Oh, the humanity!
This month, Henry delves into two unrelated topics: the rise and fall of the Hindenburg, the iconic airship whose fiery end shocked the world, and the peculiar traditions of a Victorian Christmas—such as wassailing, ghost stories by the fire, morbid carols, and Christmas cards featuring dead birds.
Yes, it’s a Christmas episode—airing in late January. I tried to tell Henry, but he couldn’t see an issue. And I don’t like to stifle him…
What was it that made the Hindenburg unforgettable? And why did Victorians celebrate Christmas with such an odd mix of sentimentality and the macabre?
Henry unpacks these questions to see what the two subjects reveal about history and human culture. While his very tired old man struggles in vain to form a coherent sentence.