‘The Rev’ Rose Mackenberg

Tracy and Holly talk about experiences in intensely hot weather. Holly shares how moved she was by Samuel Plimsoll’s obituaries.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

Samuel Plimsoll was an advocate for better working conditions for sailors, and for a lot of other things. A lot of contemporary accounts refer to him as an agitator. Research: Bibby, Miriam. “Samuel Plimsoll and the Plimsoll Line.” Historic UK. June 14, 2024. https://www.historic ... Show More

Heat waves don’t get as much attention as blizzards, floods, and hurricanes, but extreme heat is one of the deadliest weather events on average. Research: National Weather Service. “Weather Related Fatality and Injury Statistics.” https://www.weather.gov/hazstat Last, John. “This ... Show More

From 1925 to his death in 1926, the great escapologist and illusionist Harry Houdini conducts a tireless campaign against fake mediums. To help him, he has a small army of secret spirit investigators, led by the plucky female detective Rose Mackenberg. Working undercover in a ran ... Show More

The story of two famous friends — Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini — and the disagreement that ended their friendship: can we speak to the dead? Read Rose Mackenberg's essays in Tony Wolf's book, Houdini's Girl Detective: The Real-Life Ghost-Busting Adventures of Rose Mac ... Show More

Helen Duncan was a famous medium who travelled around Britain in the 1940s performing séances. She claimed to speak to the dead, and even produce physical manifestations of their spirits. But when Helen Duncan seemed to know wartime secrets about the whereabouts of military ships ... Show More

Harry Houdini was one of the greatest entertainers of his time. He was constantly reinventing himself to stay on top. In the last few years of his career, he became dead-set on debunking people claiming to be psychic mediums who communed with spirits. And when he figured out how ... Show More

Gina Marks, often dubbed the “Psychic Scam Queen,” was a self-proclaimed psychic who conned multiple clients out of hundreds of thousands of dollars by claiming she could lift curses, reunite lovers, and cleanse their lives of bad luck. 

In 1841, Mary Rogers’ corpse was found floating in the Hudson. At only 20, the “beautiful cigar girl” was a local celebrity even before her mysterious death. Mary had many admirers, including a fiancé, an ex-fiance, the boss who hired her for her looks, the men to whom she sold c ... Show More