SYMHC Classics: Victorian Orchidelirium

The second part of our two-parter on Robert Moses looks at the vast amount of power he amassed in New York’s government, and the many controversies that surrounded the second half of his career. Research: “15% OF THE FAIR STILL UNFINISHED; 15 Pavilions and 3 Shows in Amusement Ar ... Show More

Robert Moses is responsible for so much of the infrastructure of New York, including parks, bridges, highways and more. And he remains a divisive figure. The first part of this two-parter covers his rise in New York government. Research: “15% OF THE FAIR STILL UNFINISHED; 15 Pavi ... Show More

This 2021 episode covers smallpox, a viral disease that has existed for millennia. But it’s now one of only two diseases that’s been eradicated through human activity, and a global plan was enacted to do it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

Uh oh! Joy picked up a free plant from a Buy Nothing group that can speak sign language and perform tricks. The bad news? It’s creating a jungle inside the Forever Ago studio! Join Joy and co-host Cora as they get to know their new “totally normal” plant friend and explore the hi ... Show More

In this week's episode, Genevieve talks about elaborate Victorian funeral traditions, what was, and was not, acceptable mourning fashion of the day, Queen Victoria’s obsession with her dead husband that sparked the trends, the hardship and power of 19th-century widowhood, as well ... Show More

Ben, Noel and super producer Casey Pegram dive back into the weeds of the surprisingly ancient (and ridiculous) art of trimming flora into bizarre and elaborate shapes. It’s a practice that had a habit of falling in and out of fashion depending on the whims of whoever was in powe ... Show More

<p>History is filled with people who gathered unusual collections, often following a curiosity or passion to the extreme. But among those collectors, there have been those who have taken things too far. And the objects of their obsession have become the stuff of nightmares.</p> < ... Show More

This week, we’re unraveling the fashion industry’s 19th century origins. Progress was everywhere… But with each apparently miraculous innovation came pain, illness—and even death. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 

The Gilded Age was a time of opulence and opportunism, an age that turned businessmen into household names. But it also created some of the biggest rivalries in the rush to unearth the past.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

How did plants power imperialism? Gardening may be a quintessentially British hobby, but many of the familiar plants in our lives have a global – and colonial – history. From “fern-mania” leading wealthy Victorians to decimate environments around the world collecting ferns for t ... Show More

The Victorian Era was, on the surface, a time of almost cartoonish sexual repression. Courtship was governed by rigid sets of rules and heirarchy, and even meeting a prospective partner outside of these codified steps could be considered a breach of cultural mores. So, what's a l ... Show More

An escape from war-torn Germany. Lavish dinners with Hollywood royalty. A Swedish baron and a dime-store heiress: we explore the long journey of a Van Gogh still life — and what it says about the real value of the things we treasure.Get Revisionist History updates first by signin ... Show More