The Morbid Museum

In 1906, New York found itself in the grips of one of the worst outbreaks of typhoid fever in its history. After an extensive investigation, the outbreak would ultimately be traced to an Irish cook by the name of Mary Mallon, an asymptomatic carrier and super spreader of of the germ Salmonella Typhi. Mary Mallon's case represents an ongoing ethical dilemma with no clear answer to the question: Are...

In this preview of a Patreon exclusive episode, Katie & Luke discuss the film that launched Mel Gibson as cinema historian, "Braveheart". Enter the world of late stage 90's mullets, anachronistic costumes, and a blatant disregard for the real story of William Wallace. They can take our lives, but they can never take our freedom to nitpick. THANKS TO OUR TO PATREON SUBSCRIBERS! We couldn't do t...

In celebration of America 250 and in anticipation of our next Patreon episode, we are releasing this gem from our Patreon Vault! Our historical accuracy film review series continues with a re-watching of the bloody blunderous commercial for the American Revolution that is The Patriot with Mel Gibson. The production aims small and misses no small amount of context in this sanitized re-telling of gu...

The Morbid Museum returns with a special America 250 episode! In 1776, forgotten revolutionary and Founding Father Thomas Paine blazed a trail of powerful rhetoric with "Common Sense", a pamphlet that galvanized the citizens of British America to break away from the King. Two Hundred and Fifty years later, despite his remains being scattered in a hair-brained grave robbing plot and his reputation...

On February 14th 1929, a gruesome murder scene was uncovered - 7 associates of the North Side Gang had been riddled with bullets while inside a garage. The crime horrified the people of Chicago, a city already beleaguered by years of gang wars that had begun in the wake of Prohibition. Considered an unsolved murder, the massacre will forever be remembered as the quintessential example of mob viole...

For 150 years, Hart Island has been the final resting place for New York City's unclaimed, forgotten, and unknown dead. We review the history of this potter's field discussing its recent turnover to the city Park's Department and new chapter of open access. THANKS TO OUR TO PATREON SUBSCRIBERS! We couldn't do this without you. Extra special thanks to the following patrons for their exceptional sup...

In part II of the series we will delve more deeply into the history of NOLA's death culture, funerary and burial practices by exploring it's cemeteries.

New Orleans is a beloved and complex city that has a reputation for being obsessed with joy and death in equal measure. Haunted by alleged ghosts and it's very real past, the morbid history of NOLA is endlessly fascinating. This series will focus on how it first gained it's reputation as "a city of the dead." The New Orleans Cemetery Database "How Yellow Fever Intensified Racial Inequality in 19th...

Note: As of the release of this episode, the Town Hall meeting has been released and is watchable at: https://youtu.be/Da0uML0BPy4?si=12pHRR1_abEaJ6EF In recent decades, museums and historical sites all over the world have been engaging in the incredibly important and difficult conversation of repatriation, especially when it comes to human remains. The ethical questions are numerous, and each cas...

In recent decades, museums and historical sites all over the world have been engaging in the incredibly important and difficult conversation of repatriation, especially when it comes to human remains. The ethical questions are numerous, and each case is complex and, at times, highly nuanced. How do you find provenance for remains that are over 150 years old? What is the appropriate resting place f...

In Philadelphia, a hulking ruin of one of America's largest prisons is now a historic site and famed attraction. Eastern State Penitentiary illustrates the changing cultural mores around crime and punishment, and the mass incarceration crisis today. Thank you, Patreon Subscribers! We couldn't do this without you. Extra special thanks to the following patrons for their exceptional support: Matthew...

For at least two centuries, the tale of Sweeney Todd has delighted and terrified us to our very core, but has left us with some questions. How did this legend begin? Was Sweeney Todd a real person? Join as we dive deep into the mysterious and thrilling history of the most famous barber of all time. Collection of dime novels and penny dreadfuls - Stanford Libraries Barry Ono collection of Penny Dre...

Hey Morbuddies! As a special treat, we have decided to release an exclusive episode from our Patreon Ahistorical Cinema Vault! Did you know we’ve added more tiers and benefits to our Patreon !? New tiers include some of the following: Your name in our show notes thanking you for your support Special content requests - Got a historical movie you’d like to hear a deep dive on? A weird bit of history...

What began as a small bin fire on the 8th floor of an unsafe factory, would end in the tragic and untimely death of 146 workers. Sorrow turned to outrage, and this tragedy would push sweeping labor reform throughout the United States, inspiring the New Deal and other pieces of progressive legislation that still inform our labor rights today.  American Experience: Triangle Fire | PBS Tria...

Costumed interpretation, or living history, or reenacting, is a fascinating practice in which historical dress, tools and props are used to present and educate about the past. We discuss the particular American brand of living history, as chronicled in Tony Horwitz' enduring classic, Confederates in the Attic . Patreon: patreon.com/themorbidmuseum Instagram: @themorbidmuseum Email: themorbidmuseum...

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory garment workers, mostly young women and teenagers, faced inhumane treatment and conditions, exacerbated by the greed and neglect of their employers. Unbeknownst to them, this mid-rise building in Manhattan, designed to maximize efficiency, was a death trap. "THE TRIANGLE FIRE AND THE LIMITS OF PROGRESSIVISM," A Dissertation Presented by FRANCES B. JENSEN, Submitted...

Hollywood often brings history to the silver screen with a heap of creative license - to make the story fit into the formula of plot and profitability. Glory is the rare exception - where the story of the 54th Massachusetts Colored Regiment is preserved and presented with accuracy and gripping drama. Get the full review on Patreon. Patreon: patreon.com/themorbidmuseum Instagram: @themorbidmuseum E...

Of the more than 100 units mustered into the U.S. Colored Troops, the 54th Massachusetts may be the most well known, remembered for their valorous service and their depiction in the movie Glory. In honor of the 160th anniversary of the Second Battle of Fort Wagner, we examine the enduring story of this legendary unit. Patreon: patreon.com/themorbidmuseum Instagram: @themorbidmuseum Email: themorbi...

The cause of Black freedom tore the United States apart in the Civil War. As the conflict fatigued both sides, the previously unimaginable became a necessity; men of color were recruited into Federal forces. They fought for their freedom and for a nation that had excluded them from its promise. Patreon: patreon.com/themorbidmuseum Instagram: @themorbidmuseum Email: themorbidmuseum@gmail.com Artwor...

The first national draft in the United States prompted four days of civil unrest and urban disturbance in New York City. The rioters, Irish and working class men, attacked public buildings, abolitionists, and people of color. Though largely forgotten, the event had long-term impacts on the distribution of the black population across the city. (Research Links found in Part I)1 Patreon: patreon.com/...

In July 1863, at the height and heat of the American Civil War, a race riot erupted in New York City, in response to the drafting of thousands into the Union Army. For four days, the city seethed with indiscriminate mob violence, fire, and chaos. The grievance of the rioters was the same as the national war itself; the cause of Black freedom and the social costs to Whites. "When America Hated Cath...

Martin Scorsese's sweeping 2002 epic Gangs of New York brought the gritty streets of lower Manhattan in the 19th century to life. It's full of grit, incredible sets and costumes, and just a smidge of historical liberties. It's the factual smackdown you never knew you wanted. Patreon: patreon.com/themorbidmuseum Instagram: @themorbidmuseum Email: themorbidmuseum@gmail.com Artwork: Brittany Schall M...

John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, two titans of the American Revolution, died within hours of each other on Independence Day, 1826--fifty years to the day after the Declaration of Independence was signed. Their long friendship and correspondence was complicated by their shared zeal and hope for the future of the new nation they helped to create--and divergent political ideologies. Patreon: patreon....

In the North Atlantic Ocean, a string of missing ships and aircraft have been attributed to a geometric nexus of misfortune. Is the Bermuda Triangle explainable due to unpredictable forces of nature, or something more supernatural? Patreon: patreon.com/themorbidmuseum Instagram: @themorbidmuseum Email: themorbidmuseum@gmail.com Artwork: Brittany Schall Music: "Danse Macabre" by Camille Saint-Saens...

Are you okay? Cause we are not okay! We are living through a major turning point in history: the crowning of King Charles III, and the end of HBO's hit black dramedy Succession signal the end of one era and the beginning of a meh-ra. Catch up with us, and get the full episode on Patreon. Patreon: patreon.com/themorbidmuseum Instagram: @themorbidmuseum Email: themorbidmuseum@gmail.com Artwork: Brit...