Podcast on Beards....and Shaving - The Rest is History

One of the most popular podcasts in the UK -- and the most popular history podcast in the world -- is The Rest is History, in which two erudite and enjoyable British amateur historians discussing aspects of history with a clear eye and good humor.  Topics range throughout the breadth of history, even down to somewhat esoteric issues.  Well, this week's two episodes are on the history of beards -- from what they meant and symbolized in Mesopotamia through Egypt through Alexander the Great's clean shaven approach, through what beards represented  to the Romans, into the Middle Ages, etc, and down to the present.

Of note, in the second of the two episodes -- about 15 minutes into it -- they reach the eighteenth century and the creation of modern shaving by individuals on their own, a result of new Sheffield steel.  Until then, individuals did not shave themselves, but rather relied on groomers and barbers.  In this context there is, of course, mention of how shaving became characterized as an eighteenth century neoclassical gesture of reason, purity, even polite society.  So we can all understand and place in context why we shave today and what its history was. There is mention in those few minutes, of course as we would appreciate, of Trumpers and Harris in Pall Mall, and how all the modern apparatus (razors, brushes, and tallow fat soaps) played its role. And, of course, Gillette and World War I is in there. 

While I would most highly recommend The Rest is History to anyone as a delightful podcast to discover, if you might be interested in learning more about beards and our topic of shaving, here are the links to the two episodes. The first goes into the Middle Ages, and the second picks up from there and comes through to modern period:

Part 1:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/th...0668632822

Part 2:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/th...0668810301

Enjoy!

Thanks Lesser! I'm always looking for new podcasts to listen while I work and will definitely check out these two episodes

One of the most popular podcasts in the UK -- and the most popular history podcast in the world -- is The Rest is History, in which two erudite and enjoyable British amateur historians discussing aspects of history with a clear eye and good humor.  Topics range throughout the breadth of history, even down to somewhat esoteric issues.  Well, this week's two episodes are on the history of beards -- from what they meant and symbolized in Mesopotamia through Egypt through Alexander the Great's clean shaven approach, through what beards represented  to the Romans, into the Middle Ages, etc, and down to the present.

Of note, in the second of the two episodes -- about 15 minutes into it -- they reach the eighteenth century and the creation of modern shaving by individuals on their own, a result of new Sheffield steel.  Until then, individuals did not shave themselves, but rather relied on groomers and barbers.  In this context there is, of course, mention of how shaving became characterized as an eighteenth century neoclassical gesture of reason, purity, even polite society.  So we can all understand and place in context why we shave today and what its history was. There is mention in those few minutes, of course as we would appreciate, of Trumpers and Harris in Pall Mall, and how all the modern apparatus (razors, brushes, and tallow fat soaps) played its role. And, of course, Gillette and World War I is in there. 

While I would most highly recommend The Rest is History to anyone as a delightful podcast to discover, if you might be interested in learning more about beards and our topic of shaving, here are the links to the two episodes. The first goes into the Middle Ages, and the second picks up from there and comes through to modern period:

Part 1:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/th...0668632822

Part 2:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/th...0668810301

Enjoy!

It on my regular list during early morning runs with Enzo