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What We Did Before | A History of Everyday Life

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Before modern inventions and conveniences, humans had ingenious ways of solving problems. So how exactly did humans survive before fridges, without clothes or before surnames were invented? Find out the answers to these questions and more, right here. Hosted by Ollie Guillou.

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes53Foundeda year ago
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HistoryDocumentarySociety & Culture

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Latest Episodes

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šŸ’¬ White paint was used everywhere in Victorian Britain. The trouble was, the pigment that made this paint so useful was deadly. For the people working in the white lead factories, this job was said to be deadlier than being a soldi... more

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šŸ’¬ What was life like before gas lighting? Just over 230 years ago, even the wealthiest homes were poorly lit by modern standards. But when a Scottish engineer began experimenting with gas, he sparked a revolution that would transfo... more

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šŸ’¬ The East End Matchwomen produced one of Victorian Britain’s most important everyday products - but the job could be deadly.

In Victorian London, the East End was seen as the slums. High society looked down on the people who inha... more

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šŸ’¬ In the early 20th century, radium was hailed as a wonder substance. Young women landed well-paid jobs painting glow-in-the-dark watch dials with it, even putting their brushes between their lips to keep a fine point. Years later,... more

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šŸ’¬ When we think of fools or jesters, we often imagine a peculiar Medieval entertainer in a funny hat. But court jesters aren’t confined to one timeline - they appear around the world, throughout history.

Far from being silly enter... more

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šŸ’¬ When we think of fools or jesters, we often imagine a peculiar Medieval entertainer in a funny hat. But court jesters aren’t confined to one timeline - they appear around the world, throughout history.

Far from being silly enter... more

Send us Fan Mail

šŸ’¬ Before petrol and electric cars took over our roads, inventors were experimenting with a very different kind of transport - steam-powered vehicles.

In 1803, pioneering engineer Richard Trevithick built an extraordinary steam car... more

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šŸ’¬ In the early 20th century, radium was hailed as a wonder substance. Young women landed well-paid jobs painting glow-in-the-dark watch dials with it, even putting their brushes between their lips to keep a fine point. Years later,... more

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Recent Guests

Russell Thomas
Technical Director at WSP and gas historian
WSP
Episode: The "Wizard" Who Brought Gas Lighting to Britain – And Its Dark Side
Louise Raw
Labour historian and author of Striking a Light: The Bryant & May Matchwomen and Their Place in History
Episode: Why Victorian Matchgirls Had To Fight For Their Lives
Kate Moore
New York Times bestselling author of The Radium Girls
Episode: The Radium Girls: The Deadly Job That Sparked a Fight for Justice
Beatrice Otto
Author of Fools Are Everywhere
Author
Episode: The Life of a Jester: Why Monarchs Have Needed Fools for Thousands of Years
Dave Bartlett
Archivist, British Commercial Vehicle Museum
British Commercial Vehicle Museum
Episode: An Early Steam Vehicle, The Pope Mobile & The Mystery of the Leyland Ladies
James Wade
Professor in English at Girton College, Cambridge; expert on the Middle Ages
Girton College, Cambridge
Episode: Before Stand Up Comedians: What Did Medieval People Find Funny?
Bob Bonner
Curator and founder of the Fireground Museum
Fireground Museum, Rochdale
Episode: Before Fire Brigades: The Strange History of Fighting Fires
Richard Bartle
Co-creator of MUD (Multi-User Dungeon), early virtual worlds pioneer
University/early computing community
Episode: Before Online Games: How ā€œMUDā€ Gave Birth to a Whole New Generation of Gaming
Korinne Le Page
Guernsey tour guide
Guernsey tour guide
Episode: Before Religious Freedom: The Tragedy of the Guernsey Martyrs

Hosts

Ollie Guillou
Host of What We Did Before | A History of Everyday Life
Matt
Co-host of the show

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LoreAaron Mahnke

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Why Victorian Matchgirls Had To Fight For Their Lives
Q: And why was it that women were most often chosen for this work? And also, often very young children even, why was that?
Bryant & May regarded the work as unskilled and could hire women and children for low wages. Families living in poverty needed their earnings, and children sometimes began working as young as six.
Why Victorian Matchgirls Had To Fight For Their Lives
Q: First, I think it's important, I suppose, to explain to people what a matchwoman was.
Matchwomen worked in Bryant & May's factory complex in Bow, East London, making an essential product used for lighting fires, candles and gas lamps. The workers embraced the name as a shared identity and used it to organize.
The Radium Girls: The Deadly Job That Sparked a Fight for Justice
Q: How much did people know about Radium's deadly health effects?
Scientists and companies knew that large amounts of radium were dangerous and equipped laboratory workers with protective gear, but they believed small amounts used in dial paint were safe.
The Radium Girls: The Deadly Job That Sparked a Fight for Justice
Q: So who exactly were the Radium Girls?
They were American women who painted clocks, watches, and instruments with radium paint, often for good wages and with patriotic motivation during wartime.
The "Wizard" Who Brought Gas Lighting to Britain – And Its Dark Side
Q: How did you charge your customers if you didn't know how much they were using?
Before gas meters, companies charged customers according to how long they were allowed to keep their lights on and sent inspectors to check whether they exceeded the agreed hours.

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Frequently Asked Questions About What We Did Before

What is What We Did Before about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show centers on pre-modern life, exploring how people solved everyday problems before modern conveniences. Recent episodes span industrial history, archaeology, warfare, and cultural phenomena—ranging from tiny prisons and Victorian work dangers to ancient tools, barefoot running, and the origins of chemistry. Guests tend to be historians, archaeologists, museum professionals, authors, and researchers who illuminate hidden or overlooked aspects of everyday life, making complex history approachable through storytelling and on-site context. A notable strength is blending technical detail with accessible narrative, often using on-site tours or expert interviews to ground historical periods in tangible activities and places.

A standout tra... more

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What We Did Before launched a year ago and published 53 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on What We Did Before?

Recent guests on What We Did Before include:

1. Russell Thomas
2. Louise Raw
3. Kate Moore
4. Beatrice Otto
5. Dave Bartlett
6. James Wade
7. Bob Bonner
8. Richard Bartle

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