My Victorian Nightmare

In this episode, Genevieve will do a deep dive into Bram Stoker’s notes, interviews and musings about the inspiration behind his vampiric creation, Dracula, and then she will discuss the inspiration behind some of the most iconic costume designs in film history: Eiko Ishioka’s richly inspired, deeply symbolic costumes for Francis Ford Coppola’s film, Bram Stoker’s Dracula. 
Thank you to today’s sponsor!
Try the original M4 skincare from Alloy. Visit myalloy.com and use code VICTORIAN for 20% off your first order!
The Death of Edgar Allan Poe on Spotify and Apple Podcasts
The Death of Edgar Allan Poe Patreon Collection
Subscribe to the Newsletter!
Subscribe to the Patreon or ad-free listening!
Help yourself to MVN Merch!
Genevieve’s book, Where to Begin – Eclectic Witchcraft for Beginners
Today’s Instagram Post
References:
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/whitby-abbey/history-and-stories/dracula/?source=science20.com
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/feb/08/dracula-was-not-from-exeter-insists-bram-stoker-descendant
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/jun/06/bram-stokers-dracula-inspired-by-writings-of-maverick-scotswoman
https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/21l-310-bestsellers-out-for-the-count-fall-2018/pages/readings/dracula-notes/
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/last-voyage-of-the-demeter-dracula-dmitry
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36394788/
https://www.supernaturalstudies.com/previous-journal-issues/vol-7-issue-1/cade
https://www.mot-art-museum.jp/en/exhibitions/eiko-ishioka/
https://archive.org/details/bramstokersnotes0000stok

In this episode, Genevieve will bring us back to the murder scenes, the time-slips, the haunted lunatic asylums and hotels of past episodes, and share the back stories to their creations.
Thank you to today’s sponsors!
Spoiler: you can feel amazing in menopause. Visit myalloy.com and use code VICTORIAN for 20% off your first order!
AquaOmega: One of the highest-dose omega-3 supplements per serving, no fish burps, and for every bottle sold, removes 1 lb. of plastic and debris from the ocean and coastlines. Use code VICTORIAN for 20% off at myaquaomega.com/VICTORIAN.
The Death of Edgar Allan Poe Collection
Subscribe to the Newsletter!
Subscribe to the Patreon free trial for ad-free listening!
Help yourself to MVN merch!
Genevieve’s book, Where to Begin – Eclectic Witchcraft for Beginners

In this episode, Genevieve will discuss the tragic history of the Kreischer family, the many deaths, mob murders and truly creepy hauntings of the Kreischer family mansion that still stands to this very day. She will also discuss the recent discovery of a body that received a vampire burial in the 16th century and what other “deviant” and “anti-revenant” burial practices entailed.
Thank you to today’s sponsors!
AquaOmega: One of the highest-dose omega-3 supplements per serving, no fish burps, and for every bottle sold, removes 1 lb. of plastic and debris from the ocean and coastlines. Use code VICTORIAN for 20% off at myaquaomega.com/VICTORIAN.
Alloy is the only menopause platform with a scalp-to-lash hair care solution. Visit myalloy.com and use code VICTORIAN for 20% off your first order!

Subscribe to the Newsletter!
Subscribe to the Patreon free trial for ad-free listening!
Help Yourself to MVN Merch!
Genevieve’s book, Where to Begin – Eclectic Witchcraft for Beginners
Today’s Instagram Post
References:
https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/21/science/vampire-burial-young-woman-poland
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7458347
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vampire_burial
https://nyghosts.com/the-kreischer-house/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kreischer_House
https://medium.com/@cosmicseasstar/staten-islands-cursed-kreischer-mansion-saga-that-ended-in-fire-death-and-murder-24048f4c80be
https://www.storiesofthesupernatural.info/kreischermansion.html
https://historygoesbump.blogspot.com/2025/11/hgb-ep-613-kreischer-mansion.html
https://www.justice.gov/archive/usao/nye/pr/2008/2008oct27.html
https://abc7ny.com/archive/6445552/

In this episode, Genevieve will dive back into the Illustrated Police News, The 19th century’s worst newspaper. She will discuss horrifying murder attempts with hot pokers, deadly champagne suppers, the science of decapitation, men falling dead at funerals, ghosts with guns, cannibal cats and much, much more. 
Subscribe to the Newsletter!
Subscribe to the Patreon free trial for ad-free listening!
Help Yourself to MVN Merch!
Today’s Instagram Post
References:
“The Science of Decapitation” – The Illustrated Police News, May 7th, 1872.
“What Befel a New York Swell Who Persisted in Laughing at a “Dolly Varden” – The Illustrated Police News, May 7th, 1872.
“A Woman in New York Thrusts a Red Hot Iron down Her Husband’s Throat” – The Illustrated Police News, May 7th, 1872.
“Sewed in a Sheet—An Injured Wife’s Revenge on an Indolent Husband at Louisville, Ky.” – The Illustrated Police News, May 7th, 1872.
“A CORPSE AT THE FOOT OF THE STAIRS” – The Illustrated Police News, May 7th, 1872.
“How They Drink in England” – The Illustrated Police News, May 7th, 1872.
“CURIOUS CASUALTIES” – The Illustrated Police News, Jan. 4th, 1879.
“Cremated Alive—The Fatal Sequel of a Champagne Supper—Terrible Revenge of a Harlot” – The Illustrated Police News, Jan. 4th, 1879.
“A Live Turkey Loose in a Drug Store” – The Illustrated Police News, Jan. 4th, 1879.
“Crazed by the Blow of an Icicle—Remarkable Accident to an English Tourist Behind the Cataract of Niagara” – The Illustrated Police News, Jan. 4th, 1879.
“A STRANGE SUICIDE”– The Illustrated Police News, Jan. 4th, 1879.
“Cannibal Cats—How They Feasted Off the Corpse of a Dead Man” – The Illustrated Police News, Jan. 4th, 1879.
“A Ghost With a Revolver” – The Illustrated Police News, Oct. 10th, 1885.

In this episode, Genevieve will discuss the funeral industry of the 19th century and a few of her favorite death-centered professions that are no longer in high demand today, but were positively fascinating: funeral cookie bakers, corpse-watchers, mutes and professional mourners. 
Thank you to today’s sponsor, Alloy!
Try the original estrogen-powered M4 skincare from Alloy. Visit myalloy.com and use code VICTORIAN for $20 off your first order!
Subscribe to the Newsletter!
Subscribe to the Patreon free trial for ad-free listening!
Help Yourself to MVN Merch!
Today’s Instagram Post
My Problematic Award-Winning Video 
Welcome to Heaven

References:
https://funeral.com/blogs/the-journal/funeral-biscuits-in-the-1800s-what-they-were-why-they-were-served-and-how-to-make-them-today?srsltid=AfmBOorry4RZkCYT3pQ2iGryb0LGfYJ-xZYnlhN6e4pYP5dl7Jb_SHwo
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sin-eater
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleventh_edition_of_the_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica
https://web.prm.ox.ac.uk/england/englishness-funeral-food.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funeral_biscuit
https://www.victorianlondon.org/death/characteroffunerals.htm
https://austins.co.uk/blog/the-history-of-the-victorian-mute/
https://thevictorianbookofthedead.wordpress.com/tag/professional-mourners
https://collections.britishart.yale.edu/catalog/alma%3A99127049613408651
https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/15792/pg15792-images.html
https://thevictorianbookofthedead.wordpress.com/category/buried-alive/
“Prematurely Buried” - Kilmore Free Press, Jan. 18th 1883.
“Narrowly Escaped Burial Alive” - The Clinton Independent, Thursday Feb. 18th, 1892.