Theda Bara was the most famous movie star you’ve probably never heard of. One of the first movie stars, America’s first goth, and Hollywood’s first sex symbol, Theda Bara was the epitome of Madame Mystery. Though most of her films have been lost to time, Theda is one of the pioneers of early Hollywood. More Halloween Episodes: https://www.immortalperfumes.com/search?q=halloween&f_collectionId=6100b028baebd54735717656 Resources Vamp: The Rise and Fall of Theda Bara by Eve Golden: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/741931.Vamp You Must Remember This Podcast: https://radiopublic.com/you-must-remember-this-G2wdZR/s1!b877a The Woman with Hungry Eyes: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0997110/

In a first for Storical Podcast, here is a live episode! I recently gave a lecture sharing some of the most interesting stories in perfume history. Listen to hear about perfume and poison such as Acqua Tofana, Chanel versus Schiaparelli, perfumes recovered from the Titanic, the perfume Andy Warhol was buried with, and the perfume Jude Law used to get into character to play Henry VIII. This was a wild ride, check it out! If you’re interested in more information on the Paris perfume trip, fill out this survey to be notified when it opens for booking. Please note that Paris has already been decided on but you need to fill out the survey to be added to the list. For more history videos, check out my Youtube channel.

We all know about Eastern European vampires but did you know that right here in America we had our own vampire panic? Yup. It turns out New England was kind of a scary place the first 200 years of colonial and then American rule. Listen to today’s episode to learn about the New England Vampire Panic and Mercy Brown, the teenaged purported vampire. Further Reading The Great New England Vampire Panic, Smithsonian Magazine The Last American Vampire, History Food for the Dead: On the Trail of New England’s Vampires by Michael E. Bell

Gilded Age New York was all about flaunting your money. And no one did it better than the first families of excess, the Astors and the Vanderbilts. Part two is all about multi-hyphenate Alva Vanderbilt. Social climber, society leader, architect, suffragette. We will also take a look at her daughter Consuelo Vanderbilt, Duchess of Marlborough. Tune in! Photos Vanderbilt Costume Ball of 1883: https://www.antiquetrader.com/collecting-101/the-vanderbilt-ball-of-1883 Electric Light Dress: https://theenchantedmanor.com//wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Alice-Vanderbilt-dressed-as-the-Electric-Light-for-the-ball-3-26-1883.jpg Consuelo Vanderbilt: https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/images/consuelo-vanderbilt-2.jpg Nonfiction Consuelo and Alva Vanderbilt: The Story of a Daughter and a Mother in the Gilded Age by Amanda Mckenzie Stuart Vanderbilt by Anderson Cooper Social Climber: The Iron Will and Determined Rise of Alva Vanderbilt by The Gilded Gentelman Podcast Edith Wharton’s New York by The Bowery Boys Podcast Fiction The Gilded Age on HBO The Social Graces by Renee Rosen A Well Behaved Woman by Theresa Anne Fowler

Gilded Age New York was all about flaunting your money. And no one did it better than the first families of excess, the Astors and the Vanderbilts. Part one of a multi part series, today we’re looking at the life of Caroline Astor, the “Mystic Rose” and arbiter of taste in New York Society. You’ll want to listen to the episode to get primed on the new HBO series, The Gilded Age. Tune in! HISTORICAL FICTION The Social Graces by Renée Rosen PODCASTS The Astors and the Waldorf Astoria by The Bowery Boys The Real Mrs. Astor, Ruler or Rebel? by The Gilded Gentleman The Mrs. Astor by The History Chicks NONFICTION Season of Splendor: The Court of Mrs. Astor by Greg King When the Astors Owned New York by Justin Kaplan

This is the Storical Halloween Special. The veil is thin and the dead walk among us. Before you indulge in some tricks or treats, enjoy this episode and decide whether Lizzie Borden really took an ax to give her mother 40 whacks. Links to all sources referenced and full transcript are below! PODCASTS Hysterical History - Lizzie Borden Series - https://shows.acast.com/hysterical-history/episodes Criminal Broads - Lizzie Borden LLC - https://www.stitcher.com/show/criminal-broads/episode/lizzie-borden-llc-56549642 Biographics - Lizzie Borden - https://youtu.be/xU5Hk-mFi9Y The History Chicks - Lizzie Borden, Revisited - http://thehistorychicks.com/episode-79-lizzie-borden-revisted/ Stuff You Missed in History Class - Lizzie Borden and Her Axe - https://www.iheart.com/podcast/stuff-you-missed-in-history-cl-21124503/episode/lizzie-borden-and-her-axe-30208049/ MOVIES & TV Lizzie (2018) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5160938/ Lizzie Borden Took an Axe (2014) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3118958/ BOOKS Maplecroft by Cherie Priest - https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/20821288

Storical is back with an all new episode about the messy life of Mary Queen of Scots. There is murder, treason, Medicis, and Tudors… you won’t want to miss it! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify, Pocket Casts, or Stitcher so you never miss an episode with all of my sporadic absences. Fiction Mary Queen of Scots and the Isles by Margaret George - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16033.Mary_Queen_of_Scotland_and_The_Isles The Wild Queen by Carolyn Meyer - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6431797-the-wild-queen Nonfiction Mary Queen of Scots by Antonia Fraser - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10079.Mary_Queen_of_Scots Movies & TV Mary Queen of Scots (2018) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2328900/ Mary of Scotland (1936) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0027948/ The Execution of Mary Queen of Scots (1895) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0132134 Reign (2013-2017) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2710394 Podcasts Queens Podcast - Mary Queen of Scots - https://shows.acast.com/queenshistorypodcast/episodes/605a372ed90cd2354f494b17 Thistle Do Nicely - Mary Queen of Scots - https://www.thistledonicelypod.com/ BBC In Our Time - Mary Queen of Scots - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b088fs7z Stuff You Missed in History Class - Rival Queens: Mary Stuart and Elizabeth I - https://www.scribd.com/podcast/418357825/SYMHC-Classics-Rival-Queens-Mary-Stuart-and-Elizabeth-I

Storical is back for an all new season starting with a special episode for Black History Month. This week, we’re talking about Edmonia Lewis, the first American artist of color to achieve international fame. Listen to the episode to learn about this titan of the art world who was almost lost to history, and about the century-long mystery of the disappearance of her most famous work. New episodes on Mondays. You can listen on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, or Stitcher. Follow on Instagram or Facebook @storicalpodcast

The festivities that grew into modern day Christmas have spanned millennia. But most of the traditions we recognize today began under the reign of Queen Victoria. Take a listen for the history of Christmas cards, kissing balls, Christmas trees, and presents. Check out the links below for some creepy Victorian cards. Happy holidays! See you in 2021! More Info Queen Victoria’s Christmas Tree - https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ab/Victoria_and_Albert_Christmas_tree.jpg Creepy Victorian Christmas Cards - https://www.boredpanda.com/creepy-victorian-vintage-christmas-cards The First Christmas Card - https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/history-christmas-card-180957487/ Storical Holiday Reading - https://www.immortalperfumes.com/sweet-tea-apothecary/2020/11/21/8-historical-holiday-books-to-read-this-winter Charles Dickens Storical Series - https://www.immortalperfumes.com/storical?tag=charles%20dickens

Pssst…it turns out Christmas is a super pagan holiday. On today’s episode we’re doing a brief overview of the origins of Christmas and how Charles Dickens brought the holiday back after Oliver Cromwell had Christmas canceled. For all those who think there’s a war on Christmas…just be glad Oliver Cromwell’s not still around. Happy Solstice, Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas! I’ll talk to you in the New Year. This is a rebroadcast from the sunnier days of 2019.

It’s Native American Heritage Day! For today’s episode, I’ll be shining a light on an important Native woman in Nevada history: Sarah Winnemucca. She was the first Native woman to write an autobiography and traveled around the US on a lecture tour educating and protesting the plight of her people. Take a listen and get inspired, then research the tribes indigenous to your area. There is fascinating history all around us. New episodes on Mondays. You can listen on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Audible, or Stitcher. Follow on Instagram or Facebook @storicalpodcast Recommended Reading Life Among the Paiutes by Sarah Winnemucca Paiute Princess: The Story of Sarah Winnemucca by Deborah Kogan Ray

Edgar Allan Poe had a mind for the macabre. But as it turns out, some of his most famous works were based on true tales of horror. Listen to the episode for the origin stories of 5 of Poe’s spookiest works. New episodes on Mondays. You can listen on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Audible, or Stitcher. Follow on Instagram or Facebook @storicalpodcast Read Edgar Allan Poe’s Stories on Project Gutenberg The Cholera Masquerade Houdini Episodes of Storical Elizabeth Bathory on Storical

Edgar Allan Poe died in 1849, but there are still places standing that housed the author. This week, we’re traveling from Richmond to Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, and Boston for a look at some of the most interesting places to visit on your very own Poe Pilgrimage. Sites Mentioned Richmond The Poe Museum - https://www.poemuseum.org/ The Raven Room - https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-raven-room-charlottesville-virginia Baltimore The Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum (Virtual tours available) - https://www.poeinbaltimore.org/museum/ Edgar Allan Poe’s Grave - https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/edgar-allan-poe-s-grave Philadelphia The Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site - https://www.nps.gov/edal/index.htm Grip the Raven at Free Library of Philadelphia - https://libwww.freelibrary.org/blog/post/3554 New York Edgar Allan Poe Street - https://viewing.nyc/vintage-photograph-from-1879-shows-the-uws-house-where-edgar-allan-poe-wrote-the-raven/ Edgar Allan Poe Cottage - http://bronxhistoricalsociety.org/poe-cottage/history-of-the-cottage/ Boston Edgar Allan Poe Square - https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/edgar-allan-poe-square

Edgar Allan Poe died as he lived…mysteriously. It’s been more than 200 years and we still don’t know what killed Poe but there are theories. Today, we’re taking a look at the leading theories as to what killed the macabre author as well as the mysterious story of the Poe Toaster. New episodes on Mondays. You can listen on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, or Stitcher. Follow on Instagram or Facebook @storicalpodcast

Edgar Allan Poe’s masterpiece, The Raven, was inspired not by any ordinary raven, not by a harbinger of doom, it was a talking pet raven named Grip owned by none other than Charles Dickens. Tune in for the story of Grip…then go visit the real Grip who is still on display at the Free Library of Philadelphia! https://libwww.freelibrary.org/blog/post/3554 http://www.openculture.com/2016/10/charles-dickens-edgar-allan-poe-met.html Talking raven! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POiLhy3nfWQ Storical’s Charles Dickens Series: https://www.immortalperfumes.com/storical?tag=charles+dickens New episodes on Mondays. You can listen on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, or Stitcher. Follow on Instagram or Facebook @storicalpodcast

October is spOoOoky month and OF COURSE Edgar Allan Poe died in October. This month on Storical, tune in every week for a new episode on the life and writings of Poe. Today, we’re going over his full life story. Check back for episodes on Grip the raven, the mysterious death of Poe, and some of the inspirations for his tales of terror. Nonfiction Edgar Allan Poe in New York: The Bowery Boys – https://www.boweryboyshistory.com/2017/10/edgar-allan-poe-new-york-places-master-gloom-horror-made-mark.html Edgar Allan Poe Master of Horror: BBC World Service – https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3cswpsj Haunted Charleston – Edgar Allan Poe’s Secret Love by Fabled Collective – https://www.fabledcollective.com/listen/edgar-allan-poes-secret-love Fiction The Hours of Life – https://www.theatre22.org/the-hours-of-life/ Nevermore – http://nevermoreshow.com/ The Raven’s Bride by Lenore Hart - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8713454-the-raven-s-bride Movies The Raven (2012) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1486192/ More Halloween Episodes from Storical Harry Houdini Episodes – https://www.immortalperfumes.com/storical?tag=harry+houdini Elizabeth Bathory - https://www.immortalperfumes.com/storical/2019/10/31/halloween-special-the-blood-countess-elizabeth-bathory

Marie Laveau was THE Voodoo Queen in a city overrun with purported doctors and queens. Today we’re separating fact from fiction about both Marie and voodoo. Was she a witch or a saint? When you actually get into the nitty gritty of her life and dig deeper than the many exaggerated stories about both the woman and voodoo itself, what you find is actually not spooky at all – it’s a story of mercy, generosity, and serious hustle. Storical will be a little less frequent for the next few months as I’m undergoing some health treatments. Subscribe in whatever app you use to get all the latest episodes or follow @StoricalPodcast on Instagram. Join Potions and Paperbacks for virtual book club and articles on history, literature and perfume: https://www.facebook.com/groups/247203939797050/ Non-fiction The Magic of Marie Laveau: Embracing the Spiritual Legacy of The Voodoo Queen of New Orleans by Denise Alvarado - https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/44442902 Hoodoo in America by Zora Neale Hurston - https://books.google.com/books/about/Hoodoo_in_America.html?id=EacSHAAACAAJ Haitian Revolution Part 1 by Footnoting History - https://www.footnotinghistory.com/home/haitian-revolution-part-i-1791-1793 Marie Laveau by Queens Podcast - https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/katy-2/queens-podcst/e/65213837 Marie Laveau by Deviant Women Podcast - https://deviantwomenpodcast.com/2020/02/27/marie-laveau/ Fiction Voodoo Dreams by Jewell Parker Rhodes - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/336622.Voodoo_Dreams Marie Laveau by Francine Prose - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51792.Marie_Laveau Film Laveau (Still in Development) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5570862/ Dinner with the Alchemist (2016) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3923750 American Horror Story: Coven (2013) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3743358 Check out my perfume inspired by Marie Laveau, Voodoo Queen: https://www.immortalperfumes.com/imported-products/voodoo-queen-a-perfume-inspired-by-marie-laveau

When Percy Bysshe Shelley was cremated, Lord Byron and the others present noticed something odd… his heart wouldn’t burn. This week, we’re diving into the strange story of Mary Shelley and the calcified heart of her husband. Storical will be a little less frequent for the next few months as I’m undergoing some health treatments. Subscribe in whatever app you use to get all the latest episodes or follow @StoricalPodcast on Instagram. Join Potions and Paperbacks for virtual book club and articles on history, literature and perfume: https://www.facebook.com/groups/247203939797050/ For more backstory on Mary Shelley, listen to the episode, The Strange, Tragic Life of Mary Shelley, or read the Behind the Perfume article, Mary Shelley’s Unhallowed Art. Check out my Mary Shelley tribute perfume Unhallowed Art here.

Artemisia Gentileschi was a Baroque painter whose story has long been dominated by that of her father…and her rapist. But Artemisia lived a long, full, and successful life. She was the only woman who followed in the tradition of Carvaggio and was the court painter for the Medicis. Listen for her fascinating story of survival and transcendence. Storical will be a little less frequent for the next few months as I’m undergoing some health treatments. Subscribe in whatever app you use to get all the latest episodes or follow @StoricalPodcast on Instagram. Join Potions and Paperbacks for virtual book club and articles on history, literature and perfume: https://www.facebook.com/groups/247203939797050/

This week, we’re revisiting the colorful, iconic, Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Her life was marked by pain and suffering of both the body and the heart. Listen to learn about the life and loves of Frida. Storical will be a little less frequent for the next few months as I’m undergoing some health treatments. Subscribe in whatever app you use to get all the latest episodes or follow @StoricalPodcast on Instagram. Join Potions and Paperbacks for virtual book club and articles on history, literature and perfume: https://www.facebook.com/groups/247203939797050/ Non-fiction Frida Kahlo: An Illustrated Life by Maria Hesse (there is an English translation as well) - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33098885-frida-kahlo Frida: The Story of Her Life by Vanna Vinci - https://prestelpublishing.randomhouse.de/book/Frida-Kahlo-The-story-of-her-life/Vanna-Vinci/Prestel-com/e526857.rhd The Diary of Frida Kahlo: An Intimate Self Portrait with Carlos Fuentes and Sarah M. Lowe - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/91760.The_Diary_of_Frida_Kahlo Pocket Frida Kahlo Wisdom compiled by Hardie Grant - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38740998-pocket-frida-kahlo-wisdom Podcasts BBC In Our Time, Frida Kahlo - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06125zc Frida Kahlo: Her Surreal RealityFrida's Perfume CollectionFrida Kahlo's Menagerie Frida's Frenemy Fiction The Secret Book of Frida Kahlo by F.G. Haghenbeck - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13544788-the-secret-book-of-frida-kahlo Film Frida (2002) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120679/ Bonus! Was Frida Kahlo’s Voice Captured on a Tape? By Nancy Coleman https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/20/arts/frida-kahlo-voice-questions.html