Things in Jars | A History and Museums Podcast
54 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 3 years ago -A podcast about oddities, curiosities, and all the weird and wonderful stuff that dwells in museum stores! Join curators Melissa and Poppy as they discover extraordinary artefacts from collections across the world, and answer your questions about life behind the scenes of the museum.
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Episodes
Episode 42: Life Updates, Changes, and Looking Ahead
July 08, 2021 17:00 - 34 minutes - 23.8 MBIn this week's episode, we bring you up to speed on how the last six months have been for us in the museum world, and Poppy has some exciting news to share! Support the show
Birthday Episode 4: Listeners' Choice!
June 24, 2021 15:00 - 27 minutes - 19 MBIn this week's episode, curators Melissa and Poppy are having a birthday party! Guests from the D&H Canal Museum in New York, the International Printing Museum in Carson, CA and the Kirklees Museum Service in West Yorkshire, UK join us to share some of their favourite items on the show. Support the show
Birthday Episode 3: Let's Talk About Myths, Baby!
June 14, 2021 15:00 - 1 hour - 55.8 MBIn this week's episode, curators Melissa and Poppy chat with the incomparable Liv Albert, host of the 'Let's Talk About Myths, Baby!' Greek Mythology podcast. Join us for a whole bunch of ca-razy tales from Greek mythology, an impassioned defence of Medusa, and a bespoke Mini Myth with an appropriate jars theme! Support the show
Birthday Episode 1: The C Word Podcast
June 03, 2021 15:00 - 1 hour - 52.8 MBIn this VERY SPECIAL BIRTHDAY EPISODE, curators Melissa and Poppy chat to object conservators Jenny and Kloe from 'The C Word Podcast'. Have they uncovered any secrets through working closely with museum artefacts? What's the most surprising thing about being a conservator? What would you do if a visitor threw up on an eighteenth century sofa? Jenny and Kloe spill all! Support the show
Episode 41: Birthday Celebrations, Tombs with Views, and the 'Hatched, Matched and Dispatched' Lovers of Whitby
May 27, 2021 15:00 - 38 minutes - 26.8 MBIn this week's episode, curators Melissa and Poppy celebrate birthdays through the ages. We reveal how Dorothy Wordsworth spent her 83rd birthday, explore early photographs of the mysterious 'Birthday Group' from the National Museum of Wales, and marvel over the story of two lovers from Whitby, who were born, wed and died on the same day. Also, stay tuned for the Item Spotlight that took a dramatic downward turn... (We had some issues with sound during this recording, and apologise for an...
Episode 40: Cobweb Pictures, Cuckoo Clocks, and the Road of Travelling Corpses
May 20, 2021 16:00 - 34 minutes - 23.7 MBIn this week's episode, curators Melissa and Poppy consider some curious coffins from museum collections. Tune in to hear about the corpse road of Grasmere, Charlotte Bronte's prized possession, and the unbelievable art of cobweb painting! Support the show
Episode 39: Poltergeists, Pigeon Vests, and the Discovery of Murder in David Attenborough's Garden
May 13, 2021 17:00 - 45 minutes - 31 MBIn this week's episode, curators Melissa and Poppy head below stairs for the inside scoop on servants' stories. We explore the highs and lows of domestic service through letters, uncover a murder most foul in the Cambridge University Library collection, and delight in the devious pranks played by a maid on her unsuspecting mistress... We also reveal plans for a super special guest episode in the works! Support the show
Episode 38: Fairy Castles, Two Bad Mice, and the Leech Inside a Walking Stick
April 29, 2021 16:00 - 34 minutes - 23.4 MBThis week, curators Melissa and Poppy make themselves at home in a delightful selection of dollhouses from museum collections. We take a tour of Colleen Moore's enchanting fairy castle, return to baby houses with Dorothy Wordsworth, and hear how Beatrix Potter fell in love with the help of a tiny home. Support the show
Episode 37: Frozen Messages, Mucky Fetishes, and Fifty Shades of Soot
April 22, 2021 15:00 - 45 minutes - 31.1 MBIn this episode, curators Melissa and Poppy rifle through people's private journals! Yay! Tune in for the joyful record of a literary family's holiday adventures, the, erm, *unusual* goings-on between a Victorian maid and her dirt-fetishising master, and the account that stayed frozen in time, shedding light on one of history's most enduring mysteries. Support the show
Episode 36: Shew-Stones, Vegetable Lambs, and the Mirror that Inspired a Fairytale
April 15, 2021 16:00 - 30 minutes - 21.2 MBIn this week's episode, curators Melissa and Poppy step through the looking glass and enter the world of museum mirrors. Listen in to find out about John Dee's magical 'shew-stone', and to learn what inspired the Brothers Grimm to come up with most famous fairytale question in the land... Support the show
Episode 35: Mog, Rumpelstilzchen, and the Many Cats of Greta Hall
April 08, 2021 15:00 - 35 minutes - 24.2 MBIn this week's episode, curators Melissa and Poppy are on the prowl for cat-themed collections! We explore the glorious Kattenkabinet Museum in Amsterdam, founded in honour of a much-loved pet, and marvel at Robert Southey's Cat-a-logue of kitties at Greta Hall. We also shed a small tear for Judith Kerr's Mog, who inspired the children's stories we know and love today. Support the show
Episode 34: Lion-Washing, Hunting the Gowk, and the Nit Combs of the Mary Rose
April 01, 2021 15:00 - 33 minutes - 22.8 MBIn this week's episode, curators Melissa and Poppy are on the hunt for the very best of April fools! We bring you tales of mischief and mayhem from seventeenth-century pranksters, explore the drowned villages of Armboth and Wythburn, and discover a mysterious lion-washing ceremony at the Tower of London... Support the show
Episode 33: Ghosts in Trees, Phantom Marys, and a Jar of Emotional Support Toenails
March 18, 2021 17:00 - 30 minutes - 21 MBThis week, we're lifting the lid on some haunted crypts to bring you stories of ghosts in museum collections! Tune in for the legend of King Dunmail and his ghostly army, find out if we would hang Franz Sedlacek's 'Ghosts in a Tree' in our living rooms, and to hear the woeful tale of how poor Mary's eternal slumber was rather rudely disturbed... As for this week's item spotlight, if your toes aren't curling, then your toenails will be... Thanks for listening! We post new episodes every Thu...
Episode 32: A Celebration of Mothers!
March 11, 2021 16:00 - 44 minutes - 30.6 MBIn this week's episode, curators Melissa and Poppy celebrate Mother's Day with a host of mama-centric museum objects. We'll be sharing the tale of the woman who started it all, and highlighting some unconventional mother figures along the way. This week's Item Spotlight is not one to miss! Join us on a tour of the Open Country of a Woman's Heart... Support the show
Episode 31: Butterfly Queens, Feathery Fiends, and the Strangest Woman in the World
March 04, 2021 17:00 - 43 minutes - 29.7 MBThis week we're celebrating International Women's Day by sharing the lives of some AMAZING women you may have never heard of... We explore the lives of: Emma Hutchinson, a self-taught butterfly expert; Mary Barker, the elusive Lady Whistledown of the Wordsworth Circle; Emily Williamson, the best gal a feathered friend could ask for; and Evatima Tardo – the woman who could literally feel no pain! And WOW did she put her body to the test... Thanks for listening! We post new episodes every Th...
Episode 30: Star Portraits, Moon Museums, and the Hidden Message in Lincoln's Watch
February 25, 2021 16:00 - 36 minutes - 25.4 MBIn this week's episode, curators Melissa and Poppy embark on an intergalactic mission for the coolest space-themed artefacts museums have to offer! We discover artworks rocketed into outer space, learn about the first ever British astronaut, Helen Sharman, and marvel at the astonishing amount of (literal) crap astronauts have left on the moon. And for this week's Item Spotlight, we're throwing it back to the American Civil War and a top secret message left inside President Lincoln's watch....
Episode 29: Family Misfortunes, Wedding Day Drama, and the Tale of Two Fathers, a Mother and a Lover
February 18, 2021 17:00 - 31 minutes - 21.5 MBThis week we are living for the DRAMA as we uncover juicy secrets, scandals and lies from museum archives! Tune in to find out about Wordsworth's lady love across the channel, the journal page someone DEFINITELY didn't want you to see, and the girl at the centre of the wildest love triangle you could ever imagine... Thanks for listening! We post new episodes every Thursday. Find us: Instagram @ThingsinJarsPodcast // Twitter @ThingsinJarsPod Merch: https://thingsinjars.threadless.com We're...
Episode 28: Vinegar Valentines, Letters of Lust, and a Corpse Going to a Ball
February 11, 2021 17:00 - 32 minutes - 22.1 MBWe're back! In this, our comeback episode, curators Melissa and Poppy rifle through museum stores for the very best of Valentines collections. We uncover the disturbing world of Brighton Museum's Vinegar Valentines, take a peek at some of Wordsworth Grasmere's spicier letters, and dredge up something HAIRY from York Castle Museum. And for this week's item spotlight, you'd better wrap up warm... Support the show
Episode 27: Our Podcast Journey So Far!
December 31, 2020 17:00 - 43 minutes - 29.6 MBIn this special New Year's Eve episode, we take a look back at the last six months of Things in Jars! We talk about how the podcast came to be, the highs and lows of our journey so far, and our favourite episodes to date. We also share a snippet of our VERY FIRST attempt at recording an episode (just so you can see how far we've come) AND a fun blooper reel – because who doesn't love bloopers??? Thanks for listening! We post new episodes every Thursday. Find us: Instagram @ThingsinJarsPodc...
Episode 26: Snowflake Bentley, a Teeny Tiny Christmas Carol, and the Aesthetically Challenged Ornament Museum
December 24, 2020 17:00 - 36 minutes - 24.8 MBChristmas has come around, and we're ushering in the most wonderful time of year with some seasonal stories from museum collections. In part two of our festive special, we marvel over the contents of Queen Mary's incredible doll's house, discover props from a Tim Burton Christmas classic, and visit the Aluminium Tree and Aesthetically Challenged Ornament Museum in North Carolina. Thanks for listening! We post new episodes every Thursday. Find us: Instagram @ThingsinJarsPodcast // Twitter ...
Episode 25: Cursed Cups, Krampus Cards, and Christmas at Dove Cottage
December 17, 2020 17:00 - 32 minutes - 22.1 MBChristmas has come around, and we're ushering in the most wonderful time of year with some seasonal stories from museum collections. In part one of our two-part festive special, we learn how the Wordsworths made merry in Dove Cottage over the years, and hear stories of Saint Nicholas's evil companion... the Krampus! Thanks for listening! We post new episodes every Thursday. Find us: Instagram @ThingsinJarsPodcast // Twitter @ThingsinJarsPod Merch: https://thingsinjars.threadless.com We'r...
Episode 24: Corset Dolls, Beetle Gowns, and the Mean Old Witch of Ruswarp
December 10, 2020 17:00 - 29 minutes - 20.3 MBIn this week's episode, curators Melissa and Poppy ransack museum wardrobes for weird and wonderful items of clothing! We'll be learning about an incredible costume made from naturally-shed beetle wings, the 'terrible' knitters of Dent, and how one resourceful mother turned an old corset into a child's plaything. Thanks for listening! We post new episodes every Thursday. Find us: Instagram @ThingsinJarsPodcast // Twitter @ThingsinJarsPod Merch: https://thingsinjars.threadless.com We're ...
Episode 23: How to Boss Your Heritage Job Interview
December 03, 2020 17:00 - 32 minutes - 22.7 MBOk – so you've got an interview at a museum/heritage site and you're wondering what to expect? Let us help you prepare! In this episode, curators Melissa and Poppy share tips and advice for how you can do your best in curatorial/heritage job interview. If you are an emerging/early career museum professional, then listen in... we've got you covered. And if you'd rather leave it all to chance, why not give this week's item spotlight a whirl – she can decide your fate for you... Thanks for ...
Episode 22: Hair Art, Puke Green Paintings, and the Wardrobe of the Peeing Statue
November 26, 2020 17:00 - 32 minutes - 22.2 MBEver looked at something and wondered: is there is a museum for that? If this week's theme has taught us anything, there probably is! Join us as we delve into the world of NICHE museums on a quest to find extremely specific collections. From a cave wall lined with the hair of 16,000 women, to the expansive wardrobe of a peeing statue in Brussels... there's a lot to discover so dive on in! Find us: Instagram @ThingsinJarsPodcast // Twitter @ThingsinJarsPod Merch: https://thingsinjars.thread...
Episode 22: Hair Art, Puke Green Paintings, and the Wardrobe of the Peeing Statue
November 26, 2020 17:00 - 32 minutes - 22.2 MBEver looked at something and wondered: is there is a museum for that? If this week's theme has taught us anything, there probably is! Join us as we delve into the world of NICHE museums on a quest to find extremely specific collections. From a cave wall lined with the hair of 16,000 women, to the expansive wardrobe of a peeing statue in Brussels... there's a lot to discover so dive on in! Find us: Instagram @ThingsinJarsPodcast // Twitter @ThingsinJarsPod Merch: https://thingsinjars.thread...
Episode 21: Clown Eggs, Magic Potatoes, and the Biscuit that was Sent through the Post
November 19, 2020 17:00 - 37 minutes - 25.6 MBIn this week's episode, curators Melissa and Poppy explore foods in museum collections. We share some of our favourite letters from the Wordsworth collection, which warn of the dire consequences of eating sausages too heartily, and marvel over a WW1 biscuit that survived a trip with the Royal Mail. We have new MERCH! Find it here! https://thingsinjars.threadless.com Find us: Instagram @ThingsinJarsPodcast // Twitter @ThingsinJarsPod We're also on Patreon! Sign up for bonus episodes, exclu...
Episode 20: Grasmere Gals, a Journal from the Trenches, and the Cave of Hidden Paintings
November 12, 2020 17:00 - 40 minutes - 27.6 MBTo mark Remembrance Day this week, curators Melissa and Poppy explore artefacts of war-time through the years. We talk about the lasting memorial to Grasmere resident Nellie Taylor, learn more about the National Museums' contributions to the war effort, and explore the journals written by Siegfried Sassoon whilst living in the trenches. Find us: Instagram @ThingsinJarsPodcast // Twitter @ThingsinJarsPod Merch: https://thingsinjars.threadless.com We're also on Patreon! Sign up for bonus ep...
Episode 19: Gunpowder, Treason, and Plot
November 05, 2020 17:00 - 36 minutes - 25.4 MBIt's Bonfire Night, and in this week's episode, curators Melissa and Poppy are going out with a bang! We'll be exploring the origins of this explosive holiday through items that tell the story of the Gunpowder Plot. Thanks for listening! Find us: Instagram @ThingsinJarsPodcast // Twitter @ThingsinJarsPod Merch: https://thingsinjars.threadless.com We're also on Patreon! Sign up for bonus episodes, exclusive item spotlights, behind the scenes chats and much more! Support the show
After Dark Episode 5: Salem Witch Museum
October 31, 2020 17:00 - 1 hour - 46.2 MB[TW: loud scream during intro music! Be careful listening through headphones!] Welcome to Things in Jars After Dark! In this bonus five-part series, museum curators Melissa and Poppy celebrate their love of all things spooky, scary and spine-chilling with the help of some very special guests… In this, our last (*sob*) After Dark episode, we chatted to Rachel Christ, Director of Education at the Salem Witch Museum about all things witchy. What were the Salem witch trials? How do we feel ab...
Episode 18: The Old Hall Dobby, Skellies and Neeps, and the Devilish Deeds of Stingy Jack
October 29, 2020 18:00 - 44 minutes - 30.6 MBHalloween is here! This week curators Melissa and Poppy take a tour of museum collections to find the best artefacts that celebrate the spooky season. We hear the ghostly tale of the Old Hall Dobby, appreciate some dancing skeletons, and discover the origins of the ultimate symbol of Halloween itself... the Jack-o-Lantern! And if you're already looking ahead to Christmas, we have a delightfully festive tale for this week's item spotlight... Thanks for listening! Find us: Instagram @Things...
After Dark Episode 4: The Haunted Hunts
October 24, 2020 16:00 - 55 minutes - 37.8 MB[TW: loud scream during intro music! Be careful listening through headphones!] Welcome to Things in Jars After Dark! In this bonus five-part series, museum curators Melissa and Poppy celebrate their love of all things spooky, scary and spine-chilling with the help of some very special guests… This week, we sat down with Lead Paranormal Investigator for the Haunted Hunts, Danny Moss. Based at Tatton Old Hall in Cheshire, the Haunted Hunts' collection boasts some of the UK's most terrifying ...
Episode 17: The Remarkable Actions and Adventures of the Two Female Pirates!
October 22, 2020 16:00 - 40 minutes - 28.1 MBThis week, curators Melissa and Poppy charter a course across the high seas of museum artefacts to hunt for weird treasures. We tell the sensational stories of Anne Bonny and Mary Read, two gals who made their names as some of the most notorious pirates to ever set sail. And for this week's item spotlight, we tell the story of a canine hero who helped save a snowed in town from a deadly outbreak of diphtheria in 1925. Thanks for listening! Find us: Instagram @ThingsinJarsPodcast // Twit...
After Dark Episode 3: Jamaica Inn
October 17, 2020 16:00 - 50 minutes - 34.8 MB[TW: loud scream during intro music! Be careful listening through headphones!] Welcome to Things in Jars After Dark! In this bonus five-part series, museum curators Melissa and Poppy celebrate their love of all things spooky, scary and spine-chilling with the help of some very special guests… This week, we're heading to the wilds of Bodmin Moor to visit Jamaica Inn: Cornwall's infamous smugglers inn that inspired Daphne Du Maurier to write one of her best known novels. We'll be talking to ...
Episode 16: We Do Believe in Fairies, We Do, We Do
October 15, 2020 16:00 - 34 minutes - 23.5 MBIn this episode, curators Melissa and Poppy explore fakes and forgeries in museum collections. We take a look at the life and suicide of a famous forger, and go hunting for fairies around Bradford in Yorkshire. Thanks for listening! Find us: Instagram @ThingsinJarsPodcast // Twitter @ThingsinJarsPod Merch: https://thingsinjars.threadless.com We're also on Patreon! Sign up for bonus episodes, exclusive item spotlights, behind the scenes chats and much more! Support the show
After Dark Episode 2: Bolling Hall
October 10, 2020 16:00 - 57 minutes - 39.2 MB[TW: loud scream during intro music! Be careful listening through headphones!] Welcome to Things in Jars After Dark! In this bonus five-part series, museum curators Melissa and Poppy celebrate their love of all things spooky, scary and spine-chilling with the help of some very special guests… This week, we're heading to Bolling Hall – supposedly one of the most haunted historic houses in England! We'll be talking to Assistant Curators Lauren and Kirsty about all of what it's like to work t...
Episode 15: The Lakeland Princess, Tudor Tragedies, and the Assassination of Empress Sisi
October 08, 2020 16:00 - 35 minutes - 24.7 MBThis week, curators Melissa and Poppy take a look at the lives of royals through the ages. We explore the legend of the secret Lakeland Princess, the shocking final moments of Empress Elisabeth of Austria, and the terrible disturbance of Catherine Parr’s final resting place. And for this week’s item spotlight, we learn about the wicked ways of witch-weighing – and where you can try it yourself! Find us: Instagram @ThingsinJarsPodcast // Twitter @ThingsinJarsPod Merch: https://thingsinjar...
After Dark Episode 1: Weird Norfolk
October 03, 2020 16:00 - 51 minutes - 35.2 MB[TW: loud scream during intro music! Be careful listening through headphones!] Welcome to Things in Jars After Dark! In this bonus five-part series, museum curators Melissa and Poppy celebrate their love of all things spooky, scary and spine-chilling with the help of some very special guests… We’re kicking things off with the wonderful ladies from the Weird Norfolk Podcast. Come with us to the English County of Norfolk – a place of forgotten folklore, magic and mystery – for an evening of ...
Episode 14: Devil's Berries, Mary's Murderous Machinations, and the Curious Case of Eliza Fenning
October 01, 2020 16:00 - 36 minutes - 24.8 MBIn this second instalment of our POISONOUS collections episode, curators Melissa and Poppy serve up yet more deadly tales from museum stores. We'll be sharing the gruesome fate of Mary Ann Cotton and her teapot of doom, and puzzling over the curious case of a murder most foul... Pour yourself a cup of arsenic tea and settle in! Thanks for listening! We post new episodes every Thursday. Find us: Instagram @ThingsinJarsPodcast // Twitter @ThingsinJarsPod Merch: https://thingsinjars.threadl...
Episode 13: Arsenic Tea, Dresses of Doom, and the Secret World of Killer Collections
September 24, 2020 16:00 - 27 minutes - 19.3 MBIn this first instalment of a two-part episode about POISONOUS collections, curators Melissa and Poppy have an existential crisis about killer substances in museum stores. Deadly wallpapers, dresses that kill, and the teapot that murdered upwards of 21 people - this episode has it all! It's not all doom and gloom, however. Pack your bucket and spade, because for this week's Item Spotlight, we're going mermaid-spotting in the beautiful Cornish town of Zennor. Thanks for listening! We post ...
Episode 12: Ask a Curator Day 2020
September 16, 2020 11:00 - 36 minutes - 25.4 MBIt's international Ask a Curator Day 2020! To celebrate, we asked for your questions all about being a museum curator, and in this week's episode we will answer! Tune in to find out if we have ever worked with dangerous objects, what we would change about the sector, and to hear about some museum objects with ridiculous backstories! And for this week's item spotlight, Poppy tells the sweet and sorrowful tale of Florence Nightingale's faithful friend Athena. Thanks for listening! We post ...
Episode 11: Aeolian Harps, Hartley's Violin, and the Curse of the Dancing Spiders
September 10, 2020 16:00 - 33 minutes - 23.3 MBMove aside, Spiderman! This week, we'll be exploring the fascinating history of Tarantism – a peculiar phenomena involving spider bites & dancing plagues! We'll also be discussing the tragic story of Wallace Hartley's violin, which brought calm and comfort to so many during the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. Thanks for listening! We post new episodes every Thursday. Find us: Instagram @ThingsinJarsPodcast // Twitter @ThingsinJarsPod Merch: https://thingsinjars.threadless.com We're also ...
Episode 10: Moving Castles, Lonely Mountains, and a Jar of Roald Dahl's Spine Shavings
September 03, 2020 16:00 - 32 minutes - 22.4 MBIn this episode, curators Melissa and Poppy take you on a trip down memory lane as they explore artefacts with connections to children's literature. Join us on a whirlwind adventure through the realms of fantasy! There’ll be magical castles, Lonely Mountains, dragons, hobbits, and... Roald Dahl’s hip bone?! And if you're planning a great escape, you might want to listen in for this week's Item Spotlight, which comes from the INTERNATIONAL SPY MUSEUM. Need we say more? Thanks for listening!...
Episode 9: How to Apply for Heritage Jobs
August 27, 2020 16:00 - 29 minutes - 20.6 MBIt is a truth universally acknowledged that job applications are the WORST – but we're here to make it a little more bearable! In this episode, curators Melissa and Poppy share their top tips for how to make your curatorial/heritage job application stand out from the crowd. If you are an emerging/early career museum professional, then listen in... we've got you covered. And if once upon a midnight dreary, while you've pondered, weak and weary, Over many a job application of bore – If you...
Episode 8: The Greatest ShowWomen!
August 20, 2020 16:00 - 37 minutes - 25.6 MBPack your bags, because we're running away with the circus in this week's episode! Join curators Melissa and Poppy on a whirlwind adventure beneath the Big Top, as we discover the incredible talents of Charlotte Shive and Katie Sandwina - two of the Barnum and Bailey Circus's star performers - through the artefacts they left behind. There'll be glitz! There'll be glamour! There'll be danger! What more could you want?! And if you happen to die of excitement (it's an occupational hazard), ou...
Episode 8: The Greatest ShowWomen!
August 20, 2020 16:00 - 37 minutes - 25.6 MBPack your bags, because we're running away with the circus in this week's episode! Join curators Melissa and Poppy on a whirlwind adventure beneath the Big Top, as we discover the incredible talents of Charlotte Shive and Katie Sandwina - two of the Barnum and Bailey Circus's star performers - through the artefacts they left behind. There'll be glitz! There'll be glamour! There'll be danger! What more could you want?! And if you happen to die of excitement (it's an occupational hazard), ou...
Episode 7: Forks, Forgery, and the Girl who Survived the Gallows
August 13, 2020 16:00 - 33 minutes - 23.4 MBIn this episode, curators Melissa and Poppy explore museum artefacts with links to crime. Tune in to discover the remarkable story of Anne Greene, a seventeenth-century scullery maid who miraculously survived her own execution, and to find out how three friends in Alcatraz pulled off one of the most ambitious prison breaks of all time! This week's Item Spotlight is also not one to miss! We'll be taking a look at the Unknown Woman of the Seine: the mystery woman with a face we'll all recogni...
Episode 6: Gambling Ghosts, Vampire Oaths, and the Killer Pike of Windermere Lake
August 06, 2020 16:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MBIn this episode, curators Melissa and Poppy go on the hunt for monsters in museum collections! We'll tell you tales of two creatures born from one fateful night's ghost story contest, fantastic beasts from fathoms below, and a ghost ship gambler with a penchant for sailors' souls. Grab your torches, pitchforks, stakes, silver bullets and whatever else you can find... you just might need them! Oh, and if you want to know how to free a coven of witches from an ancient spell, stay tuned for th...
Episode 5: A Day in the Life of a Museum Curator
July 30, 2020 16:00 - 36 minutes - 25.4 MBIn this episode, curators Melissa and Poppy give you a glimpse into their world of curating museum collections. We'll be talking about what we actually do on an average day (sadly yes, emails are involved), sharing the most fun parts of our jobs, and answering some of your questions about how we came to be curators. As for this week's item spotlight, settle in for the chilling tale of a burglar's helping hand: a magical talisman that had the power to send an entire household into an enchante...
Episode 4: Bes Jars, Black Drop, and the Brain in the Beer Cooler
July 23, 2020 16:00 - 34 minutes - 23.4 MBIn this episode, curators Melissa and Poppy discuss some incredible medical artefacts from around the world. We'll be taking a look at some ACTUAL things in jars (most notably, the thorax of a famous assassin!), discussing the pleasures and pains of opium addiction in the 19th century, and sharing a letter from our own collection that describes a remarkable woman's experience with breast cancer in the 1800s. Thanks for listening! We post new episodes every Thursday at 7pm (UK Time). Find u...