The man who invented the movie camera got on a train in France in 1890 and was never seen again. The wife of Louis Le Prince thought she knew who’d ordered her husband’s disappearance and presumed murder - Thomas Alva Edison.

Many people were simultaneously racing to develop moving pictures - so had Edison decided to bump off his closest rival so he could win? The story of who deserves the credit for the movies is a murky one - involving bitter betrayal, courtroom drama and soft-core porn.

The man who invented the movie camera got on a train in France in 1890 and was never seen again. The wife of Louis Le Prince thought she knew who&rsquo;d ordered her husband&rsquo;s disappearance and presumed murder - Thomas Alva Edison.
Many people were simultaneously racing to develop moving pictures - so had Edison decided to bump off his closest rival so he could win? The story of who deserves the credit for the movies is a murky one - involving bitter betrayal, courtroom drama and soft-core porn.

It’s the history of business. How did Hitler’s favorite car become synonymous with hippies? What got Thomas Edison tangled up with the electric chair? Did someone murder the guy who invented the movies? Former Planet Money hosts Jacob Goldstein and Robert Smith examine the surprising stories of businesses big and small and find out what you can learn from those who founded them.

It&rsquo;s the history of business. How did Hitler&rsquo;s favorite car become synonymous with hippies? What got Thomas Edison tangled up with the electric chair? Did someone murder the guy who invented the movies? Former Planet Money hosts Jacob Goldstein and Robert Smith examine the surprising stories of businesses big and small and find out what you can learn from those who founded them.

Business History

Edison and the Movie Murder Mystery  (The Edison Story Part 3)

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/677189e3-0689-40b8-98ed-b38a00dc4dca/transcript

Old-fashioned ways of preserving food made for salty, vinegary or chewy meals - but it was often a choice between that or starving. Soldiers, explorers and ordinary people alike faced malnutrition and food poisoning - but then came a French revolution... in a can! 

First invented in Napoleonic France, the humble can would feed armies; sustain bold exploration; and give poor people access to wholesome food all year round. We don't think about the tin can much today, but its history is filled with skullduggery, vast riches and deadly choking hazards.   

Old-fashioned ways of preserving food made for salty, vinegary or chewy meals - but it was often a choice between that or starving. Soldiers, explorers and ordinary people alike faced malnutrition and food poisoning - but then came a French revolution... in a can!&nbsp;
First invented in Napoleonic France, the humble can would feed armies; sustain bold exploration; and give poor people access to wholesome food all year round. We don't think about the tin can much today, but its history is filled with skullduggery, vast riches and deadly choking hazards.&nbsp; &nbsp;

War, Exploration and Beer: How the Tin Can Changed the World 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/bd778d79-7bd8-4aaa-863e-b3ee00be0f1e/transcript

Mom and Pops grocery stores were charming, but inefficient. They contributed to Americans either spending a lot on their food or having to go hungry. The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company changed the entire model. The A&P established a chain of stores selling branded goods at the lowest prices.  

The A&P kept its profit margins slim and allowed Americans to buy more food for less - but this wasn't celebrated as a success story. Politicians, radio stars and vested interests ganged together to hound The A&P. They demanded the grocery chain change its strategy, raise prices and even put its owners on trial on criminal charges. So why didn't America like cheap groceries?  

Mom and Pops grocery stores were charming, but inefficient. They contributed to Americans either spending a lot on their food or having to go hungry. The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company changed the entire model. The A&amp;P established a chain of stores selling branded goods at the lowest prices.&nbsp;&nbsp;
The A&amp;P kept its profit margins slim and allowed Americans to buy more food for less - but this wasn't celebrated as a success story. Politicians, radio stars and vested interests ganged together to hound The A&amp;P. They demanded the grocery chain change its strategy, raise prices and even put its owners on trial on criminal charges. So why didn't America like cheap groceries?&nbsp;&nbsp;

The War on The A&P: When America Decided Cheap Groceries Were "Evil"

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/4cb5cd6b-5cd9-44a4-b504-b3ec00da3641/transcript

For more historical deep dives just like these, check out HISTORY This Week wherever you get your podcasts!

February 14, 1905. A stick of dynamite detonates under the Hudson River — and the ground above swallows a locomotive whole. It's the latest setback in an audacious plan to tunnel beneath the river and bring trains into Manhattan. The Pennsylvania Railroad is the largest corporation in the world, but the goopy riverbed keeps fighting back. How did they finally break through? And why are these 115-year-old tunnels still the most critical infrastructure in America?

Special thanks to our guests: Polly Desjarlais, content and research manager at the New York Transit Museum; Jill Jonnes, author of Conquering Gotham: A Gilded Age Epic: The Construction of Penn Station and Its Tunnels; and Andy Sparberg, former LIRR manager, transit historian, and author of From a Nickel to a Token: The Journey from Board of Transportation to MTA.

For more historical deep&nbsp;dives just like these, check out <a href="http://historythisweekpodcast.com/">HISTORY This Week</a> wherever&nbsp;you get your podcasts!
February 14, 1905. A stick of dynamite detonates under the Hudson River &mdash; and the ground above swallows a locomotive whole. It's the latest setback in an audacious plan to tunnel beneath the river and bring trains into Manhattan. The Pennsylvania Railroad is the largest corporation in the world, but the goopy riverbed keeps fighting back. How did they finally break through? And why are these 115-year-old tunnels still the most critical infrastructure in America?
Special thanks to our guests: Polly Desjarlais, content and research manager at the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytransitmuseum.org/">New York Transit Museum</a>; Jill Jonnes, author of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Conquering-Gotham-Construction-Station-ItsTunnels/dp/0670031585">Conquering Gotham: A Gilded Age Epic: The Construction of Penn Station and Its Tunnels</a>; and Andy Sparberg, former LIRR manager, transit historian, and author of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Nickel-Token-Journey-Board-Transportation/dp/0823271803">From a Nickel to a Token: The Journey from Board of Transportation to MTA</a>.

 How To Dig a Train Tunnel Under the Hudson River (from HISTORY This Week)

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/b1a1efdb-44c9-4bd7-8564-b3f3002c4baa/transcript

Edison and the Movie Murder Mystery (The Edison Story Part 3)

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