From an early age, Johannes Eppler yearned for adventure. It was for that reason more than any other that he agreed to spy for the Nazis. In 1942, he embarked on a dangerous mission to enter Egypt by way of the Western Desert, hoping to gather intelligence for the German military.

Show notes and full transcripts available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com.

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In the 1930s, singer and actress Asmahan became one of the most beloved performers in the Arabic-speaking world. After the outbreak of World War II, she embarked on a secret mission to Syria to aid in the fight against Hitler.

For show notes and full transcripts, visit www.artofcrimepodcast.com. 

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In 1937, former Mount Hermon employee S. Allan Norton was ambushed at home by a trespasser with a shotgun. Norton identified his attacker as Thomas Elder, prime suspect in the unsolved murder of Elliott Speer. Members of the community held their breath as Elder went to trial for the attempted murder of Norton, hoping that proceedings would shed light on the shooting of Headmaster Speer.

For show notes and full transcripts, visit www.artofcrimepodcast.com.

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Within a week or two of the shooting of Elliott Speer, Dean Thomas Elder, second-in-command at Mount Hermon School for Boys, became the prime suspect in the crime. After amassing as much evidence as possible agains Elder, District Attorney Joseph Bartlett called an inquest that would determine whether Elder would stand trial for the homicide.

Show notes and full transcripts available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com.

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In 1934, police were initially baffled by the murder of Elliott Speer. Then, one day, while an investigator was combing over the bookshelves in Speer's study, he happened upon a murder mystery that blew the case wide open.

Show notes and full transcripts are available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com. 

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The son of an internationally renowned Presbyterian preacher, Elliott Speer became headmaster of the Mount Hermon School for Boys, a religiously oriented boarding school, in 1932. On the night of September 14, 1934, a trespasser murdered Speer in his own home, devastating his family, his colleagues, and the rest of the community.

Show notes and full transcripts available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com.

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Introducing season 5 . . .

Show notes and full transcripts available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com. 

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Thanks to everyone who submitted questions and comments!

As promised, here's a link to Netherlandish Proverbs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netherlandish_Proverbs.

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In 1990, two men entered the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston and stole something like $500 million worth of art, in what became the most infamous art heist in U.S. history. Today, we're joined by retired museum professional Frederick J. Fisher, who thinks that the Gardner affair may have been a sequel to an earlier effort to rob a different institution, the Hyde Collection, located in Glens Falls, New York. Fisher explores the theory in a new book titled The Practice Run, which is out May 15, 2025, so go order a copy!

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Today, we're joined by acclaimed author and filmmaker Barry Avrich to talk about one of the most colossal art fraud cases in New York history. It all started when a woman named Glafira Rosales walked into the storied Knoedler Gallery with a painting she claimed to have been created by Mark Rothko. The ensuing fiasco ended in catastrophe for the gallery. 

The Devil Wears Rothko by Barry Avrich is out June 24, 2025, and you can pre-order a copy today.

If you'd like to support The Art of Crime, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast.

This week, I'm re-releasing one of my all-time favorite episodes of The Art of Crime, "Shooting Andy Warhol: Valerie Solanas." It originally aired ac ouple years back, during seasons 2 of the podcast, Assassins. It looks at how playwright, writer, and all-around hellraiser Valerie Solanas shot and nearly killed Andy Warhol in 1968.

For show notes and full transcripts, visit www.artofcrimepodcast.com. 

If you'd like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast.

Today, we're joined by the fabulous Amanda Matta, host of the Art of History podcast, to talk about theft and New York's Metropolitan Museum. On the one hand, the Met has acquired a good chunk of its collection by dubious means, including the purchase of looted objects. On the other hand, the museum itself has become the target of thieves, leading to some of New York's most astounding art heists.

Make sure to check out Art of History and follow Amanda on social media. If you're interested in royal history, you should definitely check out her work since she made a name for herself as TikTok's number one royal commentator.

If you'd like to support The Art of Crime, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast.

Show notes available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com. 

Today, we're joined by Michelle Young, author of a the brand-new nonfiction book, The Art Spy. It tells the amazing true story of Rose Valland, a museum professional who spied on the Nazis as they looted priceless artworks. To learn more about The Art Spy and the rest of Michelle's work, visit www.michelleyoungwriter.com .

If you'd like to supprt the show, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast. 

One Monday morning in 1958, Nina Lawson, Mistress of Wigs at the Metropolitan Opera, came into work to discover that someone had stolen thirty thousand dollars' worth of wigs from the Met. The theft made national headlines, and the FBI joined the hunt for the culprits.

Show notes and full transcripts available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com.

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Today, I'm thrilled to share an episode of a wonderful podcast, ArtMuse. This is part one of a two-part episode about Audrey Munson, sometimes referred to as "America's first supermodel." She inspired more than a dozen prominent statues throughout New York. After reaching the height of her fame, she got roped into one of the early twentieth century's most sensational homicide trials, right up there with the trial of Harry Thaw for the murder of Stanford White.

You can learn more about ArtMuse here: https://www.artmusepodcast.com/. 

If you'd like to suppor The Art of Crime, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast. 

In 1931, a trio of thieves stole a rare book by Edgar Allan Poe worth more than half a million dollars from the New York Public Library. To bring them to justice, the library called in G. William Bergquist, an investigator who specialized in recovering stolen books.

In 1927, blond-haired bombshell and future movie star Mae West performed the lead role in a play about a prostitute titled SEX. The risqué production launched her to stardom on Broadway. There was just one problem--it also launched her straight into a jail cell.

Show notes and full transcripts available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com.

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In the Roaring Twenties, Arthur Barry stole millions of dollars' worth of jewels from some of New York's wealthiest residents. Today, we talk about the cat burglar's audacious capers with best-selling author Dean Jobb, whose new biography of Barry is titled A Gentleman and a Thief. For more about Jobb's writing, visit his website at https://www.deanjobb.com/.

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In 1901, Broadway chorus girl Evelyn Nesbit met Stanford White, the fabulously wealthy and influential architect who designed Madison Square Garden. They formed a relationship that ended in murder six years later, right in the middle of a crowded performance at Madison Square Garden.

If you'd like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast.

For show notes and full transcripts, visit www.artofcrimepodcast.com. 

In the 1860s and '70s, hundreds--maybe thousands--of Italian children migrated to New York to make money as street musicians. They worked for bosses known as padroni, living in squalor and suffering abuse at the hands of their employers. In 1873, the plight of these little street performers unleashed outrage in New York and neighboring states, which prompted the federal government to take action.

If you'd like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast.

Show notes and full transcripts available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com. 

In 1990, three separate art heists took place in the week leading up to Christmas, baffling New York authorities as well as the FBI. In this special holiday episode, we look at police efforts to recover the stolen artworks as well as the many mysteries that hover over the case to this day.

Music featured in this episode:

For show notes and full transcripts, visit www.artofcrimepodcast.com. 

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Today, we're joined by best-selling author Margalit Fox to talk about Fredericka "Marm" Mandelbaum, who rose to the top of New York's underworld as a criminal fence and financial backer of bank burglaries in the 1860s and '70s. Earlier this year, Margalit published a brand-new biography of the crime boss, titled The Talented Mrs. Mandelbaum, which you will most assuredly enjoy if you like this podcast.

If you'd like to learn more about Margalit's work, including The Talented Mrs. Mandelbaum, make sure to check out her website: https://margalitfox.com/books.

If you'd like to support the podcast, please consider beocming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast. 

In the late 1860s, gentleman bank robber George L. Leslie arrived in New York and started working for Fredericka Mandelbaum, one of the city's most notorious crime bosses. Leslie always claimed to have studied architecture in college and drew on his training to mastermind some of the most daring heists of the century, earning the nickname of "King of Bank Robbers." His reign would prove short-lived, however, after a robbery went bad in 1878.

Show notes and full transcripts available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com.

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After the Nazis invaded France in 1940, Josephine Baker joined the French Resistance as a spy. That year, she planned and took part in a top-secret mission to Lisbon, Portugal, in an effort to thwart Hitler.

Show notes and full transcripts available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com. 

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In 1817, Italian-born painter Francesco Mezzara had a spat with his patron, New York attorney Aaron Palmer. As the feud escalated, Mezzara painted an insulting picture of Palmer and put it up for auction. Mezzara was giddy when the picture fetched $40—but not for long. Soon, he stood accused of criminal libel on account of the offensive portrait.

If you'd like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast. 

Show notes and full transcripts available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com. 

In this special Halloween episode, we explore an urban legend that emerged from the trial of Levi Weeks. After the verdict came down, a vengeful Catherine Ring is said to have cursed Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, and Justice John Lansing, causing all three to die lamentable deaths.

Show notes available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com. 

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On January 2, 1800, a group of New Yorkers discovered the body of a missing local in the disused Manhattan Well. The Manhattan Well Murder, as the crime came to be known, led to a sensational trial, in which two of America's Founding Fathers participated. Given the intense public interest in the homicide, publishers raced to print the first—and fullest—account of the proceedings, spawning a new genre of crime writing.

Show notes and full transcripts available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com.

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This season, we explore crimes that only could have happened in the Big Apple.

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Today, I'm sharing an episode of the chart-topping podcast, History Daily. This episode is about the premiere of one of the greatest horror films ever made, Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. What better way to kick off spooky season?

Next week, we're announcing the theme of season 4 of The Art of Crime, so watch this space!

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Thanks to everyone who submitted questions and comments!

For show notes and full transcripts, please visit www.artofcrimepodcast.com.

If you'd like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast.

Today, we're joined by Ann Foster, host and creator of the Vulgar History podcast. Gavin and Ann talk about the enigmatic Princess Caraboo, an exotic princess who washed up on English shores in 1817 and generated a sensation in the press as various observers tried to work out where she had come from. 

Make sure to check out Vulgar History here: https://vulgarhistory.com/

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If you have questions or comments that you'd like to share, please send them to artofcrimepodcast@gmail.com. 

Today, I'm releasing an episode that became available exclusively to patrons of The Art of Crime at the end of last season. It's about Iranian photographer Azadeh Akhlaghi and her photo-series, By an Eye-Witness, which reconstructs politically significant deaths in twentieth-century Iranian history. 

If you want more content like this, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast.

Today, we're joined by Will Clark, host and creator of Grey History: The French Revolution. He and Gavin discuss their favorite works of art from the French Revolution.

Show notes available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com.

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And make sure to check out Grey History: The French Revolution, hosted by the brilliant Will Clark.

In 1823, John Thurtell murdered the gambler William Weare while the two were riding in a horse-drawn gig. Cashing in on public fascination with the case, the Surrey Theatre staged The Gamblers, a play that recreated the murder and incorporated the actual horse-drawn gig in which the crime took place. The Gamblers became one of the most explosive melodramas of the nineteenth century and came back to haunt Madame Tussaud more than two decades later. 

For show notes and full transcripts, visit www.artofcrimepodcast.com.

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Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Josephine Baker grew up in severe poverty. In 1925, she traveled to Paris, where she sang, danced, and acted, becoming an overnight sensation and winning riches she had never dreamed of. On the eve of World War II, French intelligence agents recruited her as a volunteer spy in the fight against Hitler.

For show notes and full transcripts, visit www.artofcrimepodcast.com. 

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A surprising number of crime stories from the Golden Age of Detective Fiction take place in wax museums. Today, we're joined by Caroline Crampton, host and creator of Shedunnit, a podcast that unravels the mysteries behind classic detective stories, to talk about why the wax museum has fueled the imagination of so many crime writers.

Link to "Waxworks" by Ethel Lina White: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/47480274/4608076. 

Spoiled Stories:

"Waxworks" by Ethel Lina White

Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle

It Walks by Night by John Dickson Carr

"The Abominable History of the Man With Copper Fingers" by Dorothy L. Sayers

"The Empty House" by Arthur Conan Doyle

"Poison in the Garden Suburb" by G.D.H. and Margaret Cole

For show notes and full transcripts, visit www.artofcrimepodcast.com.

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Beaumarchais's madcap comedy, The Marriage of Figaro, smashed box-office records when it opened in Paris in 1784. The following year, a team of real-life con artists drew inspiration from a crucial scene in the play as they planned—and pulled off—the swindle of the century.

Show notes and full transcripts available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com.

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In 1849, George and Maria Manning murdered a guest in their London home and fled the British capital . A dramatic hunt for the killers ensued. After the law caught up with the Mannings, the glamorous Maria achieved near-celebrity status as she made her way through the justice system. A staggering thirty thousand spectators gathered to watch her and George's public execution, triggering a ferocious debate about the ethics of capital punishment. When renowned wax modeler Madame Tussaud unveiled a likeness of Maria in the Chamber of Horrors, a showroom in her wax museum that exhibited effigies of notorious criminals, Tussaud met with perhaps the fiercest criticism she had ever faced in her career.

Show notes and full transcripts available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com. 

If you'd like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast.

 

After more than three decades of touring the provinces, Madame Tussaud made the unexpected decision to settle down in London in 1835. Within a matter of years, Tussaud was running the metropolis's number-one tourist destination, and she updated the Chamber of Horrors more frequently than ever before. In 1838, she unveiled an effigy of Sir William Courtenay, a charismatic cult leader who committed a murder that led to a government massacre of his followers.

Show notes and full transcripts available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com.

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For more than three decades, Madame Tussaud toured England, Scotland, and Ireland, winning nationwide acclaim. Over the years, her enterprise morphed into a family business, with both her sons dedicating their lives to the wax museum. In 1829, Madame Tussaud and Sons scored one of their biggest hits of the '20s with controversial effigies of Burke and Hare, Edinburgh-based murderers who sold their victims' cadavers to anatomists for dissection. 

Show notes and full transcripts available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com.

If you'd like to suppor the show, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast.

From 1803 to 1808, Madame Tussaud toured Scotland and Ireland, exhibiting her handiwork in major cities. During this time, she took drastic measures to win her freedom from her exploitative business partner, Paul Philipstahl. Tussaud went years without creating new figures related to crime, but in 1828 she introduced a likeness of William Corder, perpetrator of the infamous Red Barn Murder. This brutal homicide sparked a cultural phenomenon that lasted for the rest of the nineteenth century and beyond, inspiring books, broadsides, murder ballads, peepshows, plays, and even movies.

Show notes and full transcripts available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com.

If you'd like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast.

After marrying and starting a family, Madame Tussaud accepted an offer to partner with another showman and exhibit her handiwork in London. To her dismay, she soon realized that she had teamed up with a snake. Despite a rough start in the British capital, Tussaud scored a major hit with a wax effigy of Colonel Edward Marcus Despard, a convicted traitor who was hanged, drawn, and quartered in February 1803.

For show notes and full transcripts, visit www.artofcrimepodcast.com.

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As the French Revolution ran its course, the monarchy crumbled, and the nation descended into wanton violence. During the Reign of Terror, thousands of French citizens went to the guillotine, and Tussaud made waxen replicas of important revolutionaries' severed heads, including that of Maximilien Robespierre. In 1793, she also created a wax tableau inspired by perhaps the most notorious crime of this period: the assassination of Jean-Paul Marat. 

Show notes and full transcripts available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com. 

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On July 12, 1789, a crowd of protestors furious over King Louis XVI's policies swarmed Madame Tussaud and Philippe Curitus's wax museum, demanding busts of prominent political figures. This episode led to bloodshed that same afternoon. Two days later, a mob stormed the Bastille, a medieval prison, marking the outbreak of the French Revolution. Soon after, the Den of Illustrious Thieves exhibited objects associated with the Bastille, including an effigy of the notorious Comte de Lorges, a prisoner who supposedly languished there for three decades. 

Show notes and full transcripts available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com. 

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Born in 1761, Madame Tussaud studied the art of wax modeling under Philippe Curtius, owner of the most famous wax museum in pre-revolutionary Paris. Sometime around 1780, Curtius opened a special exhibit in his establishment called The Den of Illustrious Thieves, in which he displayed wax effigies of notorious murderers. He had an early hit with a sculpture of double poisoner Antoine Francois Desrues, a struggling grocer who wanted to live the life of an aristocrat whether he could afford to or not.

Show notes and full transcripts available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com. 

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Introducing season 6 . . .

Introducing Queen of Crime: Madame Tussaud and the Chamber of Horrors

Show notes and full transcripts available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com. 

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Today, I'm sharing an episode of the delightful art history podcast, Who ARTed?, hosted by Kyle Wood. This episode is all about the Stockholm art heist of the year 2000. Find out what extraordinary paintings were stolen from the National Gallery--and how they were recovered. We're back next week with another installment in Queen of Crime: Madame Tussaud and the Chamber of Horrors.

Show notes and full transcripts available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com.

If you'd like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast. 

The Perseus of Benvenuto Cellini is justly considered a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture. Believe it or not, this statue almost never existed. From start to finish, sculpting the Perseus proved a Herculean labor, as dogged opposition from Cellini's own patron, life-threatening illness, and the sheer enormity of the artist's ambitions conspired against him.

Show notes and full transcripts available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com. 

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In 1910, four Abyssinian royals toured the H.M.S. Dreadnought, the most technologically advanced ship in the British Royal Navy. Afterward, however, it leaked to the press that the captain and crew of the vessel had been duped: they had given a tour not to foreign dinitaries but British citizens. The Dreadnought affair caused a minor scandal, and what started as a practical joke threatened to end in legal repercussions for the hoaxers.

Show notes and full transcripts available at www.artofcrimepodcast.com. 

If you'd like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/artofcrimepodcast.