PODCAST · history
Stuff The British Stole
by ABC Australia and CBC
Throughout its reign, the British Empire stole a lot of stuff. Today the Empire's loot sits in museums, galleries, private collections and burial sites with polite plaques. But its history is often messier than the plaques suggest.In each episode of this global smash hit podcast, Walkley award-winning journalist, author and genetic potluck, Marc Fennell, takes you on the wild, evocative, sometimes funny, often tragic adventure of how these stolen treasures got to where they live today. These objects will ultimately help us see the modern world — and ourselves — in a different light.This is a co-production between the ABC and CBC Canada.
Episodes
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Presenting Conversations
Conversations draws you deeper into the life story of someone you may, or may not, have heard about — someone who has seen and done amazing things.
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The Girl Called Pocahontas
How do you uncover the true life of a woman whose existence is wrapped in myth, propaganda and a famous animated children’s movie? This is the true story of Matoaka - a young Powhatan girl who you probably know as Pocahontas. This is the mystery of a child, a hidden history and a stolen story....
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The Fever Tree Hunt
Most heists target gold, jewels or cash. This one targeted illegal seeds. As the British established their sprawling empire across the subcontinent and beyond, they encountered a formidable adversary — malaria. There was a cure — the bark of the Andean cinchona tree. The only problem? The Dutch…
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Zero Marks The Spot
It’s round. It has a hole in it. It symbolises nothing and yet it is the possibility of something... meet zero. The zero we know and love today is the foundation of our modern world. And we have India to thank for it; in particular one special Indian birch bark book — the Bakhshali manuscript.…
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The Unfinished Prince
There's a body buried in the grounds of Windsor Castle whose real home is thousands of miles away. Since 2007, there have been calls for Prince Alamayu’s remains to be returned to Ethiopia. But how exactly did this young royal end up alone in England, and buried at Windsor Castle? To answer that…
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Bottles in the Basement
Deep in the cellars of one of England’s grandest country homes, covered in dirt and cobwebs, lay dozens of bottles of ancient rum. Their discovery set off a frenzy among collectors vying to own the oldest rum in the world. But where did they come from and who produced them? Sealed inside was the...
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The Head in the Library
In an old country town high school library there is a glass case that displays something highly unusual and, for some, confronting. Inside that glass case is a mummified head and according to its plaque, it was donated to Grafton High School in 1915. Now, over 100 years later, questions are being...
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INTRODUCING — Stuff The British Stole | Series 3
Throughout its reign, the British Empire stole a lot of stuff. Today the Empire's loot sits in museums, galleries, private collections and burial sites with polite plaques. But its history is often messier than the plaques suggest. In each episode of this global smash hit podcast, Walkley...
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Special Announcement
We’re working hard on bringing you more podcast episodes but in the meantime, we have a special announcement…
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Strange Fowle
It’s become a symbol for extinction; the dodo is a semi-mythical creature which most of us know only through Alice in Wonderland. But one particular dodo was the victim of a crime – murder. Its skull now sits in the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. And it holds the clues to a…
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Not Your Venus
Sarah 'Saartjie' Baartman was taken to the UK by a British doctor. But did she know what she was signing up for? Stage-named 'The Hottentot Venus', Sarah was paraded around freak shows in London and Paris. During her life and even after her death, she was objectified, mistreated and abused. More...
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Cup Runneth
In County Cork, Ireland, there’s a tree that locals call the Chalice Tree. Local lore says it’s where British Redcoats disrupted a secret Catholic mass, killed two priests and took a sacred chalice. Now that chalice sits in London’s Victoria & Albert Museum. But what happened in the intervening…
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Losing Your Marbles
They’ve seen wars, the bottom of the ocean and even - bizarrely - been part of a boxing match. The story of how the Parthenon Marbles actually ended up in London’s British Museum is a wild tale featuring bribes, court cases and some extremely dodgy deals. There’s been a centuries-long campaign to...
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The Abductions
A war. A ransom. And a stunning recovery mission. Five elaborately carved panels were buried in a New Zealand swamp to protect it from a war. Then 150 years later, they’re acquired by a British collector before being sold to a Swiss-Bolivian collector in Geneva. And their long journey home began...
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Season Two Coming Soon
Have you ever wandered around a museum and thought “How on Earth did all of this stuff get here?” You’re not alone. Throughout its reign, the British Empire stole a lot of stuff. Today those objects are housed in genteel institutions across the UK and the world. They usually come with polite...
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Shots Fired
The Gweagal shield is just one of the things James Cook and his shipmates took from the local people when they landed in Botany Bay. Why has it become the most contentious?
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The Headhunters
The arrival of Europeans in NZ kicked off a trade in Mokomokai — tattooed heads but these colonial souvenirs have their own complex history.
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Best.Named.Dog.Ever
Don’t let their fluffy hair and judging eyes fool you, Pekingese dogs are hiding a secret. Their history encompasses torture, hubris, war, and some very long sleeves. Most importantly these dogs — well, one in particular — may hold the key to understanding the sometimes vexed relationship China…
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Blood Art
What if your doorstop was evidence of brutal mass murder and wholesale theft?
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A Tiger and a Scream
How a toy tiger became the symbol of a struggle between India and its former British colonisers
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INTRODUCING - Stuff The British Stole
Throughout its reign, the British Empire stole a lot of stuff. Today those objects are housed in genteel institutions across the UK and the world. They usually come with polite plaques. This is a series about the not-so-polite history behind those objects.
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Throughout its reign, the British Empire stole a lot of stuff. Today the Empire's loot sits in museums, galleries, private collections and burial sites with polite plaques. But its history is often messier than the plaques suggest.In each episode of this global smash hit podcast, Walkley award-winning journalist, author and genetic potluck, Marc Fennell, takes you on the wild, evocative, sometimes funny, often tragic adventure of how these stolen treasures got to where they live today. These objects will ultimately help us see the modern world — and ourselves — in a different light.This is a co-production between the ABC and CBC Canada.
HOSTED BY
ABC Australia and CBC
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Stuff The British Stole have?
Stuff The British Stole currently has 21 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Stuff The British Stole about?
Throughout its reign, the British Empire stole a lot of stuff. Today the Empire's loot sits in museums, galleries, private collections and burial sites with polite plaques. But its history is often messier than the plaques suggest.In each episode of this global smash hit podcast, Walkley...
How often does Stuff The British Stole release new episodes?
Stuff The British Stole has 21 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Stuff The British Stole?
You can listen to Stuff The British Stole on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Stuff The British Stole?
Stuff The British Stole is created and hosted by ABC Australia and CBC.
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