May 19, 2022 • 9 mins
Some people change the world for the better, and others make it worse. Either way, they make for curious stories.
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcomed Aaron Manky's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of I
Heart Radio and Grim and Mild. Our world is full
of the unexplainable, and if history is an open book,
all of these amazing tales are right there on display,
just waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet
(00:27):
of Curiosities. Some people think they know better than everyone else.
A company founder might feel they can steer their ship
better than their board of directors, or an independent child
might believe they're ready to grow up faster than their
(00:48):
parents expected. Tight As Salt also believed that he knew
better than those around him, and he wasn't shy about
it either. The thing was, Titus had elevated himself so
highly above everyone else, he didn't what was going on
right under his nose. Titus hailed from a small market
town called Morley and Leads, England. Back in the early
eight hundreds, his father, Daniel sold things like salt, varnish
(01:11):
and glue, an occupation known as a dry salter. Daniel
sent his son off to school for a time before
Titus eventually struck out on his own as a wool dealer,
a job he held for two years, but Home kept
calling him back, and so Titus packed up his things
and returned to become business partners with dear old Dad.
Their company, Daniel Salt and Son, dealta in textiles, specifically
(01:34):
Russian wool. They eventually branched out in the eighteen thirties
to incorporating alpaca wool into their offerings and increasing the
company's footprint. Over the next twenty years, Titus took over
operations and skyrocketed to the top of the textiles industry.
Daniel Salt and Son had more employees than any other
business for miles, and with nowhere else to go but up,
(01:56):
he decided to enter the realm of local politics. In
eighteen forty eight, Titus was elected mayor of Bradford, where
he lived and worked. Now, he may have been immensely wealthy,
but he also recognized that his factories were harming the
people of the community. They were spewing dangerous levels of
smoke and soot into the air, and while he did
his best to clean things up, his efforts ultimately failed. Meanwhile,
(02:20):
Titus's company continued to grow. In fact, it became too
big for the town, what with its six mills, in all,
and so Titus made a bold move. He bought a
large plot of land in Bradford. It was located along
the river, not too far away. But he wasn't going
to build just another bigger factory, one that would consolidate
everyone under one roof. No, Titus had much grander plans
(02:42):
than that. He was going to build a whole new town.
He called it Saltaire, self contained village for himself, his workers,
and their families. He kicked things off with a mill,
which opened on his birthday, September twenty, eighteen fifty three,
and from there Titus went on to construct gools, houses, churches,
and even a hospital in Saltaire. He paid for much
(03:04):
of it himself, with a focus on cleanliness. Now, back
in Bradford, life expectancy hadn't grown past about twenty years,
but in the new town of Saltaire it climbed to
a whopping seventy years. People didn't just live and work
in Saltaire, they thrived. Their homes, had gas and water
fed to them directly from the mill. Roads were paved,
(03:25):
and there was a train line nearby that brought supplies
and materials directly to the town. Saltaire had it all
except for one thing, pubs. Titus refused to allow pubs
or beer shops to be erected within his pristine little village.
Part of Saltaire's allure for him was his ability to
watch and control his employees. They lived and worked in
(03:47):
his town, but he felt his control extended beyond the workday.
He was a staunch methodist, you see, and he insisted
that his workforce exercised the same level of faith as
he did. This included no drinking, no umbling, and no swearing,
not exactly the easiest thing for thirty mill workers looking
to unwind after a long day on their feet. But
(04:08):
even though Titus controlled his factory and his employees, there
was one thing he had no control over time. The
great philanthropist and businessman had to meet his maker one day,
and he did on December twenty nine of eighteen seventy six.
Now the people loved him, and a statue of Titus
Sault was erected in nearby Roberts Park, a memorial to
(04:29):
the man who improved the standards of living for his
entire workforce and helped the less fortunate. But that wasn't
all that went up after his death, Titus, as I
said earlier, did not drink. He would not allow any
public houses or saloons built within his town's borders. Well,
sensibilities changed once he was out of the picture. Today,
Salt is home to several pubs and bars, including one
(04:52):
with a cheeky nod to the town's founder. It's called
Don't Tell Titus. The age of British colonialism saw a
(05:14):
slew of undue atrocities spread around the world under the
oppressive eye of the Empire. The Crown claimed dominion over
populations that never asked for their sudden British overlords, but
spread thin as they were, The British were always left
open for a little bit of failure, and that opening
was left on by Tippoo, Sultan in the Kingdom of
Mysore in India. Tippoo and his kingdom had an emblem,
(05:37):
a symbol, a motto, the tiger. This tiger could be
found on quite literally everything in the kingdom, from walls
to flags, to weapons and armor. Tippoo's throne had a
massive tiger carved into it, and you can bet the
rest of the furniture in the place did as well.
But it was also the centerpiece of a rather demeaning
work of art. Demeaning in a completely satisfying way, nice
(06:00):
would add. Now, the story goes that a young East
India Company cadet by the name of Hector Sutherland Monroe
went hunting with a few of his company buddies on
December twenty two. Unfortunately for Monroe, he became the hunted
instead of the hunter. You see, a clever Bengal tiger
killed him on that hunt, and thus we have the
(06:21):
inspiration for the piece given to Tippoo Sultan. Of course,
the veracity of the story is still up for debate,
but you get the idea. Now. The indigenous population there
loved the idea of colonial Europeans being mauled by tigers.
Hard to blame them, really. One artist liked it so
much that they created a work of art simply known
(06:41):
as Tippoo's Tiger, a nearly life sized wooden version of
the tiger mallying the man who may or may not
have been Hector souther Lind Monroe. But it wasn't just
an idle sculpture that wouldn't have been demeaning enough for
what the British Empire deserved. No, this piece of art
was also an automata, not unlike the ones being produced
(07:01):
in Europe. Its outer shell, made of painted wood, concealed
an interior of metal cogs and pipes, all with a
very specific purpose to make this art come to life,
and all operated by cranks. One handle, for instance, caused
the colonial Europeans arm to rise and fall while air
pushed through a pipe in his neck, making him gurgle
(07:23):
and moan as if he were being mauled by the tiger.
Another crank activated the air within the tiger's pipes and
made a satisfying growling sound, because what could be more
satisfying than maulling the oppressor. No doubt, the good Tippoo
Sultan had a blast entertaining guests at his palace as
they marveled over the technological splendor of watching a European
(07:46):
man mauled over and over by the emblem of his
own country. But, as they always seemed to say, all
good things must come to an end. Eventually, the British
did invade, and they confiscated Tippoo's tiger, claiming it or themselves.
Now one might assume that's given the offense they had
taken to it, they would destroy the piece, but no,
(08:07):
they didn't do that. They just wanted it for themselves.
After that, the Tiger began to make the rounds through
various museums in Great Britain, which it still does to
this day, still being watched by the masses as it
mals its perpetual victim. Tpoos Tiger and almost living, breathing
symbol of the flaws and dangers of colonialism on display
(08:28):
by the very people it was meant to offend. Now
I'd call that curious. I hope you've enjoyed today's guided
tour of the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on
Apple Podcasts, or learn more about the show by visiting
Curiosities podcast dot com. The show was created by me
(08:50):
Aaron Manky in partnership with how Stuff Works. I make
another award winning show called Lore, which is a podcast,
book series, and television show, and you can learn all
about it over at the World of Lore dot com.
And until next time, stay curious. Yeah h
Welcomed Aaron Manky's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of I
Heart Radio and Grim and Mild. Our world is full
of the unexplainable, and if history is an open book,
all of these amazing tales are right there on display,
just waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet
(00:27):
of Curiosities. Some people think they know better than everyone else.
A company founder might feel they can steer their ship
better than their board of directors, or an independent child
might believe they're ready to grow up faster than their
(00:48):
parents expected. Tight As Salt also believed that he knew
better than those around him, and he wasn't shy about
it either. The thing was, Titus had elevated himself so
highly above everyone else, he didn't what was going on
right under his nose. Titus hailed from a small market
town called Morley and Leads, England. Back in the early
eight hundreds, his father, Daniel sold things like salt, varnish
(01:11):
and glue, an occupation known as a dry salter. Daniel
sent his son off to school for a time before
Titus eventually struck out on his own as a wool dealer,
a job he held for two years, but Home kept
calling him back, and so Titus packed up his things
and returned to become business partners with dear old Dad.
Their company, Daniel Salt and Son, dealta in textiles, specifically
(01:34):
Russian wool. They eventually branched out in the eighteen thirties
to incorporating alpaca wool into their offerings and increasing the
company's footprint. Over the next twenty years, Titus took over
operations and skyrocketed to the top of the textiles industry.
Daniel Salt and Son had more employees than any other
business for miles, and with nowhere else to go but up,
(01:56):
he decided to enter the realm of local politics. In
eighteen forty eight, Titus was elected mayor of Bradford, where
he lived and worked. Now, he may have been immensely wealthy,
but he also recognized that his factories were harming the
people of the community. They were spewing dangerous levels of
smoke and soot into the air, and while he did
his best to clean things up, his efforts ultimately failed. Meanwhile,
(02:20):
Titus's company continued to grow. In fact, it became too
big for the town, what with its six mills, in all,
and so Titus made a bold move. He bought a
large plot of land in Bradford. It was located along
the river, not too far away. But he wasn't going
to build just another bigger factory, one that would consolidate
everyone under one roof. No, Titus had much grander plans
(02:42):
than that. He was going to build a whole new town.
He called it Saltaire, self contained village for himself, his workers,
and their families. He kicked things off with a mill,
which opened on his birthday, September twenty, eighteen fifty three,
and from there Titus went on to construct gools, houses, churches,
and even a hospital in Saltaire. He paid for much
(03:04):
of it himself, with a focus on cleanliness. Now, back
in Bradford, life expectancy hadn't grown past about twenty years,
but in the new town of Saltaire it climbed to
a whopping seventy years. People didn't just live and work
in Saltaire, they thrived. Their homes, had gas and water
fed to them directly from the mill. Roads were paved,
(03:25):
and there was a train line nearby that brought supplies
and materials directly to the town. Saltaire had it all
except for one thing, pubs. Titus refused to allow pubs
or beer shops to be erected within his pristine little village.
Part of Saltaire's allure for him was his ability to
watch and control his employees. They lived and worked in
(03:47):
his town, but he felt his control extended beyond the workday.
He was a staunch methodist, you see, and he insisted
that his workforce exercised the same level of faith as
he did. This included no drinking, no umbling, and no swearing,
not exactly the easiest thing for thirty mill workers looking
to unwind after a long day on their feet. But
(04:08):
even though Titus controlled his factory and his employees, there
was one thing he had no control over time. The
great philanthropist and businessman had to meet his maker one day,
and he did on December twenty nine of eighteen seventy six.
Now the people loved him, and a statue of Titus
Sault was erected in nearby Roberts Park, a memorial to
(04:29):
the man who improved the standards of living for his
entire workforce and helped the less fortunate. But that wasn't
all that went up after his death, Titus, as I
said earlier, did not drink. He would not allow any
public houses or saloons built within his town's borders. Well,
sensibilities changed once he was out of the picture. Today,
Salt is home to several pubs and bars, including one
(04:52):
with a cheeky nod to the town's founder. It's called
Don't Tell Titus. The age of British colonialism saw a
(05:14):
slew of undue atrocities spread around the world under the
oppressive eye of the Empire. The Crown claimed dominion over
populations that never asked for their sudden British overlords, but
spread thin as they were, The British were always left
open for a little bit of failure, and that opening
was left on by Tippoo, Sultan in the Kingdom of
Mysore in India. Tippoo and his kingdom had an emblem,
(05:37):
a symbol, a motto, the tiger. This tiger could be
found on quite literally everything in the kingdom, from walls
to flags, to weapons and armor. Tippoo's throne had a
massive tiger carved into it, and you can bet the
rest of the furniture in the place did as well.
But it was also the centerpiece of a rather demeaning
work of art. Demeaning in a completely satisfying way, nice
(06:00):
would add. Now, the story goes that a young East
India Company cadet by the name of Hector Sutherland Monroe
went hunting with a few of his company buddies on
December twenty two. Unfortunately for Monroe, he became the hunted
instead of the hunter. You see, a clever Bengal tiger
killed him on that hunt, and thus we have the
(06:21):
inspiration for the piece given to Tippoo Sultan. Of course,
the veracity of the story is still up for debate,
but you get the idea. Now. The indigenous population there
loved the idea of colonial Europeans being mauled by tigers.
Hard to blame them, really. One artist liked it so
much that they created a work of art simply known
(06:41):
as Tippoo's Tiger, a nearly life sized wooden version of
the tiger mallying the man who may or may not
have been Hector souther Lind Monroe. But it wasn't just
an idle sculpture that wouldn't have been demeaning enough for
what the British Empire deserved. No, this piece of art
was also an automata, not unlike the ones being produced
(07:01):
in Europe. Its outer shell, made of painted wood, concealed
an interior of metal cogs and pipes, all with a
very specific purpose to make this art come to life,
and all operated by cranks. One handle, for instance, caused
the colonial Europeans arm to rise and fall while air
pushed through a pipe in his neck, making him gurgle
(07:23):
and moan as if he were being mauled by the tiger.
Another crank activated the air within the tiger's pipes and
made a satisfying growling sound, because what could be more
satisfying than maulling the oppressor. No doubt, the good Tippoo
Sultan had a blast entertaining guests at his palace as
they marveled over the technological splendor of watching a European
(07:46):
man mauled over and over by the emblem of his
own country. But, as they always seemed to say, all
good things must come to an end. Eventually, the British
did invade, and they confiscated Tippoo's tiger, claiming it or themselves.
Now one might assume that's given the offense they had
taken to it, they would destroy the piece, but no,
(08:07):
they didn't do that. They just wanted it for themselves.
After that, the Tiger began to make the rounds through
various museums in Great Britain, which it still does to
this day, still being watched by the masses as it
mals its perpetual victim. Tpoos Tiger and almost living, breathing
symbol of the flaws and dangers of colonialism on display
(08:28):
by the very people it was meant to offend. Now
I'd call that curious. I hope you've enjoyed today's guided
tour of the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on
Apple Podcasts, or learn more about the show by visiting
Curiosities podcast dot com. The show was created by me
(08:50):
Aaron Manky in partnership with how Stuff Works. I make
another award winning show called Lore, which is a podcast,
book series, and television show, and you can learn all
about it over at the World of Lore dot com.
And until next time, stay curious. Yeah h
Aaron Mahnke's Cabinet of Curiosities News
Host
Aaron Mahnke
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