AGE OF VICTORIA PODCAST

Episode Summary: The Age of Victoria continues its 2026 “Famine & Revolution” series by stepping away from the political scandals of Lola Montez and into the microscopic world of a biological invader. In this episode, we begin our deep dive into the “Hungry Forties” by looking at the environmental and material foundations of the era. Using the “Longue Durée” framework of the Annales School, we explore the forces that dictate the fate of civilizations. We examine the “Malthusian Trap”—the point where surging urban populations outstripped the land’s ability to feed them—and why the humble potato was both the savior and the Achilles’ heel of the 19th-century economy.

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Key Topics Covered:

The Annales School & Fernand Braudel: Why history is more than just economics or the work of great people—it is the slow, grinding reality of the “Longue Durée”: climate, biology, and the material systems that constrain human action.

The “Biological Invader”: The science of Phytophthora infestans. How a fungus from the Americas managed to cross the Atlantic and “dissolve” the food supply of a continent.

The Malthusian Trap: A demographic analysis of the early 19th century. We look at the “tipping point” where population growth finally collided with limited agricultural resources.

Urbanisation & The Hinterland: How industrial mega-cities like London and Paris broke the traditional link between people and their food sources, creating a precarious global supply chain.

The Chemistry of the Potato: Why the potato was the “perfect” industrial crop—producing more calories per acre than any grain—and why its monoculture became a death trap.

The Global “Hungry Forties”: Debunking the myth that the famine was a localized event; tracing the “Pandemic of Rot” as it moved from the USA to Belgium, Prussia, Scotland, and Ireland.

Works Cited & Sources:

Donnelly, James S., Jr. The Great Irish Potato Famine. (A principal source for the socio-political impact and the progression of the blight).

Braudel, Fernand. The Structures of Everyday Life: The Limits of the Possible. * Allen, Robert C. The British Industrial Revolution in Global Perspective.

Diamond, Jared. Guns, Germs, and Steel.

Bairoch, Paul. Cities and Economic Development: From the Dawn of History to the Present.

Wrigley, E.A. Poverty, Progress and Population.

De Vries, Jan. European Urbanization, 1500–1800.

Grigg, David. The Agricultural Systems of the World: An Evolutionary Approach.

Flinn, M.W. Scottish Population History from the 17th Century to the 1930s.

Vaughan, W.E. and Fitzpatrick, A.J. Irish Historical Statistics: Population 1821–1971.

Bhardwaj, Raju Lal et al. “An Alarming Decline in the Nutritional Quality of Foods.” Foods (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 13,6 877.

Clark, Stuart. The Annales School: Critical Assessments.

Trinder, “Britain’s industrial revolution.” pp575-602

https://merl.reading.ac.uk/collections/royal-agricultural-society-of-england/

https://victoryseeds.com/pages/potato-famine 

Allen, Robert C., The British Industrial Revolution in Global Perspective.

Gráda, Cormac Ó. “The Lumper Potato and the Famine.” History Ireland, vol. 1, no. 1, 1993, pp. 22–23. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/27724042. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.

Solar, Peter M. “Why Ireland Starved and the Big Issues in Pre-Famine Irish Economic History.” Irish Economic and Social History, vol. 42, 2015, pp. 62–75. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/26375915. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.

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The Age of Victoria returns for the 2026 season with a high-energy prologue to our new series, “Hunger and Revolution”. In this episode, we follow the “magnificent, terrible, magnetic” Lola Montez as she transitions from the stage to the high-stakes world of European politics. Lola becomes an “accidental bunch of dynamite,” moving through the bohemian circles of Paris and the royal halls of Munich. Her volatile relationship with the “rockstar” composer Franz Liszt and her scandalous influence over King Ludwig I of Bavaria serve as a sparking point for the unrest that would soon consume the continent. Against the grim backdrop of the “Continental Famine” and rising industrial tensions, we examine how one woman’s individual actions could help bring the curtain down on the pre-modern age.

Key Topics Covered:

Bohemian Paris in the 1840s: A city of romance and industry undergoing a transformation marked by early railway stations, gas streetlights, and artistic experimentation.

Lisztomania and the Great Composers: Exploring the electric performances and scandalous love life of Franz Liszt—the “rockstar” of the 19th century—who redefined the status of the artist in society.

The Duel of Dujarier: Lola’s time in the French literary scene alongside figures like Victor Hugo ended in tragedy when her lover, journalist Alexandre Henri Dujarier, was killed in a reluctant pistol duel.

The “Gallery of Beauties”: A look at the 36 oil paintings in King Ludwig’s collection, where Lola’s portrait eventually sparked a national scandal.

The Continental Famine: Examining the “parallel story” of the 1845–1847 potato blight across Europe that fueled the urban discontent leading to the 1848 revolutions.

The Fall of Munich: The student riots at the University of Munich involving the “Lolamannen,” the exile of Montez, and King Ludwig I’s ultimate abdication.

“The Battle of Ballarat”: A summary of Lola’s later years, including her infamous whip-fight with a newspaper editor in the Australian goldfields.

Works Cited & Sources:

Edmund B. d’Auvergne: Lola Montez: An Adventuress of the ’Forties (Project Gutenberg).

Dictionary of Irish Biography: “Gilbert, Eliza Rosana (Lola Montez)” by Lawrence William White.

Schloss Nymphenburg: “King Ludwig I’s Gallery of Beauties (Room 15).”

Interlude.hk: “Life of Chopin: The Controversial Chopin Biography by Liszt” by Emily E. Hogstad .

Interlude.hk: “The Spy who loved me! Liszt and Agnes Street-Klindworth”.

Dance Biographies: “Alexandre Henri Dujarier” & “The Fascinating Lola Montez: The European Years.”

State Library Victoria: “Wild times with Lola Montez” (The Battle of Ballarat).

Elizabeth Kerri Mahon: “Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets: The Racy Life of Lola Montez.”

Oktoberfest.de: “The History of Oktoberfest”.

Encyclopedia of 1848 Revolutions: “Economic Crisis in the first half of 1847” (Ohio.edu).

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Christmas is here, and after a brief hiatus due to a hectic workload, Chris Fernandez-Packham returns with the traditional festive special. This year, we raise a glass to the Victorian origins of the cocktail—a “Golden Age” of social and technological evolution that saw the transition from traditional British punches to the precision of the American “sensation-drink”. From the “Ice King” who shipped New England ponds to Calcutta to the middle-class women of Chicago claiming public spaces one Manhattan at a time, we explore how spirits, science, and social change collided. We conclude, as always, with a classic Victorian ghost story: The Shadow in the Corner by M. E. Braddon.

Key Topics Covered:

The Original Manuals: Comparing Jerry Thomas’s legendary Bar-Tender’s Guide (1862) with the defensive British response in Drinking Cups & Their Custom (1869).

The Science of Bitters: The medicinal origins and industrialization of Angostura and Peychaud’s bitters.

Technological Breakthroughs: How the Coffey Still revolutionized spirit consistency and Frederic Tudor created the global ice trade.

Cocktails and Gender: The role of the cocktail in helping middle-class women claim public spaces in 19th-century Chicago tea rooms.

New Orleans Chemistry: The multicultural melting pot that gave us the Sazerac, the Absinthe Frappé, and the labor-intensive Ramos Gin Fizz.

Royal Habits: Queen Victoria’s daily Scotch-and-wine habit and her curious refusal to use ice.

Festive Ghost Story: A reading and analysis of The Shadow in the Corner by M. E. Braddon.

Works Cited & Sources:

Jerry Thomas: The Bar-Tender’s Guide / How to Mix Drinks.

Henry Porter & George Roberts: Drinking Cups & Their Custom (1869).

Emily A. Remus: “Tippling Ladies and the Making of Consumer Culture” (The Journal of American History).

Angostura Bitters: “Our Story”. https://angosturabitters.com/our-story/

Scotch Whisky Magazine: “Whisky Heroes: Aeneas Coffey”.

Statista: “U.S. Alcohol Consumption Per Person”.

Big Edition: “Queen Victoria’s Food Habits”.

Smithsonian Magazine: “Did New Orleans Invent the Cocktail?”.

“A Brief History of Ice.” The Alcohol Professor, 19 Mar. 2018, www.alcoholprofessor.com/blog-posts/blog/2018/03/19/a-brief-history-of-ice. Accessed 20 Dec. 2025.

“Commercial Ice – Cambridge Historical Society.” History Cambridge, historycambridge.org/innovation/Ice.html. Accessed 20 Dec. 2025.

“Planning and Control in the 19th Century Ice Trade.” Accounting Historians Journal, vol. 11, no. 1, Spring 1984, egrove.olemiss.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1196&context=aah_journal. Accessed 20 Dec. 2025.

The Ice King: https://fee.org/articles/frederic-tudor-the-entrepreneur-who-brought-ice-to-calcutta/ 

Sazerac Recipe and History. New Orleans & Company, www.neworleans.com/drink/cocktails/sazerac/. Accessed 20 Dec. 2025.

“The Sazerac Story.” The Sazerac Company, www.sazerac.com/our-company/our-story.html. Accessed 20 Dec. 2025.

“What is a Coffey Still?” Whiskipedia, 22 May 2020, whiskipedia.com/fundamentals/what-is-a-coffey-still/. Accessed 20 Dec. 2025.

The Emergence of New Orleans Cuisine.” The American Menu, 5 June 2024, www.theamericanmenu.com/2024/06/the-emergence-of-new-orleans-cuisine.html. Accessed 20 Dec. 2025.

“History of Craft Cocktails in NOLA.” Where Y’at New Orleans, 20 Nov. 2024, www.whereyat.com/new-orleans-craft-cocktail-history. Accessed 20 Dec. 2025.

“History of the Cocktail.” New Orleans & Company, www.neworleans.com/things-to-do/history/the-history-of-the-cocktail-and-new-orleans/. Accessed 20 Dec. 2025.

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Larger-than-life, scandalous, and unforgettable – Lola Montez blazed across the Victorian stage and into the history books. But who was she really? A glamorous dancer, a political influencer, a femme fatale, or simply a woman determined to seize control of her own life in a world that demanded obedience?

In this episode of the Age of Victoria Podcast, we dive into the extraordinary story of Maria Delores Eliza Rosanna Gilbert – better known as Lola Montez. From her unconventional childhood in India to her explosive marriage, her reinvention as a Spanish dancer, and her stormy debut on the London stage, Lola’s life was anything but ordinary.

We’ll explore the myths, the scandals, and the darker truths – from public whippings and political intrigue to the constant reinvention of her own identity. Was Lola a heroine of independence, a dangerous adventuress, or both?

Join me as we meet the Magnificent Montez, explore her early life and set the stage for her dazzling – and often destructive – career across Europe and beyond.

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Episode Summary

It’s the 8th anniversary of The Age of Victoria Podcast! Join your host Chris Fernandez-Packham as he celebrates this milestone with a very special episode dedicated to one of the most unforgettable rogues of Victorian historical fiction—Sir Harry Flashman.

In this reflective and richly detailed episode, I explore the character of Flashman, the brilliant mind of his creator George MacDonald Fraser, and how the Flashman Papers have become an unconventional yet insightful lens into the Victorian world.

Expect deep dives into:

The real history behind the Flashman novels

Fraser’s impeccable historical research and cheeky literary hoaxes

The balance between historical truth and fiction

Flashman’s infamous “heroism” in key Victorian conflicts like the First Anglo-Afghan War, the Charge of the Light Brigade, and the US Civil War

A who’s-who of real Victorian figures Flashman bedded, betrayed, or bewildered

Whether you’re already a fan of Flashy or new to this bawdy, cowardly antihero, you’ll leave with a richer understanding of Victorian hypocrisy, heroism, and how luck and PR shaped the Empire’s image.

Key Topics Covered

The Flashman Papers and their place in historical fiction

George MacDonald Fraser’s approach to mixing fact and satire

Flashman’s accidental heroism in major Victorian conflicts

Victorian attitudes toward Empire, honour, and race

Antiheroes in literature and why they matter

Fraser’s links to his own military past and colonial nostalgia

Victorian culture, music, and the role of press in myth-making

Quotable Moments

“If I had been the hero everyone thought I was, or even a half-decent soldier, Lee would have won the battle of Gettysburg…”

“Like them or not, the Victorians strode the stage of history in glorious technicolour.”

“Some of the most interesting people in history—and in fiction—are really awful in some ways.”

Further Reading & Mentions

The Flashman Papers series by George MacDonald Fraser

Fraser’s interview with historian Saul David

Historical figures discussed: Lord Cardigan, Rani of Jhansi, Abraham Lincoln, Lola Montez, and more

British colonial history and the forgotten 14th Army of Burma

Music: “Garryowen” and its curious journey from Ireland to the US Cavalry

Join the Celebration!

Thanks to all the listeners who’ve joined the journey over the last 8 years. If you’ve found the show informative, entertaining, or just a good companion on long walks, please consider sharing it or leaving a review.

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