The True Scandal of Lydia E. Pinkham’s Vegeta...

When the Luddites smashed factory frames in a bid to defend their craft and livelihoods, the machines came out on top. Today, AI and automation threaten to wipe out skilled jobs and flood us with inferior products at a fraction of the price: is history going to repeat itself? FT ...  Show more

The children of North End, Boston, play in the shadow of an enormous steel tank of molasses. The thick, sticky sugar syrup is being used to make munitions for the First World War. When a worker notices dark molasses seeping from the tank he warns the company that there could be a ...  Show more

In a time when women were desperate for safe and effective treatments for women’s health issues, Lydia Pinkham's Vegetable Compounds became one of the best-known medicines of the 19th century. She began by giving away the compound for free to create a strong referral network, whi ...  Show more

Thanks so much for listening to Historical Figures. Parcast has another podcast called Great Women of Business where we profile amazing female business leaders. This episode is on Lydia Pinkham, an historic figure in her own right! We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we do! ...  Show more

Long before the days of expiration dates and ingredient labels, the drug and food industries were an unregulated Wild West plagued by false advertising, fake cure-alls, and manufacturers that would do anything to cut costs. The public health scandals weren’t far behind. Learn mor ...  Show more

Not only were Madame Rachel's claims about the magical qualities of her cosmetics false, she also used her London salon as a front for shadier practices like blackmail and prostitution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices