20th, 2023 27m 35s

In this episode, I discuss Robert Clark Kedzie (1823-1902), a Michigan doctor, chemist, and professor, and explain why his 1874 book, Shadows from the Walls of Death, can be considered one of the deadliest books ever written.*****References

In the Victorian-Era Kitchen, with Charles Elmé Francatelli!

May 6th, 2023 26m 16s

I discuss what I was able to find about the life of Charles Elmé Francatelli (1805-1876), one of the Victorian Era’s “celebrity chefs,” who spent part of his career cooking for The Queen and Prince Albert, and look at 2 of his cookbooks, The Mo

Getting “Physical” with the Victorians (Part 2): What Was “Muscular Christianity”?

Apr 22nd, 2023 31m 24s

You can’t talk about physical culture during the Victorian Era without discussing “Muscular Christianity.” I describe how this movement developed in the mid-19th century, ways in which it was practiced within and outside the UK, and how it inte

Getting “Physical” with the Victorians: 19th Century Physical Fitness, Part 1

Apr 1st, 2023 25m 20s

In this episode, I explore the stages in which fitness culture evolved in the 19th Century, as well as the rise of strongman athletes and fitness “gurus,” some popular fitness equipment of the period, and early gymnasiums.*****ReferencesB

Knocking on the Door of the Victorian “Haunted” House

Mar 18th, 2023 26m 12s

When you think of “haunted” houses, there’s a good chance that structures built during the Victorian Era come to mind. I look at some characteristics of “Victorian” houses, and explore how and when their association with ghosts came about.***

Getting Our Hands Dirty with Pteridomania (Victorian-Era “Fern Fever”)

Mar 4th, 2023 26m 47s

The fern has been associated with myth and mystery for centuries, but the Victorians took their appreciation for this plant species to new levels. I discuss some events and circumstances that led to pteridomania (“fern fever”), as well as ways

An Exploration of Victorian-Era “Fainting Culture”

Feb 18th, 2023 29m 17s

Fainting women were a pretty common trope in 19th century literature. I discuss some reasons why Victorian-Era women were likely to faint, but also explore how much of what we know about “fainting culture” might have been myth, and how much was

“Don’t Be Mine!” Victorian Valentines With a Splash of Vinegar

Feb 4th, 2023 25m 49s

Although Valentine’s Day existed prior to the 19th century, the Victorians helped to make this day what we know and love (or hate) today. I briefly discuss the history of the day, then talk about the many “vinegar valentines” Victorians looking

A Taste of Victorian-Era Fairy Tales from “Rays of Sunshine” (Minisode)

Jan 21st, 2023 14m 42s

I read 2 fairy tales from the 1893 children’s book, Rays of Sunshine: “A Frog He Would a Wooing Go” and “Death and Burial of Cock Robin.”*****References“A Frog He Would A Wooing Go.” Rays of Sunshine. New York: M'Loughlin Bros., 1893. htt

More Than a “Toy”: The Zoetrope (Minisode)

Jan 7th, 2023 15m 13s

In this minisode, I discuss the history of the zoetrope & explain why, even though it was generally marketed as a “toy,” I believe it was much more than that.*****ReferencesCoterill, Chris. “Early Pioneer: William George Horner.” https://

“Here We Come A-Wassailing”: A Look at Some Lesser-Known Victorian Christmas Traditions

Dec 24th, 2022 25m 48s

The Victorians are credited with giving us many of the Christmas traditions we know and love today, but in this episode, I look at some with which the majority of us may be less familiar, including the Christmas Pickle, “festive science,” dange

A Stroll Through the Cemetery, with Traci Muller Rylands!

Dec 10th, 2022 49m 43s

I recently had the opportunity to talk to Traci Muller Rylands about cemeteries she has visited around the U.S. and the research those visits have inspired.About Traci: An almost-native of Georgia, Traci Muller Rylands has bachelor’s and mast

Here’s the Scoop on A.B. Marshall, the Victorian Era’s “Queen of Ices”

Nov 26th, 2022 28m 45s

Over half a century before “celebrity chefs” captured the public imagination, Agnes Bertha Marshall (1855-1905) was a true visionary who built an empire that included cooking schools, cookbooks and a weekly magazine, retail products, and other

An Overview of Victorian-Era Occultism, with Stephen from Dark Stories from the Campfire!

Nov 12th, 2022 51m 18s

In this episode, I talk to Stephen of one of my favorite podcasts, Dark Stories from the Campfire, about British Occultism’s development during the Victorian Era and various factors that intersected with and influenced it (including French Occu

From “Dismal” to “Liminal:” An Intro to Lafcadio Hearn & His Ghost Stories

Oct 29th, 2022 31m 54s

I close out October with a brief summary of the life of Greek/Irish writer Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904). I examine ways in which his rather unique life may have influenced the ghost stories he is perhaps best known for, and read one of his storie