- Every good museum has snuffboxes
In this episode Alyssa shares the story of the rise and fall of snuffboxes as an art form and status symbol.
You’ll learn about the origin of snuffboxes, the popular materials and designs used, and some notable snuffboxes that call The Metropolitan Museum of Art home.
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9m - Jun 5, 2023 - How lotteries got started in the United States and the Founding Fathers that had a hand in it
In this episode Alyssa shares the story of lotteries in the early United States.
You’ll get to learn about Founding Fathers who were involved in lotteries, the scandals that plagued lotteries as they grew in popularity, and how they even contributed to setting a legal precedent.
Mentions:
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9m - May 8, 2023 - How I use history to inspire my travel
In this episode Alyssa shares the story of how she uses history to decide where she wants to travel next.
You’ll learn about the trip she's taking now and how to gather inspiration for your travels.
Mentions:
John Adams Amsterdam podcast episode
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5m - Mar 27, 2023 - A short history of libraries and the elite club you’d want to be in
In this episode Alyssa shares the story of libraries from the dawn of time to early America.
You’ll learn about how libraries evolved over the years, how clubs formed around sharing knowledge, and how people throughout time have been resilient in their pursuit of books.
Mentions:
Bower Boys podcast episode on Andrew Carnegie and libraries
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19m - Mar 13, 2023 - How Captain "Fish Hook" Mulford went to see the king and got his nickname
In this episode Alyssa shares the story of Old Captain “Fish Hook” Mulford.
You’ll learn about the history of the whaling industry in early America, the lengths Captain Mulford was willing to go to fight for the rights of whalers against the British Crown, and his ingenious way of preventing pick pocketing.
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16m - Feb 20, 2023 - How a thief and war hero became the first director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
In this episode Alyssa shares the story of Luigi Palma di Cesnola, the first director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
You’ll learn about his adventures as a war hero, his excavation and collecting that put him on the map, and a special story about what days the museum is open and what Luigi thought about it all.
Mentions:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art by Howard Hibbard
Making The Met by Andrea Bayer and Laura D Corey
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19m - Feb 6, 2023 - Why I am in love with John Adams (and you should be too)
In this episode Alyssa shares the story of John Adams securing a loan from the Dutch during the American Revolution.
You’ll learn about who John Adams was, the characteristics that made him the best revolutionary, and why he should be more highly valued for his contributions.
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21m - Jan 23, 2023 - The man who molded New York: the short story of Robert Moses
In this episode Alyssa shares the story of Robert Moses.
You’ll learn about who Robert Moses was, his impact on New York, his portrayal in media, and a story that illustrates just how much he was willing to do to accomplish his goals.
Mentions:
Robert Moses podcast episodes from The Bowery Boys
Coming Face to Face with Robert A. Caro blog post
The Ballad of Robert Moses by John Forster
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E8 - 14m - Jan 9, 2023 - How one man decided that women could have the right to vote
In this episode Alyssa shares the story of how women got the right to vote in the United States.
You’ll learn about the deciding vote cast by a man in Tennessee, how women tried to bribe and sway the legislature, and how voting fraud ran rampant in New Jersey in the early 1800s.
Mentions:
Blog post - The Wild, True Story of the Vote for Women
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15m - Dec 12, 2022 - The only woman at the D-Day invasion and the only woman to leave Ernest Hemingway
In this episode Alyssa shares the story of Martha Gellhorn - a reporter, author, and adventurer, who just so happens to be the 3rd wife of Ernest Hemingway.
You’ll learn about how she became friends with Eleanor Rosevelt, her adventures as a war correspondent, and how she was the only woman at the D-Day invasion.
Mentions:
Blog post - The Woman Who is More Than a Footnote in Ernest Hemingway’s Life
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18m - Nov 28, 2022 - The great 4th or 5th Thursday debate of Thanksgiving in America
In this episode Alyssa shares the story of Thanksgiving in the United State of America.
You’ll learn about the presidents who were involved in deciding when Thanksgiving would be celebrated, the women who influenced the entire process, and how consumerism is at the heart of so many decisions.
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E5 - 15m - Nov 14, 2022 - Finding a husband on Halloween and other little known traditions
In this episode Alyssa shares the story of Halloween. From a pagan holiday in Ireland, to a crime filled holiday in America, to an adult costume heavy holiday in Japan, it has certainly evolved over the years.
You’ll learn about long forgotten Halloween traditions, like matchmaking, and how a woman in a small town in America introduced a new way to celebrate Halloween that still impacts us today.
Mentions:
Samhain - Ancient Celt holiday
All Saints Day - Introduced by Pope Gregory III
Elizabeth Krebs - Woman in Kansas who started Halloween festivities to stop vandalism
Kawasaki Halloween Parade - Popular costume parade in Japan
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E4 - 15m - Oct 31, 2022 - New v. Old money in NYC’s opera scene
In this episode Alyssa shares the story of the Academy of Music versus the Metropolitan Opera House, which could otherwise be known as the feud between Old and New money in Gilded Age New York City.
You’ll learn about the construction of a new opera house when the New money crew found there wasn’t room for them in the Academy of Music and how the Metropolitan Opera House lives on today.
Mentions:
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
New v. Old Money: The NYC Opera Scene blog post
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E3 - 8m - Oct 17, 2022 - 6 must read books to get you in the spooky, autumn mood
In this episode Alyssa shares the top books you should add to your fall reading list!
You’ll learn about novels that will make you feel spooky and cozy, and that will make you long to curl up on the couch and dive in.
Mentions:
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown
Piranesi and Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Follow Alyssa on Goodreads
How to get free Kindle books from the library blog post
Reading blog posts
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E2 - 13m - Oct 3, 2022 - How a painting in the Met sent me back to the first World’s Fair
In this episode Alyssa shares the story of how seeing the painting The Ameya by Robert Frederick Blum in the Metropolitan Museum of Art led her to researching the Centennial Exhibition.
You’ll learn about the first World’s Fair, the money that went into the project, and how America reflected on the Declaration of Independence’s anniversary.
Mentions:
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
Back In Time: The Centennial Exhibition blog post
Back In Time (Bonus!): Forney In Europe blog post
Back in Time blog posts
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E1 - 13m - Sep 19, 2022 - Welcome to Stories New & Old!
Welcome to Stories New & Old with Alyssa J Cori!
Alyssa has been blogging since 2014 at alyssajcori.com about history, books, and personal development.
This podcast is a companion to the blog where you’ll hear about history you probably didn’t learn in school, the best books Alyssa recommends, and new stories that are fun and interesting.
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0m - Sep 12, 2022
