HTDS is a bi-weekly podcast, delivering a legit, seriously researched, hard-hitting survey of American history through entertaining stories. To keep up with His...
171: Christmas Special VIII: Festivities in the Jazz Age
“There is a million dollars here for the asking!”
This is the story of Christmas in the 1920s.
Yeah, the whole decade—why not? One hundred years ago, people were just beginning (or reviving) traditions that are entrenched in our holiday celebrations today. Charitable giving at Christmas is ever present, and the winter of 1920 features the Great Humanitarian Herbert Hoover’s efforts to feed children in Europe with his “Invisible Guest” dinners. Another president, “Silent Cal” Coolidge, holds the first National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in 1923, cementing electric tree lights into our celebrations. And carols on the radio are coming into full swing, with live broadcasts from musicians like the Mount Holyoke Carol Choir.
And who can forget America’s proud tradition of consumerism? Ok, that didn’t start in the 1920s, but this is definitely the decade for some really swell presents. The Great War is over, wages are high, and it’s time to buy! Santa Claus himself appears at a 1928 Knoxville parade through the streets and stores, delighting children and business owners alike. After the Crash, Christmases get a bit more economical, so let’s celebrate while we still can. Merry Christmas and happy holidays!
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34:10
170: The Crash of 1929 & Meeting President Herbert Hoover
“A wise man never sells out at the first sign of trouble. That’s for the pikers.”
This is the story of the 1929 Wall Street Crash.
On October 24, or “Black Thursday,” stock prices plunge unexpectedly. Early the next week, whatever was left of the bottom falls out on “Black Tuesday.” The New York Stock Exchange has crashed. The Roaring 20s are over.
But what exactly is a stock market? How does the American financial system work in the 1920s? And how did the Crash of 1929 happen? From the origins of the NYSE to the development of the Federal Reserve System, we’ll unravel it all before it all unravels as we also meet the man that 1920s Americans overwhelmingly want to lead the nation. He’s a man known for his gifted abilities when handling a crisis. They call him the “Great Humanitarian.” Welcome to the White House, President Herbert Hoover.
Check out this Spotify playlist if you’re looking for other HTDS episodes on economic panics, which are episodes 19, 27, 29, 30, 91, 97, 98, and 127.
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Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and
go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations
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get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette
come see a live show
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or become an HTDS premium member for bonus episodes and other perks.
HTDS is part of the Airwave Media Network.
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1:06:14
169: An Epilogue to the 1920s: Youth culture, The Great Gatsby, and more with Professor Sarah Churchwell
Our last few episodes have reveled in stories of the popularization of movies, music and sports during the Roaring 1920s. In this epilogue episode, Professor Jackson steps out of storytelling mode and into classroom mode (that doesn’t suck).
To help us better understand the lasting cultural impact of this period, he’s invited Dr. Sarah Churchwell who has written extensively about 1920s American culture, including her acclaimed book Careless People: Murder, Mayhem, and the Invention of the Great Gatsby.
The conversation with Professor Churchwell includes fascinating takeaways from the 1920s that continue to resonate in our contemporary lives. These include the rise of American youth culture and the desire by older adults to be youthful like the popularity of monkey gland injections as a predecessor to modern-day Botox injections. They talk more about the birth of Tinseltown AKA Hollywood, radio, music and enduring literature like F. Scott Fitzgerald's masterpiece, The Great Gatsby…if you read it in high school but have forgotten, or if you’ve never read it, we get right to the major themes of it and why it’s still relevant today.
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Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and
go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations
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come see a live show
get HTDS merch
or become an HTDS premium member for bonus episodes and other perks.
HTDS is part of the Airwave Media Network.
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44:09
Introducing: The Real History of Dracula from Airship and Wondery
In the recent Halloween episode #168 of History That Doesn’t Suck, we uncovered the undead story of the 1922 classic vampire film Nosferatu. While the movie isn’t a scene-for-scene lift from author Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel, Dracula, it’s close enough that Bram Stoker’s widow, Florence, sued the filmmakers for copyright infringement. In that episode we also explored Dracula. So today, we thought it’d be fun to introduce a new podcast that tells the whole story of the book that launched an entire genre.
What you’re about to hear is from the new Wondery Plus podcast, The Real History of Dracula hosted by Professor Jackson's friend Lindsay Graham. The series reveals how author Bram Stoker raided ancient folklore and exploited Victorian fears around sex, science and religion. And how even today, we remain in thrall to his strange creatures of the night.
You can listen to the rest of this episode, and then binge the entire The Real History of Dracula series exclusively and ad-free right now with Wondery Plus. Join Wondery plus in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify and start your free trial today.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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10:49
168: Halloween Special IV: Nosferatu and Silent Horror
“His Lordship from Transylvania would like to purchase a nice house in our small town . . . it will take a bit of effort . . . a bit of sweat and perhaps . . . a bit of blood . . .”
This is the story of the Great Death in Wisborg in 1838.
Nosferatu is a 1922 classic horror film, one of the first ever made. It sort of recalls Bram Stoker’s Dracula—enough to build a copyright lawsuit—but, fortunately for us, Nosferatu weathered the controversy via unlicensed copies and has survived into the twenty-first century. The film isn’t just Dracula revamped though, it contributed brand new techniques to the horror genre. The cinematography is also state-of-the-art for the 1920s, tastefully employing physical film tricks (à la Georges Méliès) and practical effects.
We’ll take you through the film so you can truly appreciate it, following Herr Thomas Hutter and his young wife Ellen as they meet Count Orlok and face the consequences. Without spoiling too much: it gets bloody.
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Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and
go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations
join discussions in our Facebook community
get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette
come see a live show
get HTDS merch
or become an HTDS premium member for bonus episodes and other perks.
HTDS is part of the Airwave Media Network.
Interested in advertising on the History That Doesn't Suck? Email us at [email protected]
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
HTDS is a bi-weekly podcast, delivering a legit, seriously researched, hard-hitting survey of American history through entertaining stories. To keep up with History That Doesn’t Suck news, check us out htdspodcast.com or follow on Facebook and Instagram: @Historythatdoesntsuck; on Twitter/X: @HTDSpod. Become a premium member to support our work, receive ad-free episodes and bonus episodes.
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