The Bones and Bobbins Podcast

S02E05: The Ring of Senicianus (The Real ‘One Ring to Rule Them All’ that inspired Tolkein?) and the Prague Orloj: Meet a cursed Roman artifact that just might lead to Hobbits and an astronomical clock with a rumored penchant for murder. (This is why we can’t have nice historic things.) Show notes:  https://www.bonesandbobbins.com/2021/03/05/season-2-episode-05/

S02E04: Mourning attire and practices and black widow murderers: You know, when you think about it, it’s actually kind of unclear which one of these categories is more deadly. Show notes:  https://www.bonesandbobbins.com/2021/02/19/season-2-episode-04 / 

S02E03: Post-mortem photography and mourning jewelry: It’s not all sunshine and hair locks, my friends. Show notes:  https://www.bonesandbobbins.com/2021/02/05/season-2-episode-03/

S02E02: Anatomical Venuses, waxwork models, Gunther von Hagens’ innovations in full body plastination, and the marriage of art and science: Let’s take a moment, shall we, to drop in on a dissectable, completely inexplicably orgasmic wax woman or two? Or maybe you’d prefer a mid-kick soccer player who’s just casually stepped out of his skin? Good news! You can totally see both, because, turns out,...

S02E01: Magic candles, dueling flower encyclopedias, and the creepiest gifts of all time: No human skin lampshades or tooth-bejeweled underthings were waiting under the tree for these podcast hosts! We both received delightfully witchy, but still relatively normal gifts this holiday season. (But, there’s always next year!) Show notes:  https://www.bonesandbobbins.com/2021/01/08/season-2-episode-01...

S01E18: Victorian Christmas Candle Fires and Creepy Holiday Traditions: We don’t want to tell you how to live your lives, but maybe don’t mix candles with indoor evergreens. Or alcohol with...anything. Because, Victorian times, they were deeply flammable. Show notes:  https://www.bonesandbobbins.com/2020/12/18/season-1-episode-18/

S01E17: Spiritualists, Fraudulent Mediums, and the Cottingley Fairies: You can question the trustworthiness of spirit mediums all you want, but we still wouldn’t recommend fucking with the Fae. Ever. Show notes:  https://www.bonesandbobbins.com/2020/12/04/season-1-episode-17/

S01E16: Tarot History, Tarot Cards, and Pamela Colman Smith: Shuffle the deck and determine your fate! Unless, of course, you’re a woman called Pixie in the 1900s. If you are, then I’m very sorry. Your fate is probably to illustrate the most recognizable deck of tarot cards around, and then get exactly zero credit for it for the next century or so. Show notes:  https://www.bonesandbobbins.com/2020...

S01E15: Talking boards, spirit boards, Ouija boards: so many names, and so many ways to contact the beyond and/or open up a demon portal to hell. (Or, so says pop culture.) Believe what you want and do what you will--even make one for yourself, if you feel so inclined--but never EVER forget to say goodbye before you turn out the lights. Show notes:  https://www.bonesandbobbins.com/2020/11/06/seaso...

S01E14.5: Down to its name, the 1893 World’s Fair: The Columbian Exhibition was as problematic as it was dazzling. So, once again, we’d like to set some ground rules: 1. Actual human beings should never, ever be used as amusing exhibits, 2. the world extends farther than the US and Europe, 3. you really shouldn’t assassinate the mayor, and 4. if you think that labeling an exhibit with a slur is a...

S01E14: The life of serial killer H. H. Holmes (Herman Webster Mudgett) and the creation of His Murder Castle. (Part 1 in a 4-part Halloween series, including 2 main episodes and 2 episodes for our supporters on Patreon!) H. Holmes is a legendary serial killer with a bad habit of amassing extra wives, and a reputation for luring young women into his deadly hotel during the leadup to the 1893 World...

S01E13: Samhain and Halloween history, witchcraft crafts (corn dollies/corn mothers, witch bells, and candles), and creating your own witchcraft altar. As we descend into this year’s Spooky Season, we would just like to say that things maybe wouldn’t have been so messy with this Samhain/Halloween stuff if Constantine had properly hydrated. But, nobody asked us. So, instead, we’ll take you on a tri...

S01E12: The Victorian Language of Flowers (Floriography), Victorian Botanical Scrapbooks (Herbariums), and Seaweed Hunters. This week, we learned that you can, in fact, send death threats to your enemies by way of harmless-looking flower bouquets. (Who knew?! Well, apparently the Victorians.) Then we meandered through the colorful world of botanical scrapbooking, which, for upper class Victorian w...

S01E11: Wartime Crafting: Girl Guide Spies and Knitting in CodesYou've probably heard of the Girl Guides (and Girl Scouts), but did you know that they were properly badass in WWI and WWII? And, if knitting patterns have ever looked kind of like a secret code to you? Well, there might be a good reason for that! Show notes: https://www.bonesandbobbins.com/2020/09/11/season-1-episode-11/

Can we please all just agree not to open the tomb, drink the mystery liquid, or make glass bottles filled with nails and pins to explode in fires? 2020 doesn't need any excuses to get weirder or more terrifying, okay? You can find the show notes here:   https://www.bonesandbobbins.com

Join us today in the restricted area of the Curiosity Shop, where a squeaky old library cart holds grimoires aplenty!  Please note that the Curiosity Shop adheres to a strict no demon summoning policy to all browsers without proper credentials. The show notes will magically appear at https://www.bonesandbobbins .com on the day of release!

Did that automaton just move? And how long has that mannequin been standing behind me? Hello? Is anybody here?

In this episode, Haley and Natali discuss sexy potential death traps and boobs. So very many boobs.

In this episode, Haley and Natali cuss out Victorian colonizers while unwrapping the oddly endearing mysteries of mummification. As one does. Show notes on  https://www.bonesandbobbins.com

You know what situation both Haley and Natali will nope right on out of? Creepy dolls. Whether they’re ceramics inspired by a morbid cautionary tale or literal wax copies of Victorian children who passed too soon, there’s just something about these dolls--or any doll, really--that’s always just a tiny bit unsettling. So, come along with us in season 1, episode 5 of the Bones & Bobbins Podcast as w...

In season 1, episode 04 of the Bones & Bobbins podcast, Natali explores the somewhat sinister and extremely infuriating history of pockets in women's garments, then Haley swoops in with the Victorian chatelaine, which, honestly, might be even better than having actual pockets. Of course, our listeners will be relieved to know that enterprising women had no trouble finding ways to harbor weapons in...

Throughout history, death has always been the topic of SO MUCH art. But, in this episode, that art actually IS death itself. Settle in while Haley and Natali discuss the art and craft of death masks (complete with a tangent on rockstar naughty bits), and the never-ending endeavour of turning centuries of bones into architecture in the Paris Catacombs.

In this episode, Haley and Natali talk colors that can kill and explore the popularity and grim fate of the glamorous, literally luminous Radium Girls.

In this very first official episode of the Bones & Bobbins Podcast, Haley and Natali discuss Miyu Kojima and Frances Glessner Lee--two women, worlds and decades apart, who combined craft and death in their own amazing way. One would process death and create an act of public service for the living, the other would birth Forensic Science as we know it today.