The Brinks robbery, an infamous 1950 heist in Boston’s North End, captivated the nation and baffled the FBI. It was the largest robbery in American history up to that time.
Episode 49: The Tong Wars and the Great Chinatown Raid
This week’s episode takes on the early history of Boston’s Chinatown, two murders that took place there at the turn of the twentieth century, and a terrifying crackdown on Chinese Americans in Boston that sparked an international incident and has parallels in today’s headlines.
Continue reading Episode 49: The Tong Wars and the Great Chinatown Raid
Roentgenology Blooper
Before radiology, we had Roentgenology. In our show about Walter Dodd, , we ponder how to say “Roentgen,” then imagine what it sounds like to speak German with a Scottish accent.
Warning: NSFW language.
Episode 48: The X-Ray Man
This episode examines the life of Walter Dodd, who started his career as a janitor at Harvard Medical School before becoming a pharmacist, physician, and the Father of American Radiology. Though as you will hear, his journey was not without great personal sacrifice.
Episode 47: This Week in Boston History
Your humble hosts are out of town and off the air this week. Never fear, Jake is here, and he has this week’s historical anniversaries for your enjoyment.
Episode 46: Aeronauts, Ascents, and the Early History of Ballooning in Boston
Early Boston aeronauts used balloons to perform scientific experiments, cross the English channel, take the first aerial photographs, and provide public entertainment. Whether by hot air or hydrogen, these pioneers made their way into the air, and into the history books.
Continue reading Episode 46: Aeronauts, Ascents, and the Early History of Ballooning in Boston
Medial S Blooper
If you’ve ever looked at texts from the 18th Century, you’ve encountered the medial s, that funny way of printing the letter s that looks like a lower case f. In our recent episode about solar eclipses, we decided to see what it would sound like to pronounce them as they appear.
Here’s the reading:
Episode 45: The Skin Book
The Skin Book was written by highwayman George Walton and dedicated to the only man to best him in combat. While he was a prisoner at Charlestown Penitentiary, Walton wrote a memoir. According to his wishes, after his death, the book was bound in Walton’s own skin and given to the man who defeated him. Today, this example of anthropodermic bibliopegy is a prized possession of the Boston Athenaeum.
Episode 44: Perambulating the Bounds
Since 1651, Boston has had a legal responsibility to mark and measure its boundaries every few years. Despite advances in technology, the practice of “perambulating the bounds” means that someone has to go out and walk the town lines. This law is one of the oldest still on the books, but when was the last time Boston perambulated its bounds? Listen now!
Blooper: Oxford Comma
This is why the “Oxford” or “Harvard” comma is important in a list of three or more items…
Otherwise, you end up with this: Continue reading Blooper: Oxford Comma