This 2018 episode covers the craze in the 1800s when orchids became a status symbol and the cornerstone of a high-dollar industry. Collecting the plants involved adventure and excitement -- and a high death rate.

This 2018 episode covers the craze in the 1800s when orchids became a status symbol and the cornerstone of a high-dollar industry. Collecting the plants involved adventure and excitement -- and a high death rate.

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: Victorian Orchidelirium

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/09ddd603-5967-407b-a25e-b21c003c09b2/transcript

This episode looks at the early days of Christmas trees, the origin of glass ornaments, and the practice of mounting lit candles on trees before electric bulbs were invented. 

Research:

·     “36 Perish as Party Guests Stampede to Flee Flames.” The Minneapolis Star. Dec 25, 1924. https://www.newspapers.com/image/178762039/ 

·     “Accident From a Christmas Tree.” The Morning Post. Jan 11, 1850. https://www.newspapers.com/image/402121758/?match=1&terms=%22christmas%20tree%22%20Victoria

·     Barnes, Allison. “The First Christmas Tree. History Today. December 12, 2006. https://www.historytoday.com/archive/history-matters/first-christmas-tree

·     Brittain, J. E.  "John R. Crouse and the Society for Electrical Development [Scanning the Past]." Proceedings of the IEEE, vol. 86, no. 12, pp. 2475-2477, Dec. 1998. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/735455

·     Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Woolworth Co.." Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Nov. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/money/Woolworth-Co

·     “A Christmas tree candle set fire … “ The Jersey City News. Jan. 9, 1892. https://www.newspapers.com/image/856106974/?match=1&terms=christmas%20tree%20candles%20fire

·     Coleridge, Samuel Taylor, and Ernest Hartley Coleridge, ed. “LETTERS OF
SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE.” London. William Heinemann. 1895. Accessed online: https://gutenberg.org/files/44553/44553-h/44553-h.htm

·     Flander, Judith. “Christmas: A Biography.” Thomas Dunne Books. 2017.

·     Foyle, Jonathan. “The Business of Baubles – and the Town That Invented Them.” Financial Times. Dec. 19, 2014. https://www.ft.com/content/ce33a468-812a-11e4-b956-00144feabdc0

·     “Glass Christmas Ornaments.” The German Way. https://www.german-way.com/history-and-culture/holidays-and-celebrations/christmas/glass-christmas-ornaments/

·     Loud, Nicholas. “The History of Christmas Decorations in America.” Saturday Evening Post. December 2020. https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2020/12/the-history-of-christmas-decorations-in-america/

·     Lorch, Mark. “The Forgotten Scientist Who Made Modern Christmas Ornaments Possible.” Fast Company. Dec. 21, 2021. https://www.fastcompany.com/90707875/the-forgotten-scientist-who-made-modern-christmas-ornaments-possible

·     Malanowski, Jamie. “Untangling the History of Christmas Lights.” Smithsonian. December 2016. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/untangling-history-christmas-lights-180961140/

·     “No Christmas Tree Fires Are Reported Here.” Alton Evening Telegraph. Dec. 28. 1921. https://www.newspapers.com/image/19919324/?match=1&terms=christmas%20tree%20candles%20fire

·     “A few years ago the caution …” Daily Plainsman. Dec. 12, 1929. https://www.newspapers.com/image/23432095/?match=1&terms=christmas%20tree%20candles%20fire

·     “Christmas Tree Candles – Fire.” The Courier-Journal of Louisville. Jan. 05, 1909. https://www.newspapers.com/image/119330231/?match=1&terms=christmas%20tree%20candles%20fire

·     “The Christmas Tree at Windsor Castle.” The Morning Post. Dec. 28, 1848. https://www.newspapers.com/image/402196932/?match=1&terms=%22christmas%20tree%22%20Victoria

·     “Feiker Takes Commerce Post.” New York Times. July 2, 1931. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1931/07/02/113339929.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0

·     “German Hospital, Dalston.” The Morning Post. Jan. 1, 1848. https://www.newspapers.com/image/402129709/?match=1&terms=%22christmas%20tree%22%20Victoria

·     Prior, Dr. M. Faye. “Trimming the Tree – Glass and metal Christmas tree decorations.” York Museum Trust. https://www.yorkmuseumstrust.org.uk/blog/trimming-the-tree-glass-and-metal-christmas-tree-decorations/

·     Roberts, Sam. “Si Spiegel, War Hero Who Modernized Christmas Trees, Dies at 99.” New York Times. Feb. 11, 2024.

·     Scinto, Madeleine. “Americans Are Spending A Whopping $6 Billion On Christmas Decorations This Year.” Business Insider. Dec. 7, 2011. https://www.businessinsider.com/americans-are-spending-a-record-6-billion-on-christmas-decorations-2011-12

·     Shapiro, Laurie Gwen. “He Bombed the Nazis, Outwitted the Soviets and Modernized Christmas.” New York Times. Dec. 17, 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/17/nyregion/bomber-pilot-christmas-trees.html

·     Tikkanen, Amy. "How Did the Tradition of Christmas Trees Start? ". Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Dec. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/story/how-did-the-tradition-of-christmas-trees-start

·     Waxman, Olivia B. “How Christmas Trees Became a Holiday Tradition.” TIME. Dec. 21, 2020. https://time.com/5736523/history-of-christmas-trees/

·     Waxman, Olivia B. “The Electricity Lobby Was Behind the First National Christmas Tree Lighting.” TIME. Dec. 1, 2016. https://time.com/4580764/national-christmas-tree-lighting-history-origins/

·     Waxman, Olivia B. “This Was the First Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree.” TIME. Nov. 30, 2016. https://time.com/4578685/first-rockefeller-center-christmas-tree-lighting/

 

 

This episode looks at the early days of Christmas trees, the origin of glass ornaments, and the practice of mounting lit candles on trees before electric bulbs were invented.&nbsp;
Research:
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &ldquo;36 Perish as Party Guests Stampede to Flee Flames.&rdquo; The Minneapolis Star. Dec 25, 1924. https://www.newspapers.com/image/178762039/&nbsp;
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &ldquo;Accident From a Christmas Tree.&rdquo; The Morning Post. Jan 11, 1850. https://www.newspapers.com/image/402121758/?match=1&amp;terms=%22christmas%20tree%22%20Victoria
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Barnes, Allison. &ldquo;The First Christmas Tree. History Today. December 12, 2006. https://www.historytoday.com/archive/history-matters/first-christmas-tree
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Brittain, J. E.&nbsp; "John R. Crouse and the Society for Electrical Development [Scanning the Past]." Proceedings of the IEEE, vol. 86, no. 12, pp. 2475-2477, Dec. 1998. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/735455
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia.&nbsp;"Woolworth Co.."&nbsp;Encyclopedia Britannica,&nbsp;30 Nov. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/money/Woolworth-Co
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &ldquo;A Christmas tree candle set fire &hellip; &ldquo; The Jersey City News. Jan. 9, 1892. https://www.newspapers.com/image/856106974/?match=1&amp;terms=christmas%20tree%20candles%20fire
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Coleridge, Samuel Taylor, and Ernest Hartley Coleridge, ed. &ldquo;LETTERS OF SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE.&rdquo; London. William Heinemann. 1895. Accessed online: https://gutenberg.org/files/44553/44553-h/44553-h.htm
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Flander, Judith. &ldquo;Christmas: A Biography.&rdquo; Thomas Dunne Books. 2017.
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Foyle, Jonathan. &ldquo;The Business of Baubles &ndash; and the Town That Invented Them.&rdquo; Financial Times. Dec. 19, 2014. https://www.ft.com/content/ce33a468-812a-11e4-b956-00144feabdc0
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &ldquo;Glass Christmas Ornaments.&rdquo; The German Way. https://www.german-way.com/history-and-culture/holidays-and-celebrations/christmas/glass-christmas-ornaments/
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Loud, Nicholas. &ldquo;The History of Christmas Decorations in America.&rdquo; Saturday Evening Post. December 2020. https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2020/12/the-history-of-christmas-decorations-in-america/
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Lorch, Mark. &ldquo;The Forgotten Scientist Who Made Modern Christmas Ornaments Possible.&rdquo; Fast Company. Dec. 21, 2021. https://www.fastcompany.com/90707875/the-forgotten-scientist-who-made-modern-christmas-ornaments-possible
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Malanowski, Jamie. &ldquo;Untangling the History of Christmas Lights.&rdquo; Smithsonian. December 2016. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/untangling-history-christmas-lights-180961140/
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &ldquo;No Christmas Tree Fires Are Reported Here.&rdquo; Alton Evening Telegraph. Dec. 28. 1921. https://www.newspapers.com/image/19919324/?match=1&amp;terms=christmas%20tree%20candles%20fire
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &ldquo;A few years ago the caution &hellip;&rdquo; Daily Plainsman. Dec. 12, 1929. https://www.newspapers.com/image/23432095/?match=1&amp;terms=christmas%20tree%20candles%20fire
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &ldquo;Christmas Tree Candles &ndash; Fire.&rdquo; The Courier-Journal of Louisville. Jan. 05, 1909. https://www.newspapers.com/image/119330231/?match=1&amp;terms=christmas%20tree%20candles%20fire
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &ldquo;The Christmas Tree at Windsor Castle.&rdquo; The Morning Post. Dec. 28, 1848. https://www.newspapers.com/image/402196932/?match=1&amp;terms=%22christmas%20tree%22%20Victoria
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &ldquo;Feiker Takes Commerce Post.&rdquo; New York Times. July 2, 1931. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1931/07/02/113339929.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&amp;ip=0
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &ldquo;German Hospital, Dalston.&rdquo; The Morning Post. Jan. 1, 1848. https://www.newspapers.com/image/402129709/?match=1&amp;terms=%22christmas%20tree%22%20Victoria
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Prior, Dr. M. Faye. &ldquo;Trimming&nbsp;the Tree &ndash; Glass and metal Christmas tree decorations.&rdquo; York Museum Trust. https://www.yorkmuseumstrust.org.uk/blog/trimming-the-tree-glass-and-metal-christmas-tree-decorations/
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Roberts, Sam. &ldquo;Si Spiegel, War Hero Who Modernized Christmas Trees, Dies at 99.&rdquo; New York Times. Feb. 11, 2024.
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Scinto, Madeleine. &ldquo;Americans Are Spending A Whopping $6 Billion On Christmas Decorations This Year.&rdquo; Business Insider. Dec. 7, 2011. https://www.businessinsider.com/americans-are-spending-a-record-6-billion-on-christmas-decorations-2011-12
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Shapiro, Laurie Gwen. &ldquo;He Bombed the Nazis, Outwitted the Soviets and Modernized Christmas.&rdquo; New York Times. Dec. 17, 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/17/nyregion/bomber-pilot-christmas-trees.html
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Tikkanen, Amy. "How Did the Tradition of Christmas Trees Start? ".&nbsp;Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Dec. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/story/how-did-the-tradition-of-christmas-trees-start
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Waxman, Olivia B. &ldquo;How Christmas Trees Became a Holiday Tradition.&rdquo; TIME. Dec. 21, 2020. https://time.com/5736523/history-of-christmas-trees/
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Waxman, Olivia B. &ldquo;The Electricity Lobby Was Behind the First National Christmas Tree Lighting.&rdquo; TIME. Dec. 1, 2016. https://time.com/4580764/national-christmas-tree-lighting-history-origins/
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Waxman, Olivia B. &ldquo;This Was the First Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree.&rdquo; TIME. Nov. 30, 2016. https://time.com/4578685/first-rockefeller-center-christmas-tree-lighting/
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

This episode looks at the early days of Christmas trees, the origin of glass ornaments, and the practice of mounting lit candles on trees before electric bulbs were invented. 

Christmas Décor

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/77fc6a6d-797a-4775-a52e-b2480177de81/transcript

Nutmeg is native to the Banda Islands in Indonesia. Once Europeans discovered nutmeg, they had an enormous - often violent - impact on the islands it was growing on.

Research:
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "nutmeg". Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 Oct. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/nutmeg. Accessed 22 November 2024.
Esarey, Logan. “The Literary Spirit Among the Early Ohio Valley Settlers.” The Mississippi Valley Historical Review, vol. 5, no. 2, 1918, pp. 143–57. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/1886120. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
Ghosh, Amitav. “The Nutmeg’s Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis.” University of Chicago Press. 2021.
Godinez, Andrea. “3,500-year-old pumpkin spice? Archaeologists find the earliest use of nutmeg as a food.” University of Washington. Via EurekAlert. 10/3/2018. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/578241
Haliburton, Thomas Chandler. “The Clockmaker; or the Sayings and Doings of Sam Slick, of Slickville, to which is added, The Bubbles of Canada by the Same Author.” Paris, 1839.  https://books.google.com/books?id=jtssAAAAYAAJ
Hill, Daniel Harvey. “Elements of Algebra.” J.B. Lippincott & Co. Philadelphia. 1857. https://books.google.com/books?id=5JoKAAAAYAAJ
Intermediate Technology Development Group. “Processing of Nutmeg and Mace.” https://archive.org/details/production_nutmeg_mace/
Keyser, Hannah. “Why is Connecticut Called the “Nutmeg State”?.” Mental Floss. 9/26/2023. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/55245/why-connecticut-called-nutmeg-state
Lohman, Sarah. “Why Early America Was Obsessed With Wooden Nutmegs.” Mental Floss. 4/24/2017. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/94734/why-early-america-was-obsessed-wooden-nutmegs
Rampe, Amelia. “Everything You Need to Know About Nutmeg.” Food and Wine. 12/28/2022. https://www.foodandwine.com/nutmeg-what-it-is-and-how-to-use-it-7089902
Sasikumar*, B. “Nutmeg - Origin, diversity, distribution and history.” Journal of Spices and Aromatic Crops. Vol. 30, No. 2. 2021.
Spence, Charles. “Nutmeg and mace: The sweet and savoury spices.” International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science. Vol. 36, 2004.
The North American Review, vol. 15, no. 37, 1822, pp. 340–47. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25109151. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
Weil, Andrew T. “The use of nutmeg as a psychotropic agent.” United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime. https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/bulletin/bulletin_1966-01-01_4_page003.html
Winn, Philip. “Slavery and cultural creativity in the Banda Islands.” Journal of Southeast Asian Studies , October 2010, Vol. 41, No. 3. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/20778894

Nutmeg is native to the Banda Islands in Indonesia. Once Europeans discovered nutmeg, they had an enormous - often violent - impact on the islands it was growing on.
Research:
<ul>
<li>Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "nutmeg". Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 Oct. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/nutmeg. Accessed 22 November 2024.</li>
<li>Esarey, Logan. &ldquo;The Literary Spirit Among the Early Ohio Valley Settlers.&rdquo; The Mississippi Valley Historical Review, vol. 5, no. 2, 1918, pp. 143&ndash;57. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/1886120. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.</li>
<li>Ghosh, Amitav. &ldquo;The Nutmeg&rsquo;s Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis.&rdquo; University of Chicago Press. 2021.</li>
<li>Godinez, Andrea. &ldquo;3,500-year-old pumpkin spice? Archaeologists find the earliest use of nutmeg as a food.&rdquo; University of Washington. Via EurekAlert. 10/3/2018. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/578241</li>
<li>Haliburton, Thomas Chandler. &ldquo;The Clockmaker; or the Sayings and Doings of Sam Slick, of Slickville, to which is added, The Bubbles of Canada by the Same Author.&rdquo; Paris, 1839.&nbsp; https://books.google.com/books?id=jtssAAAAYAAJ</li>
<li>Hill, Daniel Harvey. &ldquo;Elements of Algebra.&rdquo; J.B. Lippincott &amp; Co. Philadelphia. 1857. https://books.google.com/books?id=5JoKAAAAYAAJ</li>
<li>Intermediate Technology Development Group. &ldquo;Processing of Nutmeg and Mace.&rdquo; https://archive.org/details/production_nutmeg_mace/</li>
<li>Keyser, Hannah. &ldquo;Why is Connecticut Called the &ldquo;Nutmeg State&rdquo;?.&rdquo; Mental Floss. 9/26/2023. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/55245/why-connecticut-called-nutmeg-state</li>
<li>Lohman, Sarah. &ldquo;Why Early America Was Obsessed With Wooden Nutmegs.&rdquo; Mental Floss. 4/24/2017. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/94734/why-early-america-was-obsessed-wooden-nutmegs</li>
<li>Rampe, Amelia. &ldquo;Everything You Need to Know About Nutmeg.&rdquo; Food and Wine. 12/28/2022. https://www.foodandwine.com/nutmeg-what-it-is-and-how-to-use-it-7089902</li>
<li>Sasikumar*, B. &ldquo;Nutmeg - Origin, diversity, distribution and history.&rdquo; Journal of Spices and Aromatic Crops. Vol. 30, No. 2. 2021.</li>
<li>Spence, Charles. &ldquo;Nutmeg and mace: The sweet and savoury spices.&rdquo; International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science. Vol. 36, 2004.</li>
<li>The North American Review, vol. 15, no. 37, 1822, pp. 340&ndash;47. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25109151. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.</li>
<li>Weil, Andrew T. &ldquo;The use of nutmeg as a psychotropic agent.&rdquo; United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime. https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/bulletin/bulletin_1966-01-01_4_page003.html</li>
<li>Winn, Philip. &ldquo;Slavery and cultural creativity in the Banda Islands.&rdquo; Journal of Southeast Asian Studies , October 2010, Vol. 41, No. 3. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/20778894</li>
</ul>

Nutmeg is native to the Banda Islands in Indonesia. Once Europeans discovered nutmeg, they had an enormous - often violent - impact on the islands it was growing on.

A History of Nutmeg

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/32a3d080-0e43-413b-98ee-b248012493ef/transcript

This 2020 episode covers the iconic figure of mysticism, Madame Blavatsky. She was the founder of the theosophical movement, and lived a life of adventure that's hard to believe.

This 2020 episode covers the iconic figure of mysticism, Madame Blavatsky. She was the founder of the theosophical movement, and lived a life of adventure that's hard to believe.

SYMHC Classics: Madame Blavatsky

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/97cbad58-6d44-4712-8c17-b2480042054b/transcript

SYMHC Classics: Victorian Orchidelirium

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