Discover how enslaved and free Black professionals shaped the medical landscape of 19th-century Richmond.

In this episode of The Resurrectionist Podcast, I sit down with architectural historian Jacqueline Drayer to peel back the layers of Richmond, Virginia’s complex past. We move beyond the textbooks to explore the "hidden history" of how health, industry, and slavery intersected in the 1800s.

From the high-stakes survival of enslaved individuals in the Wickham House to the incredible legacy of Barbary Cousins, a 90-year-old free Black midwife. We discuss the figures who provided care across the color line. We also dive into the fascinating world of 19th-century "medical" professionals: including barbers who pulled teeth and the specific challenges of surviving cholera outbreaks in a pre-sanitation era.

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Guest Info

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquelinedrayer/Mulberry History: https://www.mulberryhistory.com/Publications: https://scholarlypublishingcollective.org/msup/jsdp/article/6/3/173/403157/Individuals-Enslaved-at-the-Wickham-House-inhttps://thevalentine.org/explore/richmond-stories/featured-stories/wickham-house-amy-green/https://thevalentine.org/explore/richmond-stories/featured-stories/wickham-house-elizabeth-selden-maclurg-wickham-bettina/

Music

Danse Macabre by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?collection=005Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Think mummification was just a solemn religious ritual? Think again.

In this episode, we dive into the gritty, litigious, and surprisingly modern world of Ancient Egyptian mortuary priests. Far from just being "keepers of the dead," these families ran a massive funerary industry involving legal battles, tax receipts, and even "selling" mummies.

Join us as Dr. Lauren Dogaer, a research fellow at University College Oxford, reveals the daily drama found in ancient papyrus archives—including the priest who was nicknamed a "fish pickler" by the Greeks and the high-stakes lawsuit that proved documentation beats prejudice every time.

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Guest Info

Academia Profile: https://oxford.academia.edu/LaurenDogaer

University Profile: https://www.univ.ox.ac.uk/academics/lauren-dogaer/

Website: https://drunkonhistorypodcast.wordpress.com/Instagram

Account: https://www.instagram.com/drunkonhistory_podcast/

Spotify-link: https://open.spotify.com/show/56MJF8zcc0rG5LKeJNCglT?si=38ed80141a6d4a3c

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/drunk-on-history/id1870637699

Blog of the Ancient History Research Unit at KU Leuven (in Dutch/Flemish): https://www.oudegeschiedenis.be/Socio-Linguistics

Blog on Afro-Asiatic: https://afroasiaticcorner.wordpress.com/Database of

Religious History: https://religiondatabase.org/accounts/Lauren_Dogaer_1713619158

Music

Danse Macabre by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?collection=005Artist: http://incompetech.com/

What Victorians wore in death reveals shocking truths about class, gender, and mourning.In this episode of The Resurrectionists, I speak with Frances Harvey about burial dress in the Victorian era. They explore how burial practices shifted from simple shrouds to personal clothing, and what these changes reveal about death, identity, gender roles, and social class in 19th-century Britain.The discussion covers the rise of the commercial funeral industry, strict Victorian mourning etiquette, and the often-overlooked role women played in preparing bodies for burial. Frances also explains how socioeconomic status and cultural beliefs shaped burial attire, and why conversations about death and burial clothing still feel taboo today.🎧 Love mysteries? Watch more episodes and dive deeper into the stories!https://bit.ly/resurrectionists👉 Explore more mysteries and exclusive content here!https://linktr.ee/theresurrectionists💡 Got a case in mind? Suggest new episode ideas here!https://bit.ly/episodesuggestionsGuest Infohttps://www.instagram.com/byfrancesharveyMusicDanse Macabre by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?collection=005Artist: http://incompetech.com/