Mostly Unsung: A Comedy History Podcast

Mostly Unsung
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The weekly comedy history podcast that brings you bitesize biographies of the extraordinary, eccentric, outrageous and occasionally ordinary lives that until now have gone mostly unsung... mostly. Join your hosts Annie and Andrea as they bring you stories that your history teacher never taught you! If you like stuffy lectures then you're not going to be a fan, sorry! But if you are looking to hang out with two old friends who love story telling, a good laugh and forgotten figures from history then welcome! Covering everything from scientists to Grandmothers, survivors of wars to eccentric millionaires, all via ghost stories, anecdotes and terrible impressions of Hollywood legend Tim Curry. Come and hang out, have a giggle and join us every Friday.

  1. 6d ago

    #65 A Second World War Escape Artist & A Teacher Turned Daredevil (Charles Upham & Annie Edson Taylor)

    Welcome back to Mostly Unsung  the weekly comedy history podcast where Annie and Andrea uncover the forgotten people, overlooked heroes, and wonderfully eccentric characters that history somehow forgot to put on the syllabus. If you love fascinating true stories, social history, daring adventures, and a good laugh along the way, you're in exactly the right place. Every week, we bring you two bite-sized biographies of remarkable people whose lives were far stranger than fiction. First, Andrea introduces Charles Upham, the quiet New Zealander who became one of the most decorated soldiers of the Second World War. Renowned for his  repeated attempts to escape captivity, Upham earned a reputation as a war hero while remaining stubbornly uninterested in fame.  Then Annie heads to Niagara Falls to meet the unforgettable Annie Edson Taylor. Facing financial uncertainty and looking for a way to secure her future, Annie came up with a crazy plan: climbing into a barrel and going over one of the world's most famous waterfalls. Becoming the first person to survive the feat, she achieved international fame overnight but as history often proves, becoming famous and becoming rich are not necessarily the same thing. If you enjoy history podcasts, forgotten heroes, women's history, World War II history, adventure stories, unusual true stories, and fascinating historical biographies, Mostly Unsung is your new favourite weekly listen. This week Andrea used these sources: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/people/charles-upham https://www.victoriacross.org.uk/bbupham.htm https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/5u2/upham-charles-hazlitt https://www.hurunui.govt.nz/community/about-the-district/history/charles-upham-vc-and-bar https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Upham This week Annie used these sources: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/01/obituaries/annie-edson-taylor-overlooked.html https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/october-24/first-barrel-ride-down-niagara-falls https://www.discoverniagara.org/annie-edson-taylor https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/annie-edson-taylors-1901-retirement-plan-go-over-niagara-falls-in-a-barrel Where you can find us: https://www.instagram.com/mostlyunsung/ https://www.facebook.com/share/16J4vuMy1h/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mostlyunsung mostlyunsungpodcast@gmail.com See you next Wednesday!

  2. Jul 8

    #64 A Ground Breaking Lady Surgeon & A Nomadic Man of Numbers (Gertrude Herzfeld & Paul Erdős)

    Welcome back to Mostly Unsung the weekly comedy history podcast where Annie and Andrea uncover the forgotten people, overlooked pioneers, and wonderfully unusual characters who deserve a place in the history books. If you love fascinating true stories, women's history, medical history, science, and a healthy dose of humour, you're in exactly the right place. Every week, we bring you two bite-sized biographies of remarkable people whose lives prove that history is far stranger than fiction. This week Annie introduces Gertrude Herzfeld, one of Britain's pioneering female surgeons. At a time when medicine was still very much a man's world, Gertrude fought her way into the operating theatre and built an extraordinary career.  Then Andrea brings us the delightfully eccentric Paul Erdős, the Hungarian mathematician whose life was almost as extraordinary as his intellect. Armed with a suitcase, an endless supply of mathematical problems, and very little interest in ordinary life, Erdős travelled the world collaborating with fellow mathematicians and producing an astonishing body of work.  If you enjoy history podcasts, forgotten women in history, medical history, science history, mathematics, inspiring biographies, and fascinating true stories, Mostly Unsung is your new favourite weekly listen. Andrea used these sources: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Paul-Erdos https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/first/h/hoffman-man.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Erd%C5%91s Annie used these sources: https://publishing.rcseng.ac.uk/doi/full/10.1308/rcsbull.2021.114?mobileUi=0. https://www.mddus.com/resources/publications/publications-library/insight/q3-2017/gertrude-herzfeld?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=google_seo https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36384938/ https://rcsed.shorthandstories.com/winter-24/keeping-up-with-the-times-women-and-rcsed-fellowship/index.html https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022346822007035 Where you can find us: https://www.instagram.com/mostlyunsung/ https://www.facebook.com/share/16J4vuMy1h/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mostlyunsung mostlyunsungpodcast@gmail.com See you next Wednesday!

  3. Jul 1

    #63 A Wee Tartan Army Piper & The German Amazonian Venus (Bessie Watson & Katie Sandowina)

    Welcome back to Mostly Unsung; the weekly comedy history podcast where Annie and Andrea uncover the forgotten people, overlooked pioneers, and wonderfully eccentric characters that history left behind. If you love fascinating true stories, women's history, social history, and a good laugh along the way, you're in the right place. Every week, we bring you two bite-sized biographies of people who deserve to be far better known. First, Annie heads to Edinburgh to meet Bessie Watson, the child suffragette who became an unlikely symbol of Scottish identity. Armed with her beloved bagpipes Bessie found herself performing for crowds, politicians, and even royalty.  Then Andrea introduces Katie Sandwina, the strongwoman who could outlift, outwrestle, and outshine most of the men around her. Touring Europe and America at the height of the circus and vaudeville era, Katie smashed records, challenged expectations, and became one of the most famous performers of her generation. Expect Victorian celebrities, circus legends, strongwomen, Scottish history, remarkable women, and heaps of the usual nonsense about hair cuts, driving in Cornwall and whether we could be surgeons! If you enjoy history podcasts, forgotten women in history, inspiring true stories, British history, social history, and extraordinary female pioneers, Mostly Unsung is your new favourite weekly listen. Andrea used these sources: https://www.juggle.org/katie-sandwina-tightrope-walker-and-strong-woman/ https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-great-sandwina https://physicalculturestudy.com/2017/09/07/katie-sandwina-the-strongest-woman-in-the-world/ https://strongmanproject.com/features/8 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katie_Sandwina Annie used these sources: https://equality-diversity.ed.ac.uk/inclusion/inspiring-women/women-in-history/elizabeth-bessie-watson https://www.scotsman.com/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/the-incredible-story-of-bessie-watson-the-youngest-suffragette-606656 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bessie_Watson Where you can find us: https://www.instagram.com/mostlyunsung/ https://www.facebook.com/share/16J4vuMy1h/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mostlyunsung mostlyunsungpodcast@gmail.com See you next Wednesday!

  4. Jun 24

    #62 An Authentic Monument to a London Child Genius & A Slovakian Folk Hero (Jeremy Bentham & Juraj Jánošík)

    Welcome back to Mostly Unsung; the weekly comedy history podcast where Annie and Andrea bring you two bite-sized biographies of the forgotten people, overlooked characters, and wonderfully weird true stories that prove history is far stranger than fiction. If you love funny history podcasts, social history, unusual historical figures, and fascinating true stories, you're in exactly the right place. This week Annie introduces the delightfully eccentric Jeremy Bentham, the philosopher, social reformer, and all-round champion of asking awkward questions. It's a story that starts with philosophy, architecture and political reform,  and ends with a very unusual idea for an everlasting tribute in his home city of London. Then Andrea heads to the mountains of Central Europe to meet Juraj Jánošík, the legendary outlaw often described as the Slovak Robin Hood. Depending on who you ask, Jánošík was either a dangerous criminal, a freedom fighter, or a folk hero who robbed the rich and helped the poor. His true crime story was far shorter and more complicated than the legends suggest, but his story became one of the most enduring tales in Slovak history and European folklore. If you enjoy history podcasts, British history, European history, folklore, political philosophy, and forgotten historical figures, Mostly Unsung is your new favourite weekly listen. Whether you're here for an eccentric philosopher who turned himself into a museum exhibit or an outlaw who became a national legend, there's something for everyone in this week's journey through the stranger corners of history. For this episode Andrea used these sources: https://folklorethursday.com/legends/juraj-janosik-an-outlaw-who-became-the-slovak-national-hero/ https://www.madamegilflurt.com/2014/03/notable-deaths-juraj-janosik.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juraj_J%C3%A1no%C5%A1%C3%ADk For this episode Annie used these sources: https://www.britannica.com/money/Jeremy-Bentham https://www.ucl.ac.uk/laws/research/research-projects/bentham-project/about-jeremy-bentham https://iep.utm.edu/jeremy-bentham/ Where you can find us: https://www.instagram.com/mostlyunsung/ https://www.facebook.com/share/16J4vuMy1h/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mostlyunsung mostlyunsungpodcast@gmail.com See you next Wednesday!

  5. Jun 17

    #61 An African American Actor Hits The West End & A Court Case That Changed America ( Ira Aldridge & Elizabeth Freeman)

    Welcome back to Mostly Unsung the weekly comedy history podcast hosted by women, where Annie and Andrea bring you two bite-sized biographies of the forgotten people, overlooked pioneers, and extraordinary true stories that deserve far more attention than they usually get. If you love funny history podcasts, Black history, social history, and fascinating historical biographies, you're in exactly the right place. After a rather stressed and shaky start Annie takes us to the world of 19th-century theatre with the incredible story of Ira Aldridge. Born in America at a time when opportunities for Black performers were desperately limited, Aldridge crossed the Atlantic and built an extraordinary career on the British and European stage. It's a fascinating tale of Black history, Shakespeare, acting, and perseverance against the odds. Then Andrea introduces Elizabeth Freeman, also known as Mum Bett, a woman born into slavery in colonial America who decided she had heard quite enough about liberty being for everyone except her. Using the language of freedom and equality that was sweeping through the newly independent United States, she launched a legal challenge that helped strike a major blow against slavery in Massachusetts. It's an inspiring story of American history, abolition, civil rights, and one woman determined to claim the freedom she was promised. Expect Shakespearean drama, courtroom battles, social change, and plenty of laughs as we explore two lives that helped reshape the world around them. If you enjoy history podcasts, forgotten heroes, Black history, women's history, abolitionist history, and inspiring true stories, Mostly Unsung is your new favourite weekly listen. Where you can find us: https://www.instagram.com/mostlyunsung/ https://www.facebook.com/share/16J4vuMy1h/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mostlyunsung mostlyunsungpodcast@gmail.com See you next Wednesday!

  6. Jun 10

    #60 An East London Busy Body & An Italian Couture Fashion Muse (Bill Boaks & Luisa Casati)

    Welcome back to Mostly Unsung the weekly comedy history podcast hosted by women, where Annie and Andrea bring you two bite-sized biographies of the forgotten people, overlooked eccentrics, and unbelievable true stories history somehow forgot to mention. If you love funny history podcasts, British history, fashion history, and larger-than-life historical characters, you’re in exactly the right place. This week, we’re talking traffic chaos, pet cheetahs, political campaigning, and one woman who treated everyday life as a full-time performance piece. First, Annie introduces the wonderfully stubborn Bill Boaks, a one-man campaign machine determined to make Britain’s roads safer. In post-war Walthamstow, London, Boaks spent decades protesting, standing in elections, annoying politicians, and repeatedly throwing himself into public debate, sometimes quite literally. It’s a bizarre, funny, and surprisingly moving story of British politics and road safety history. Then Andrea brings us the dazzlingly dramatic life of Luisa Casati, the Italian heiress, muse, and socialite who wanted nothing less than to become “a living work of art.” Wandering through Venice draped in jewels with live snakes around her neck and cheetahs on diamond leads, Luisa became one of the most outrageous icons of fashion history and high society. Inspiring artists, designers, and photographers. Expect eccentric history, social scandal, political chaos, fashion drama, and plenty of laughs as we uncover two people who absolutely refused to live quietly. If you enjoy history podcasts, forgotten figures, British social history, fashion icons, and weird true stories from history, Mostly Unsung is your new favourite weekly listen. For this episode Andrea used these sources: https://www.visitvenezia.eu/en/venetianity/tales-of-venice/luisa-casati-stampa-when-the-body-becomes-art https://www.marchesacasati.com/about-casati https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2003/09/22/the-divine-marquise https://italysegreta.com/luisa-casati-stampa/ For this episode Annie used these sources: https://news.sky.com/story/is-this-the-worst-election-candidate-ever-10365720 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Boaks Where you can find us: https://www.instagram.com/mostlyunsung/ https://www.facebook.com/share/16J4vuMy1h/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mostlyunsung mostlyunsungpodcast@gmail.com See you next Wednesday!

  7. Jun 3

    #59 The Man Who Tried to Defeat Gravity & The Woman Who Secretly Joined the British Army (Roger Babson & Hannah Snell)

    Welcome back to Mostly Unsung the weekly comedy history podcast hosted by women, where Annie and Andrea bring you two bite-sized biographies of the forgotten people, overlooked oddballs, and unbelievable true stories history somehow forgot to put on the syllabus. If you enjoy funny history podcasts, British history, eccentric historical figures, and stories that sound completely made up but absolutely aren’t, you’re in exactly the right place. This week, Andrea introduces the wonderfully unusual Roger Babson, a businessman, economist, financial forecaster, and a man deeply convinced that gravity was humanity’s greatest enemy. Famous for correctly warning about the Wall Street Crash of 1929, Babson became one of the most talked-about financial minds in American history. But alongside predicting economic disaster, he also spent years trying to develop anti-gravity technology because, frankly, why not?  Then Annie brings us the remarkable life of Hannah Snell, an 18th-century woman who disguised herself as a man and enlisted in the British military. Fighting as “James Gray,” Hannah travelled across the world, survived battle, naval life, and some truly horrific medical situations - all while keeping her identity secret. When the truth finally emerged, instead of scandalised horror the public was absolutely fascinated. It’s a brilliant tale of military history, gender disguise, and sheer determination. Expect battlefields, bizarre inventions, Georgian drama, and plenty of laughs as we uncover two lives that prove history is far stranger than fiction. If you love history podcasts, forgotten women in history, British military history, unusual true stories, and eccentric historical figures, Mostly Unsung is your new favourite weekly listen. https://www.babson.edu/about/babson-at-a-glance/our-story/roger-babson/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/petercohan/2019/09/05/90-year-ago-roger-babson-predicted-the-market-crash-what-would-he-say-today/ https://www.gravityresearchfoundation.org/historic https://www.prohibitionists.org/History/Roger_Babson_bio.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Babson For this episode Annie used these sources: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-68318251 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannah_Snell Where you can find us: https://www.instagram.com/mostlyunsung/ https://www.facebook.com/share/16J4vuMy1h/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mostlyunsung mostlyunsungpodcast@gmail.com See you next Wednesday!

  8. May 27

    #58 A Georgian Lady With A Ridiculous Amount of Scrapbooks & A Novelist With No Idea Of The Concept of Saving For A Rainy Day (Sarah Sofia Banks & William Beckford)

    Welcome back to Mostly Unsung the weekly comedy history podcast hosted by women, where Annie and Andrea bring you two bite-sized biographies of the forgotten people, overlooked characters, and wonderfully strange lives history somehow left out of the textbooks. If you enjoy funny history podcasts, British history, social history, and fascinating true stories, you’re in exactly the right place. This week, we’re diving into the world of collectors, wealth, obsession, and spectacularly unusual hobbies with two unforgettable figures from British history. First, Annie introduces Sarah Sophia Banks. While others chased grand treasures, she was preserving the details most people ignored. It’s a brilliant story of women collectors, British social history, and why ordinary objects matter. Then Andrea brings us the gloriously dramatic life of William Beckford, he spent fortunes creating a fantasy world of architecture, luxury, and style. It’s a tale of Georgian wealth, scandal, eccentricity, and what happens when money meets absolutely no restraint. Expect grand houses, curious collections, British eccentrics, and plenty of laughs as we uncover two lives shaped by the urge to acquire… and perhaps show off a little. If you love history podcasts, forgotten women in history, Georgian history, stately home drama, and true stories stranger than fiction, Mostly Unsung is your new favourite weekly listen. This week Andrea used these sources: https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Beckford-British-writer https://outstoriesbristol.org.uk/people/biographies/william-beckford/ https://www.historytoday.com/archive/william-beckford-man-taste https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Beckford_(novelist) This week Annie used these sources: https://sarahsophiabanks.com/ https://www.britishmuseum.org/about-us/british-museum-story/people-behind-collection/sarah-sophia-banks Where you can find us: https://www.instagram.com/mostlyunsung/ https://www.facebook.com/share/16J4vuMy1h/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mostlyunsung mostlyunsungpodcast@gmail.com See you next Wednesday!

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The weekly comedy history podcast that brings you bitesize biographies of the extraordinary, eccentric, outrageous and occasionally ordinary lives that until now have gone mostly unsung... mostly. Join your hosts Annie and Andrea as they bring you stories that your history teacher never taught you! If you like stuffy lectures then you're not going to be a fan, sorry! But if you are looking to hang out with two old friends who love story telling, a good laugh and forgotten figures from history then welcome! Covering everything from scientists to Grandmothers, survivors of wars to eccentric millionaires, all via ghost stories, anecdotes and terrible impressions of Hollywood legend Tim Curry. Come and hang out, have a giggle and join us every Friday.

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