Throughout its reign, the British Empire stole a lot of stuff. Today those objects are housed in genteel institutions across the UK and the world. They usually ... More
Throughout its reign, the British Empire stole a lot of stuff. Today those objects are housed in genteel institutions across the UK and the world. They usually ... More
Available Episodes
5 of 13
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We’re working hard on bringing you more podcast episodes but in the meantime, we have a special announcement…
11/3/2022
2:00
Strange Fowle
It’s become a symbol for extinction; the dodo is a semi-mythical creature which most of us know only through Alice in Wonderland.
But one particular dodo was the victim of a crime – murder.
Its skull now sits in the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. And it holds the clues to a thrilling mystery which illustrates a little-known colonial legacy.
Season Two is co-produced with CBC Podcasts.
11/16/2021
34:54
Not Your Venus
Sarah 'Saartjie' Baartman was taken to the UK by a British doctor. But did she know what she was signing up for?
Stage-named 'The Hottentot Venus', Sarah was paraded around freak shows in London and Paris.
During her life and even after her death, she was objectified, mistreated and abused.
More than 200 years after her death, her life story reveals confronting truths about the treatment of black female bodies and how much has, and hasn’t, changed.
Season Two is co-produced with CBC Podcasts.
11/9/2021
35:07
Cup Runneth
In County Cork, Ireland, there’s a tree that locals call the Chalice Tree. Local lore says it’s where British Redcoats disrupted a secret Catholic mass, killed two priests and took a sacred chalice.
Now that chalice sits in London’s Victoria & Albert Museum.
But what happened in the intervening 200 years is now being pieced together by two Irish families: the O’Keeffes and the McAulliffe’s.
Season Two is co-produced with CBC Podcasts.
11/2/2021
38:52
Losing Your Marbles
They’ve seen wars, the bottom of the ocean and even - bizarrely - been part of a boxing match.
The story of how the Parthenon Marbles actually ended up in London’s British Museum is a wild tale featuring bribes, court cases and some extremely dodgy deals.
There’s been a centuries-long campaign to get them back to their homeland. Now, a team of Greek-Australians have decided that the time for diplomacy is over and a new tactic is required.
Season Two is co-produced with CBC Podcasts.
10/26/2021
36:46
About Stuff The British Stole
Throughout its reign, the British Empire stole a lot of stuff. Today those objects are housed in genteel institutions across the UK and the world. They usually come with polite plaques. This is a series about the not-so-polite history behind those objects. Season two is co-produced with CBC Podcasts.