Storical is becoming something new.

Same voice. Same obsession with the past. But from here on, every story runs through scent — because scent is the detail historians keep leaving out, and it changes everything.

The Scent Archive launches on National Fragrance Day, March 21st. Once a month, a deep dive into a historical figure, an event, an object — and the scent running through it like a hidden thread. From the hull of the Titanic to the French Resistance, from royal courts to poisoners who used perfume as a weapon.

The first episode is about a Hawaiian princess, the peacocks she adored, and why the most delicate flower in Hawaiian perfumery carries a bird's name.

I'll see you in the archive.

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