History Lessons for Misanthropes

In this episode we discuss the 1940s Hollywood actress Hedy Lamarr. Born in Austria, she got her start in Germany cinema before fleeing ro the US during the war to escape her marriage. As well as an extensive filmography, Hedy was an inventor who designed military grade weapons solutions. 

In this episode we discuss the life of Mary Ann Shadd, a teacher, activist, and journalist in the mid-1800s. She was a freeborn black woman who was exposed to the abolitionist movement from a young age, which inspired her to spend her life fighting for the rights of black people in Canada and the United States. While one would think the abolitionist community would welcome any support, Mary Ann's tenacity and drive rubbed many abolitionst leaders the wrong way. She was a woman who never let the circumstance of race or gender stop her from establishing schools, a newspaper, and touring lecture circuits to earn support for the movement.    music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com

The last episode of 2022! In this bawdy and often silly episode, we discuss the life of 19th century entertainer, Joseph Pujol, better known as le Petomane. Joseph's skill was that he had a masterful contron of his GI system, and could pass gas in myriad and entertaining ways. We're ending the year with an absurd and happy story. music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com

In this episode, we look at the life and troubled career of Maila Nurmi, who created the Vampira character in 1954. Before creating her iconic glamour ghoul, Maila had a hard time breaking into show business both in Hollywood and Broadway. She struggled with a strict upbringing while not fitting into the expected life for young women. We discuss the relationships she had with elite members of Hollywood, and the later exploitation by the system she so desperatly wanted approval from.  music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com

In this episode we discuss a possession in New France, when a young women named Barbe Hallay was tormented by demons. This is a story of colonization in the 17th century, a land that is trying to keep it's colonial population Catholic in the face of hardships, and a nun who desperately wants sainthood. Was Barbe really possessed? Was it her way of maintining bodily autonomy in a way that was fixable by the church? Are any of these questions actually answered? You'll have to listen to find out! Check out "The Possession of Barbe Hally" by Mairi Cowan. Music by Valhall. 

This is the second part of the story of Kenneth Anger.  The episode begins after Kenneth parts ways with Bobby Beausoleil, and decided to leave San Francisco. His time in England was spent wooing rock stars and socialites, and establishing himself as a man of mystery, magick, and LSD. All the while he was making films and chasing the fame he refused to bend for. We also think this is the first episode we've done about someone still living- if we're wrong let us know!   music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com

In this first part of a 2-part series, we discuss the early life of Kenneth Anger. Born in Santa Monica, California in 1927, Kenneth was a queer film-maker who idolized Aleister Crowley. He was at the cutting edge of counter-culture, capturing the zeitgeist of gay culture, occulture, and hippie culture. He made films that would inspire film makers from Stan Brakhage to John Waters, establishing his place as the king of mid-20th-century underground film.  

In this episode, Lou discusses the life, achievements (both good and bad) of German chemist Fritz Haber.  Fritz Haber is a Nobel Laureate who devised a method to extract nitrogen from the air into a form that would be used in farming, feeding billions of people.  However, his contributions to science also included warfare that would brand him as the inventor of chemical warfare, and by many of his time as a war criminal.  music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com

In this episode we discuss the Affair of the Poisons, a brief period in late 17th century Paris where some of the top courtiers got a little bit murder-y. It's a fascinating look at how laws are different for the wealthy and beautiful, and how lower class men and women are prosecuted differently. The story is filled with jealousy, sacrilige, murder, and a plot against King Louis XIV. Episode suggested by Nicole at Madame Pheonix   music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com

This episode begins with sharing news about the end of a long fought border dispute between Canada and Denmark, known as the Whiskey War.  The main subject of the episode is the work of Magnus Hirschfeld, the German doctor who established the first institue of sexual science in Berlin in 1918. The foundation of his medical practice was fighting for the rights of LGBTQ+ people, fighting against the laws and morals of the period.    music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com Visit us at historyformisanthropes.com

In this episode we discuss the life of a reclusive artist and occultist, Austin Osman Spare. In his youth he was branded as a wunderkind, and had great expectations for a wildly successfuly career. Despite his natural talents, he resisted success and fame, and preferred to exist in his own world. music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com Visit us at historyformisanthropes.com

We're just letting you know that we'll be moving to a once-a-month format for a while. We overestiamted our personal bandwith.  Thanks for understanding!

In this episode we discuss the early life of Evelyn Nesbit, who, at the turn of the 20th century became the first "it" girl, a celebrity famous solely for modeling. This fame won her the affections of many wealthy men, two of whom would become embroiled in a feud over her, ending in "the crime of the century" music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com Visit us at historyformisanthropes.com

Episode 2 of our two part series about Edgar Allan Poe! In the final years of the author's life he becomes embroiled in scandals, and futher proves himself the king of self-sabatoge, before mysteriously dying. We review some of the hyptheses regarding his death, some fanciful, some very plausible, making this episode part of the history mystery club   music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com Visit us at historyformisanthropes.com

In our triumphant return after a brief hiatus, we begin with a story from Lou's Dino Hour, before launching into the early life of Edgar Allan Poe, a life that was beset with tragedy, depression, and self-sabotage. Despite Mildred's life-long love of the works of Poe, she concedes that he might not have been the best guy around. music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com Visit us at historyformisanthropes.com  

This will be our last episode until April so we decided to do a topic that keeps coming up in conversation. James Cook is famous for mapping a large portion of the South Pacific and for being the first European to visit New Zealand and Australia. But as we know, working on the side of colonialism never leads anywhere good, which resulted in his death. music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com Visit us at historyformisanthropes.com

In this episode, we discuss the life of the Swedish artist and mystic, Hilma af Klint. She has been a relatively unknown artist for the past century despite experimenting with abstraction several years before Kandinsky. Her work was completed with the help of spirits who she communicated with, and despite a great interest in esoteric beliefs in the early 20th century, her use of unconventional inspiration, combined with being a woman made her unsuccessful in her own time.  music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com Visit us at historyformisanthropes.com

In this bonus episode, we are joined by Dr. Sarah Bendall, author of "Shaping Femininity: Foundation Garments, the Body, and Women in Early Modern England". She graciously joined us from Australia to discuss her research, some highlights of her book, and the many interesting things about early modern underwear.  music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com Visit us at historyformisanthropes.com

In this episode we discuss the career of possibly the most famous astrologist in all of history, Michel de Nostradame, aka Nostradamus. Join us as we discover how his Jewish family converted to Christianity in the 15th century, his attempt at becoming a self-education physician, his rise to fame among the numerous astrologers in France, and finally how he became the go-to prognosticator of all of history's greatest disasters. music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com Visit us at historyformisanthropes.com    

In this episode we discuss the life, art, and cultural impact of Tom of Finland. Born Touko Laaksonen in a small Finnish town outside of Turku, Tom saw success and global fame as the creator of homoerotic art, that was inspired by 20th century masculine archetypes, such as soldiers, farmers, and the iconic leatherman.    music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com

Rockets are fun - Lou. This is part 2 of the Jack Parsons story. We begin with his early years as a disciple of Aleister Crowley, and his continued success in the development of rockets. Until heartache compelled him to try to invoke Babalon (We know it's not spelled right- take it up with Crowley), and he got lost in magick and obsession, while being run afoul of the greatest conman of the 20th century. music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com

This episode is part 1 of a two part series about scientist and occultist, Jack Parsons.  This episode focuses on his early life, and how his love of science fiction books fed into his love of rockets, eventually becoming his career. Albeit a career that was always short on funding because it was still considered science fiction.  The episode ends with his introduction to the world of the occult. music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com

In this episode, we begin with a news story about archaeologists finding evidence of clothing from 120,000 years ago.  We then get into the episode topic, wherein two actors, American Edwin Forrest and British William Macready, engaged in an absurd competition for stage supremacy. They each catered to a different class of audience, who supported their player in the arena of public opinion, finally culminating in a deadly riot in New York. music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com

In this episode we start with a news story that re-writes the history of pre-historic Asia. Getting into the episode topic, Mildred tells Lou about the Indian Rebellion of 1857, or the First Indian War of Independence.  Basically a large portion of India did not want Britain to run their country.  music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com Check out our website for more info, and for merch for where the proceeds go to a charitable cause. https://www.historyformisanthropes.com/  

Move over Jeopardy, there's a new quiz in town!  It's a Lou Quiz episode! We've got a couple news stories before diving into Lou's big fun trivia game of questions and answers. Mildred does better this time than the New Years edition, but share in her shame as she misses some obvious answers! music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com

In this episode, we discuss the life of Mary Edmonia Lewis aka "Wildfire".  She was a 19th century American sculptor who faced challenged in a field dominated by white men, while herself being of African American and Indigenous heritage. Though her client base was in America, she lived most of her life in Europe, to escape the systemic barriers in the States.  music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com

In this episode, Mildred talks about the life of the silent film star, Theda Bara. She is often hailed as Hollywood's first Vamp, and was only in films for 5 years before burning out of the industry. In an unusual twist for us, this episode has very little sadness, but we wanted to discuss her, as she is a goth icon, and often played roles of strong women who are in control of their own agency.  music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com

In this episode we discuss the life of Mata Hari, a popular dancer in Europe in the first decade of the twentieth century. We tell the story of how a woman from the Netherlands pretended to be a dance from Java to gain popularity in the arts community, and how her string of international romances led her to be recruited as a spy in the First World War, ultimately leading to her demise.    music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com

In this episode, Mildred tells Lou about two girls in Cottingley, England, who staged some photographs with paper fairies. After the photos got in the hands of the Theosophical Society, the girls accidentally became embroiled in a 60-year-long hoax that had some very famous people declaring the photos were proof that fairies were real.  If you want to donate to survivors of Canada's residential schools, please visit https://www.irsss.ca/ music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com

In this bonus episode, Mildred and Lou are joined by Dr. Jordan Bimm, a space historian whose research focuses the human and biological aspects of space exploration. We discuss Jordan's recent publication about the Nazi scientist who used the bodies of indigenous people in Peru to further the space program of the United States.  music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com

We start this episode with a difficult discussion about Canadian Residential schools in light of the recent discovery of the remains of 215 children at a former residential school site in Kamloops, BC.  The episode topic is Louis Riel, the Metis leader of the Red River Rebellion and the North West Rebellion, wherein non-settler populations of Western Canada fight against the Canadian government in an attempt to retain their lands and basic human rights.    music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com

In this episode we discuss the discovery of a ancient ruins in Saudi Arabia that pre-dates the Pyramids or Stonehenge before continuing the story of John Dee. In this episode we focus on the latter part of his life which was less successful than his early years. We finish off by discussing Dee's influence on the occult through the centuries.  music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com

In this episode we discuss the discovery of a kitten-sized dinosaur before delving into the life of John Dee. The 17th century scholar and occultist, whose contributions to the world aren't simply based in the occult, arguably changed the world through horoscopes and divination.  Also at least three monarchs die in this episode, so that's not too bad.   music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com

In this episode we discuss the iconic 20th century couturier, credited with creating fashions for the modern woman, elegant and simple.  But this isn't about her rise to the top of her field, despite life circumstances.  This is about her role as a German agent in World War II.  She may have been an innovated designer, but she was also a pretty big garbage human.  music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com

In this episode we explore the life of avant garde artist and writer Claude Cahun (nee Lucie Schwob).  As a part of the Paris art scene in the 1920s, she used art to question established gender roles, while hanging out with the likes of Dali, Miro, Lacan, and other big names of the Paris intelligentsia. Until 1940, when she and her partner were living on Jersey, and led a two-woman resistance against the Nazi occupation.  music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com

In this episode, our guests Alex and Bruce from the podcast We Have A Technical tell us about Stanislov Petrov, a member of the Soviet Air Defense Forces who single handedly saved the world in 1983.   Check out the website i die:you die and the podcase We Have a Technical at www.idieyoudie.com music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com

Mildred tells us about the Ideal Maternity Home in Chester, Nova Scotia.  Opened in 1928 with the best intentions of serving unwed mothers through the "shame" of pregnancy without official records that could disgrace their families, the home quickly devolved into a black market baby farm, with little care for the women who sought their help.   music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com

In this episode, Mildred talks about the life of Sara (Saartjie) Baartman, a South African Khoikhoi woman who was brought to Europe in the 18th century to be displayed to the public in the 18th century for study. visit our instagram @historyformisanthropes if you have questions, comments, please email us at historylessonsformisanthropes@gmail.com music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com

Lou tells Mildred all about Mary Anning, a poor British woman in the early 19th century who was a paleontologist;  A woman who struggled to get credit for her finds.  Despite the hard life she lived, she set the foundation for paleontology as it is today. To donate to the Mary Anning Rocks foundation, please visit www.maryanningrocks.co.uk music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com

In this episode we tell the story of Pamela Colman Smith, the illustrator of the Rider-Waite (Smith) tarot deck in 1909.  She was a bohemian illustrator and author in New York and London, as well as a member of the Golden Dawn.  Through naming the tarot deck after the publisher and author of the instructions, Pamela was effectively removed from occult history. music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com

This is part 2 of the The Knights Templar Saga. In this episode we discuss the fall of the order in 1314.  Were they really heretics, or was this a planned sabotage.  Most importantly, we discuss some modern Knights Templar, and the Grail Quest. music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com

In part one of a two-part series, Mildred introduces the Knights Templar.  Best known as the mysterious groups of knights which were established during the Crusades, they have been linked to the quest for the Holy Grail, and keepers esoteric secrets. In this episode we discuss their not at all mysterious origins, and their rise to power.   music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com

It's December!  Too many Tuesdays, so Lou will take the reigns on this episode.  Lou challenges Mildred's brain-meats with a history based trivia game.  Mildred also thinks it's New Years eve, and that's just the beginning of how wrong she is in this episode. Some of the questions are taken directly from the topics we've covered and others are just general Q&A. Happy Festivus and Merry Chrimbus music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com

In this episode we share the story of the explosion that devastated Halifax in 1917.  A munitions ship headed to Europe during World War One exploded in Halifax harbour.  We examine the unfortunate turn of events leading up to the disaster, and the relief efforts after.   music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com  

This episode begins with Mildred telling Lou about some drama surrounding a recent statue commemorating feminist pioneer Mary Wollstonecraft.  We continue the theme of important women thinkers with the story of Ada Lovelace, the daughter of Lord Byron, who contributed to the field of computer science 100 years before Alan Turing got to computers. music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com

In this episode Mildred shares a history of the early days of moving pictures, and the race among inventors to be the first to discover a way of photographing and projecting.  Among the inventors was Louis le Prince, who is arguably the first person to invent and patent a moving picture camera and projector.  But his films would never have a public screening, because in 1890 he mysteriously disappeared. What happened to le Prince?  Was it industrial sabotage, or an unrelated, random crime? music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com

In this episode, we're joined by Dan, a film scholar and horror movie buff.  We discuss the 1927 silent film London After Midnight, the first Hollywood vampire film.  Shrouded in mystery, this movie was lost in a warehouse explosion, and was responsible for a murder.  Is it cursed? Visit Dan's Youtube page at youtube.com/pathleft music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com

In this episode, Lou continues the story of the disaster at Chernobyl.  Covering the trial, how the disaster affected the Soviet union and the literal fallout of the explosion.   music by vlhll vlhll.bandcamp.com

In this episode, Dr. Mildred takes a break and let's Lou talk about a grim, bleak subject matter: Chernobyl.  It's the worst nuclear disaster mankind has ever faced.  Since this subject matter is very dense, it had to be split up into two episodes (even then it's not doing it justice).   music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com

In this short bonus episode, we discuss yet another history mystery: the disappearance of Glenn Miller. Glenn Miller was one of the most famous celebrities of the 1940s, known for such hit as Moonlight Serenade, Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree, and Little Brown Jug.  But in 1944, he disappeared on his way to preform for US troops in Paris. What happened to him?  Was it simply a case of pilot error or was there something greater?  We don't have answers, but it's a good story. music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com

In this episode we examine the life of Joseph Merrick, who had a mysterious illness that caused skin and bone growths on his face and body.  These growths led him to a life as a stage attraction known as the Elephant man.   We discuss the difficult life Joseph led, and his kind and gentle spirit which made people see past his appearance. music by V►LH►LL vlhll.bandcamp.com