What We Did Before | A History of Everyday Life - Podcasts

52:55

The Radium Girls: The Women Who Glowed in the Dark

What We Did Before | A History of Everyday Life ·

2026/10/05

Send us Fan Mail 💬 In the early 20th century, radium was hailed as a wonder substance. Young women landed well-paid jobs painting glow-in-the-dark watch dials with it, even putting their brushes between their lips to keep a fine point. Years later, their teeth began falling out, their bones started disintegrating and the horrifying truth about radium emerged. ⚡ In this episode we hear from Kate Moore, New York Times bestselling author of The Radium Girls. She tells the remarkable story of

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31:48

Before We Had Answers: When Witches Met At This...

What We Did Before | A History of Everyday Life ·

2026/08/24

💬 At this ancient monolithic burial chamber, witches were said to convene with the devil to conduct The Black Mass. This imposing Dolmen came up time and time again in the brutal witch trials of the 16th and 17th centuries. ⚡ This was a time when witchcraft was truely a force to be feared. But why did we believe so strongly that our neighbours were placing curses on us? And why were people burned for a crime that didn’t exist? In this episode we visit Le Trépied in Guernsey at the dead of

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19:30

Before Radar: How The Hearing of "Aircraft Listeners"...

What We Did Before | A History of Everyday Life ·

2026/08/17

💬 Long before radar, armies relied on people with enormous metal trumpets strapped to their heads to listen for approaching aircraft. Aircraft listeners had the bizarre but vital job of detecting the sound of enemy planes, working in exposed positions and often in difficult conditions to give early warning of an incoming attack. ⚡Before radar transformed air defence, these acoustic listening devices were used to track aircraft by sound. Operators would work together to determine the apparent

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00:06:01

Before Prisons: Local Justice & the World's Smallest...

What We Did Before | A History of Everyday Life ·

2026/08/10

💬 Herm island might just be home to the world’s smallest prison. And yet it’s not the world record holder - that title belongs to a very close neighbour. So why doesn’t Herm prison hold the record - and what was such a tiny jail used for? ⚡Herm is an island in the English Channel with a population of just 65, but it has lived many different lives over the years. Take a trip to the beautiful shores of Herm to see its tiny prison up close and learn about its history with Guernsey tour guide Korinne

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00:17:52

Before Sewers: How Toshers Had One of Victorian...

What We Did Before | A History of Everyday Life ·

2026/07/27

💬 Toshers had one of the most disgusting jobs of Victorian Britain. Searching the sewers of 19th century London, people would sieve through human sewage looking for discarded treasures. It’s a job that made them a lot of money - but came with many hazards.⚡Before the sewage system we know today, Victorian London was a very smelly city. With the population expanding fast thanks to the industrial revolution, London became the biggest city in the world, home to more than 2 million people. But the

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00:33:32

Before Cotton Left Britain: Inside Bancroft Mill...

What We Did Before | A History of Everyday Life ·

2026/07/20

💬 This is the deafening noise that powered Britain's Industrial Revolution. At its peak, thousands of men and women spent their days surrounded by the relentless clatter of weaving looms - a workplace so loud that many workers gradually lost their hearing.⚡ Yet despite the dangers, becoming a weaver was a skilled and sought-after job. Britain's cotton industry transformed Lancashire into the workshop of the world, with entire communities built around the mills. But what was daily life really like

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00:49:33

Before Cushioned Shoes: The 1970s Style That Changed...

What We Did Before | A History of Everyday Life ·

2026/07/13

💬 Shoes got a massive makeover 50 years ago, thanks to a boom in interest for running. A style that first emerged in the 1970s quickly became the dominant one - cushioned soles, elevated heels, narrow toes. And it’s the style we still see today. But why? ⚡ Humans spent hundreds of thousands of years barefoot - and when we did make shoes, they were made of plant fibres or thin animal hides. We’ve cycled through many variations over the years, but today’s shoes are very different - maximising comfort

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00:44:27

Before Weapons: Unearthing Ancient Wooden Tools and...

What We Did Before | A History of Everyday Life ·

2026/06/30

💬 Archaeologists have found evidence of the oldest wooden handheld tools used by humans. Discovered in Greece, these ancient tools are around 430,000 years old.⚡Dr Annemieke Milks is a palaeolithic archaeologist and part of the team which identified the objects. They were recovered from Marathousa, a Middle Pleistocene site which may have been inhabited by Homo heidelbergensis - one of our distant ancestors.In this episode we find out about this incredible discovery - and discuss Annemieke’s wider

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00:08:01

Before Instagram: Why Rich People Built Fake Ruins

What We Did Before | A History of Everyday Life ·

2026/06/22

💬 There’s a ruined archway sitting among the trees of my local park - but what grand building did it once belong to? A castle? A church? A grand manor house?In this episode I take a trip to Worden Park in Leyland. Rich in history, this park was once the estate of James Nowell Farington, who set about a major programme of improvements when he inherited it in 1837.⚡ Join me on a trip to visit an archway with a very strange backstory, a Victorian-era ice house decorated with ancient ornaments, and a

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00:22:12

The Bleach Packer: Your Questions Answered

What We Did Before | A History of Everyday Life ·

2026/06/19

You had lots of questions about the Victorian job of the "Bleach Packer". So I invited Judith Wilde from Catalyst museum back for a Q&A.Together we dig deeper into the fascinating history of this gruelling job, that helped build the chemical industry.🎧 Judith answers questions like: Stay tuned to learn about:➡ Why didn't their eyes burn?➡ Did the muzzle actually work?➡ Why were some of them drinking ten pints a day?➡ Did this really continue into the 1950s?➡ What is the area of

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00:25:26

Before Tax Havens: How Islands Have Reinvented...

What We Did Before | A History of Everyday Life ·

2026/06/15

💬 Many islands all over the world are known for their finance industries - and especially for being “tax havens”. But this is just the latest ways islands have reinvented themselves over thousands of years. As far back as the Stone Age, islands have served as stepping stones, trading hubs, military outposts and gateways between nations. ⚡ In this episode we use the island of Guernsey as a case study, showcasing just how varied - and incredible - its history has been. And guiding us is archaeologist

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00:10:03

The Bleach Packer: One of the Worst Jobs of Victorian...

What We Did Before | A History of Everyday Life ·

2026/06/13

Bleach packers had one of the worst jobs of the 19th century.At Catalyst Museum in Widnes, discover the history of these workers, why they wore muzzles, and how they helped build the chemical industry.This is a highlight from a longer episode filmed at Catalyst. Scroll down in your feed if you'd like to learn more.About the podcast:What We Did Before is a podcast where we chart the history of modern inventions, from how we kept food fresh before fridges, to how we survived without shoes and what

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00:33:57

The Terracotta Army & The Loch Ness Monster | A...

What We Did Before | A History of Everyday Life ·

2026/06/12

💬 One March 29th 1974, a Chinese farmer was working the field as he always did - when suddenly his shovel struck something hard. Little did he know he had just stumbled upon one of the most important archaeological finds in history.⚡In this special episode we share two fantastic episodes from our friends over at History Daily. If you love them - subscribe to History Daily here: https://podfollow.com/history-daily The first is the discovery of China’s Terracotta Army - which turned a small Chinese

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00:22:31

Before Tools: How Neanderthals Used Rhino Teeth,...

What We Did Before | A History of Everyday Life ·

2026/06/10

💬 Neanderthals have been shown to use many incredible tools - but none quite as surprising as this. After studying rhinoceros teeth from a cave chock full of them - researchers managed to figure out why they were covered in strange markings.⚡Alicia Sanz-Royo and her team of archaeologists examined the teeth that had remained a mystery for many years. By recreating ancient Neanderthal activities, they managed to reproduce the same markings - showing these rhino teeth were probably used as tools!In

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00:44:41

Before Social Media: How Cleopatra Turned Herself...

What We Did Before | A History of Everyday Life ·

2026/06/08

💬 Much of the myth of Cleopatra was crafted by her during her lifetime. An intentional process to shape how the citizens of Egypt - and the world - saw her. But without social media, how did great rulers of the ancient world fashion their own brand?Cleopatra was unusually good at shaping her own image - and the brand she built has endured for over 2,000 years. But who was the woman behind the myth?⚡ That’s the Cleopatra Natasha Solomons explores in her new book, where she reimagines the life of

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00:49:45

Before We Were The Last Human Species: When We Lived...

What We Did Before | A History of Everyday Life ·

2026/06/01

💬 For a big portion of human history, we shared the planet with other human species. What was that world like to be part of? How often did we interact with prehistoric humans - and would we have recognised the differences between them and us?⚡ Michael Marshall is a science writer and expert voice on ancient human species. In this episode he paints a picture of this ancient world, where Neanderthals, Hobbits and Denisovans and other early humans walked alongside us.Don't miss an episode -

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00:41:29

Before Chemicals: 'Bleach Packers' and the Birth of...

What We Did Before | A History of Everyday Life ·

2026/05/25

💬 The birth of the chemical industry - one which has reshaped the course of human history - happened in a small town in England. In the 19th century, Widnes was transformed into a major centre of the chemical industry. This era saw the rise of the bleach packers - workers who shovelled toxic chemicals to earn a living, wearing bandages to protect themselves from burns and muzzles to avoid passing out.⚡Catalyst is the UK’s only museum dedicated to the chemical industry. And in this episode Judith

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01:07:12

Before Brain Science: When We Thought With Our Hearts...

What We Did Before | A History of Everyday Life ·

2026/05/18

💬 For thousands of years, humans believed the heart controlled the body - your thoughts, your emotions…everything. The brain was just a radiator - something to discard when preparing the dead. But why did our ancestors think this for so long? Were there no tell-tale signs? It’s only in the last few hundred years that the brain has received the attention it deserves. And even once it did, we believed a lot of strange things about how it works.⚡In this episode Matthew Cobb, author of The Idea of the

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00:43:57

Before Burial: When Bronze Age Homes Were FULL of...

What We Did Before | A History of Everyday Life ·

2026/05/11

💬 When Barry Molloy’s team started digging up an ancient Bronze Age settlement - they never expected to uncover quite so many human bones. And they weren’t found in one place - they were everywhere.Archaeologists uncovered over 100 fortified Late Bronze Age sites, and their findings tell us something unusual about the way we dealt with the dead throughout history. At this time in history - there really was no single way people would bury their dead. Sometimes bodies would be pulled apart, and a

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02:01:51

Britain’s Forgotten Deportees: Families Sent to Nazi...

What We Did Before | A History of Everyday Life ·

2026/05/04

⚡ In 1942, during the height of World War 2, Hitler ordered the deportation of more than a thousand islanders from Guernsey. In retaliation against the Allied Forces, innocent men, women and children were forced to leave their island homes - set on a path to Biberach internment camp.💡 Jill Chubb was just 3 years old when she set sail, but her memories are vivid and clear. And in this special podcast series, her grandson, former BBC Guernsey presenter Ollie Guillou, charts her story - joined by

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