Zenobia and the Roman Empire

This 2012 episode from previous hosts Sarah and Deblina covers some of the performers he worked with, including General Tom Thumb. Swedish singer Jenny Lind, and his biggest act, Jumbo the Elephant. S...

26 Nov 202226min

Holly and Tracy talk about why Robert-Houdin has been lauded as the father of modern magic. They also discuss dangerous aspects of his work, and the lack of nuance in stories about his Algerian perfor...

25 Nov 202214min

After the 1844 Paris expo, Robert-Houdin turned his efforts to creating his own stage show. He created automata tricks that still delight today, and quickly became a very famous magician. Research: B...

23 Nov 202237min

Robert-Houdin was the magician that Houdini named himself after, his story is hard to pin down, because even his own memoir is written to be entertaining, not accurate. Part one covers his early life,...

21 Nov 202238min

This 2012 episode from prior hosts Sarah and Deblina covers P.T. Barnum the circus man, museum entrepreneur, and freak show runner. Barnum attracted people to his American Museum through shrewd advert...

19 Nov 202219min

Tracy and Holly talk about how the Mancini sisters episode shifted focus as Tracy was researching it, and divorce not being an option in France during their lifetimes. They also talk about the inconsi...

18 Nov 202221min

The tragedy at Boston’s Cocoanut Grove in 1942 is still the deadliest nightclub fire in history. The cause of the fire is still unknown; in its wake, advancements were made in fire safety and medical ...

16 Nov 202243min

Hortense and Marie Mancini tried to make a place for themselves in 17th-century Europe, defying all kinds of conventions along the way. Their lives were full of adventure and daring, but they were als...

14 Nov 202246min