This 2022 episode covers Theda Bara, often referenced as the first sex symbol. Photos of her are synonymous with the word vamp, and 100 years later, still have a certain mysterious appeal. But what was she really like?

This 2022 episode covers Theda Bara, often referenced as the first sex symbol. Photos of her are synonymous with the word vamp, and 100 years later, still have a certain mysterious appeal. But what was she really like?

Join Holly and Tracy as they bring you the greatest and strangest Stuff You Missed In History Class in this podcast by iHeartRadio.

Stuff You Missed in History Class

SYMHC Classics: Theda Bara

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/ae4427a0-4a6a-46af-bcf6-b2c100490a5c/transcript

Sara Weiss wrote a lengthy account of life and afterlife on Mars, a place she said she visited through psychic travels starting in 1892. 

Research:
Calanchi, A. (2024). “Renewed in health”: Meeting Giordano Bruno on planet Mars. Between, 14(27), 93-109. https://doi.org/10.13125/2039-6597/5444
Crossley, Robert. “Mars and the Paranormal.” Science Fiction Studies , Nov., 2008, Vol. 35, No. 3 (Nov., 2008). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/25475179
Daly, Liza. “Journeys to the Planet Mars (1903).” 2/23/2022. https://lizadaly.com/utopian-novels/journeys-to-the-planet-mars/
Daly, Liza. “Sara Ditto Weiss.” https://ayonmuya.org/21-biography.html
Dickey, Colin. “Sara Weiss’ Journeys to the Planet Mars (1903).” The Public Domain Review. 2/3/2026. https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/journeys-to-the-planet-mars/
“Funeral of Mrs. S. Weiss.” The St. Louis Republic (St. Louis, Mo.), March 25, 1904. Page 14.
Hennesy, Roger. “The Martian Century.” History Today. 7/7/1998. https://www.historytoday.com/archive/feature/martian-century
Hyslop, James H. “Journeys to the Planet Mars.” Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research. Vol. 7, Issue 5. 1913.
Lane, K. Maria D. “Mapping the Mars Canal Mania: Cartographic Projection and the Creation of a Popular Icon.” Imago Mundi, 2006, Vol. 58, No. 2 (2006). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40234145
Mason, Brian D. “The Navy’s Greatest Refractor Turns 150.” Astronomy. February 2023.
“Mrs. Sara Weiss Passes Away.” St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Page 1. 3/23/1904.
Myers, F.W.H. “The Subliminal Self.” Chapter VIII. Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research. Vol. 11. 1895. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Proceedings_of_the_Society_for_Psychical/iuZAAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0
Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command. “26-inch ‘Great Equatorial’ telescope.” https://www.cnmoc.usff.navy.mil/Our-Commands/United-States-Naval-Observatory/Our-Telescopes/The-26-inch-Great-Equatorial-telescope/
Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command. “Our Telescopes.” https://www.cnmoc.usff.navy.mil/Our-Commands/United-States-Naval-Observatory/Our-Telescopes/
“Romance, Philosophy, Morals.” St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Page 11. 1/15/1904.
“Spirit Bands In Mars.” Boston Evening Transcript. January 06, 1904. Page 16.
Louis Post-Dispatch. “A St. Louis Woman’s Journey to Mars.” Page 52. Dec 20, 1903.
Louis Post-Dispatch. “St. Louis Woman Draws Under Spirit Influence.” 6/2/1901.
The St Louis Republic. “What the Spirits Say of Mars.” Page 41. 4/9/1899.
The St. Louis Republic. (Saint Louis, MO) 12 Dec. 1903, p. 10. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/sn84020274/1903-12-12/ed-1/.
The St. Louis Republic. (Saint Louis, MO) 25 Mar. 1904, p. 10. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/sn84020274/1904-03-25/ed-1/.
“The ‘Weiss’ Books.” Reason. August 1910.
“WEISS.” Obituary. St. Louis Globe-Democrat. Page 7. 3/24/1904.
Weiss, Sara. “Journeys to the planet Mars, or, Our mission to Ento.” The Bradford Press. 1903.

Sara Weiss wrote a lengthy account of life and afterlife on Mars, a place she said she visited through psychic travels starting in 1892.&nbsp;
Research:
<ul>
<li>Calanchi, A. (2024). &ldquo;Renewed in health&rdquo;: Meeting Giordano Bruno on planet Mars. Between, 14(27), 93-109. https://doi.org/10.13125/2039-6597/5444</li>
<li>Crossley, Robert. &ldquo;Mars and the Paranormal.&rdquo; Science Fiction Studies , Nov., 2008, Vol. 35, No. 3 (Nov., 2008). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/25475179</li>
<li>Daly, Liza. &ldquo;Journeys to the Planet Mars (1903).&rdquo; 2/23/2022. https://lizadaly.com/utopian-novels/journeys-to-the-planet-mars/</li>
<li>Daly, Liza. &ldquo;Sara Ditto Weiss.&rdquo; https://ayonmuya.org/21-biography.html</li>
<li>Dickey, Colin. &ldquo;Sara Weiss&rsquo; Journeys to the Planet Mars (1903).&rdquo; The Public Domain Review. 2/3/2026. https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/journeys-to-the-planet-mars/</li>
<li>&ldquo;Funeral of Mrs. S. Weiss.&rdquo; The St. Louis Republic (St. Louis, Mo.), March 25, 1904. Page 14.</li>
<li>Hennesy, Roger. &ldquo;The Martian Century.&rdquo; History Today. 7/7/1998. https://www.historytoday.com/archive/feature/martian-century</li>
<li>Hyslop, James H. &ldquo;Journeys to the Planet Mars.&rdquo; Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research. Vol. 7, Issue 5. 1913.</li>
<li>Lane, K. Maria D. &ldquo;Mapping the Mars Canal Mania: Cartographic Projection and the Creation of a Popular Icon.&rdquo; Imago Mundi, 2006, Vol. 58, No. 2 (2006). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40234145</li>
<li>Mason, Brian D. &ldquo;The Navy&rsquo;s Greatest Refractor Turns 150.&rdquo; Astronomy. February 2023.</li>
<li>&ldquo;Mrs. Sara Weiss Passes Away.&rdquo; St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Page 1. 3/23/1904.</li>
<li>Myers, F.W.H. &ldquo;The Subliminal Self.&rdquo; Chapter VIII. Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research. Vol. 11. 1895. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Proceedings_of_the_Society_for_Psychical/iuZAAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&amp;gbpv=0</li>
<li>Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command. &ldquo;26-inch &lsquo;Great Equatorial&rsquo; telescope.&rdquo; https://www.cnmoc.usff.navy.mil/Our-Commands/United-States-Naval-Observatory/Our-Telescopes/The-26-inch-Great-Equatorial-telescope/</li>
<li>Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command. &ldquo;Our Telescopes.&rdquo; https://www.cnmoc.usff.navy.mil/Our-Commands/United-States-Naval-Observatory/Our-Telescopes/</li>
<li>&ldquo;Romance, Philosophy, Morals.&rdquo; St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Page 11. 1/15/1904.</li>
<li>&ldquo;Spirit Bands In Mars.&rdquo; Boston Evening Transcript. January 06, 1904. Page 16.</li>
<li>Louis Post-Dispatch. &ldquo;A St. Louis Woman&rsquo;s Journey to Mars.&rdquo; Page 52. Dec 20, 1903.</li>
<li>Louis Post-Dispatch. &ldquo;St. Louis Woman Draws Under Spirit Influence.&rdquo; 6/2/1901.</li>
<li>The St Louis Republic. &ldquo;What the Spirits Say of Mars.&rdquo; Page 41. 4/9/1899.</li>
<li>The St. Louis Republic. (Saint Louis, MO) 12 Dec. 1903, p. 10. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/sn84020274/1903-12-12/ed-1/.</li>
<li>The St. Louis Republic. (Saint Louis, MO) 25 Mar. 1904, p. 10. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/sn84020274/1904-03-25/ed-1/.</li>
<li>&ldquo;The &lsquo;Weiss&rsquo; Books.&rdquo; Reason. August 1910.</li>
<li>&ldquo;WEISS.&rdquo; Obituary. St. Louis Globe-Democrat. Page 7. 3/24/1904.</li>
<li>Weiss, Sara. &ldquo;Journeys to the planet Mars, or, Our mission to Ento.&rdquo; The Bradford Press. 1903.</li>
</ul>

Sara Weiss wrote a lengthy account of life and afterlife on Mars, a place she said she visited through psychic travels starting in 1892. 

Sara Weiss’s Journeys to the Planet Mars

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/6d64ca83-78f8-433f-8278-b4d70163bf2f/transcript

This 2021 episode covers Colchester, who claimed to be psychic and may have warned President Abraham Lincoln that he was going to be assassinated. 

This 2021 episode covers Colchester, who claimed to be psychic and may have warned President Abraham Lincoln that he was going to be assassinated.&nbsp;

SYMHC Classics: Charles Colchester

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/2373482e-1530-4462-b92c-b4d601856879/transcript

Tracy talks about how the beer riots may sound silly, but were underpinned by serious issues. Holly talks about the Elizabeth Fry’s daughters polishing their mother’s image when publishing her diaries.

Tracy talks about how the beer riots may sound silly, but were underpinned by serious issues. Holly talks about the Elizabeth Fry&rsquo;s daughters polishing their mother&rsquo;s image when publishing her diaries.

Behind the Scenes Minis: Lager, Ale, Emo Girl

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/afcbd043-54da-4436-95f2-b4d601789159/transcript

SYMHC Classics: Theda Bara

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