Mystery For Two Podcast: true crime, treasure & history

The Picasso Ransom Mystery - the weeping woman heist

In 1986 a million dollar painting, The Weeping Woman by Pablo Picasso, was quietly unscrewed from the wall of Melbourne’s National Gallery of Victoria. And then came a bizarre series of ransom notes from a group calling themselves the “Australian Cultural Terrorists,” Weeks later, a brown paper package appeared in a locker. Would it be The Weeping Woman? Or something else... And that's a wrap on season one of Mystery For Two Podcast! We'll see you in season 2. Follow us on Instagram: @MysteryForTwoPodcast Sources: Australian Broadcasting Corporation. (2019, September 14). Retrofocus: Picasso’s Weeping Woman and the famous unsolved art heist. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-14/retrofocus-picasso-weeping-woman-famous-unsolved-art-heist/11498936 [https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-14/retrofocus-picasso-weeping-woman-famous-unsolved-art-heist/11498936?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Australian Broadcasting Corporation. (2024). Art, politics, crime: The true story of the stolen Picasso. https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/radionational-breakfast/art-politics-crime-the-true-story-of-the-stolen-picasso/103689440 [https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/radionational-breakfast/art-politics-crime-the-true-story-of-the-stolen-picasso/103689440] Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Theft of The Weeping Woman from the National Gallery of Victoria. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theft_of_The_Weeping_Woman_from_the_National_Gallery_of_Victoria [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theft_of_The_Weeping_Woman_from_the_National_Gallery_of_Victoria?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands [https://redcircle.com/brands] Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy [https://redcircle.com/privacy]

The Fall of the Tupperware Queen - the mysterious life of brownie wise

At the height of 1950s America, no woman was more synonymous with success than Brownie Wise, the single mother who turned Tupperware from a failing product into a cultural phenomenon. But when a glamorous company retreat descends into chaos during a violent storm and Brownie mysteriously disappears, her carefully crafted world begins to unravel. But how does the face of a household name vanish almost overnight? And what really led to the downfall of the so-called Tupperware Queen? One more episode until the end of Season One! Lucky number 16 will bring us to the close of our first season, next week. Let us know what you'd like to hear about next. Follow us on Instagram @MysteryForTwoPodcast Special thanks to Sarah Schilling for the assistance with research for today's episode. Sources: “How Tupperware works: The history of Tupperware.” (n.d.). HowStuffWorks. https://people.howstuffworks.com/tupperware2.htm [https://people.howstuffworks.com/tupperware2.htm] National Women’s History Museum. (n.d.). Brownie Wise. https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/brownie-wise [https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/brownie-wise] NPR. (2024). Planet Money: How Tupperware took over our homes (with Decoder Ring). https://www.npr.org/transcripts/1238535892 [https://www.npr.org/transcripts/1238535892] PBS. (n.d.). Brownie Wise. American Experience. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/tupperware-wise/ [https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/tupperware-wise/] Schmidt, S. (n.d.). #20: Tupperware’s Brownie Wise – Erasing history? Medium. https://silkeschmidt-32637.medium.com/20-tupperwares-brownie-wise-erasing-history-d7e237898ceb [https://silkeschmidt-32637.medium.com/20-tupperwares-brownie-wise-erasing-history-d7e237898ceb] Smithsonian Magazine. (n.d.). The story of Brownie Wise, the ingenious marketer behind the Tupperware party. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/story-brownie-wise-ingenious-marketer-behind-tupperware-party-180968658/ [https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/story-brownie-wise-ingenious-marketer-behind-tupperware-party-180968658/] Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands [https://redcircle.com/brands] Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy [https://redcircle.com/privacy]

The Wallpaper That Killed People - the scheele’s green mystery

By the Victorian era, vibrant emerald pigments known as Scheele’s Green and Paris Green had taken Europe by storm, coloring everything from dresses and desserts to children’s toys and wallpaper. The problem was: both dyes contained deadly arsenic. But how long would it take for people to realize that the trendy color of the time was slowly killing them?! Follow us on Instagram: @MysteryForTwoPodcast Sources: Colwell, B. D. (n.d.). A history of arsenic. Retrieved from https://briandcolwell.com/a-history-of-arsenic/ [https://briandcolwell.com/a-history-of-arsenic/] Gosio, B. (historical overview). (n.d.). Bartolomeo Gosio (1863–1944): An appreciation. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/251448954_Bartolomeo_Gosio_1863-1944_An_appreciation [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/251448954_Bartolomeo_Gosio_1863-1944_An_appreciation] Kvadrat Interwoven. (n.d.). Emerald green: The history of a toxic pigment. Retrieved from http://kvadratinterwoven.com/emerald-green [http://kvadratinterwoven.com/emerald-green] Magic Decor. (n.d.). The wallpaper tax: A look at Britain’s 18th-century luxury tax. Retrieved from https://magicdecor.in/blog/the-wallpaper-tax-a-look-at-britains-18th-century-luxury-tax/ [https://magicdecor.in/blog/the-wallpaper-tax-a-look-at-britains-18th-century-luxury-tax/] Tax Fitness. (n.d.). 1712: Queen Anne introduces a wallpaper tax in Great Britain. Retrieved from https://taxfitness.com.au/blog/1712-queen-anne-introduces-a-wallpaper-tax-in-great-britain/ [https://taxfitness.com.au/blog/1712-queen-anne-introduces-a-wallpaper-tax-in-great-britain/] Textile Society of America. (n.d.). Toxic textiles in libraries. Retrieved from https://textilesocietyofamerica.org/12112/textile-tuesdaytoxic-textiles-in-libraries [https://textilesocietyofamerica.org/12112/textile-tuesdaytoxic-textiles-in-libraries] Esquire Philippines. (n.d.). The deadly history of Paris green. Retrieved from https://www.esquiremag.ph/the-good-life/pursuits/paris-green-history [https://www.esquiremag.ph/the-good-life/pursuits/paris-green-history] Newspapers.com. (n.d.). Historical newspaper reference to Scheele’s Green. Retrieved from http://kvadratinterwoven.com/emerald-green [http://kvadratinterwoven.com/emerald-green] Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands [https://redcircle.com/brands] Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy [https://redcircle.com/privacy]

The Louvre Jewel Heist - mysteries at the Louvre, part two

We're back with part two of 'Mysteries at the Louvre'! In October 2025, a team of thieves disguised as construction workers broke into the Louvre’s golden Apollo Gallery and stole millions of dollars worth of French Crown Jewels in broad daylight. A priceless crown was dropped on the sidewalk during their escape, and investigators would soon discover that the museum’s surveillance password was literally “Louvre." We explore how the heist unfolded and the eerie parallels to an infamous crown jewel robbery during the French Revolution. Were these criminals masterminds… or just incredibly lucky? And will the jewels ever be recovered? We have some theories... A special thanks to Sarah Schilling for assisting with research for this case. Sources: Andrews, E. (2016). The heist that made the Mona Lisa famous. History.com. https://www.history.com/articles/the-heist-that-made-the-mona-lisa-famous [https://www.history.com/articles/the-heist-that-made-the-mona-lisa-famous] BBC News. (2025). Everything we know about the Louvre jewellery heist. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg7nrlkg0zxo [https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg7nrlkg0zxo] BBC News. (2025). Four more arrests made following Louvre jewellery heist. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr5zm7n8ngpo [https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr5zm7n8ngpo] Corbet, S., & Leicester, J. (2025). The home of the “Mona Lisa” has a new boss to steer the Louvre out of crisis after jewel heist. https://www.britannica.com/news/2278696/38adf9f5ac5c99c16e206cc16845ca04 [https://www.britannica.com/news/2278696/38adf9f5ac5c99c16e206cc16845ca04] Leath, M. (2025). A history of heists at the Louvre: From the Mona Lisa to Napoleon’s jewels. ABC News. https://abcnews.com/International/history-heists-louvre-mona-lisa-napoleons-jewels/story?id=126680032 [https://abcnews.com/International/history-heists-louvre-mona-lisa-napoleons-jewels/story?id=126680032] Napoleon Foundation. (2025). Theft of jewellery belonging to Empresses Marie-Louise and Eugénie, and to Queen Hortense, from the Louvre Museum, 19 October 2025. https://fondationnapoleon.org/en/2025/10/20/heritage-theft-of-jewellery-belonging-to-empresses-marie-louise-and-eugenie-and-to-queen-hortense-from-the-louvre-museum-19-october-2025/ [https://fondationnapoleon.org/en/2025/10/20/heritage-theft-of-jewellery-belonging-to-empresses-marie-louise-and-eugenie-and-to-queen-hortense-from-the-louvre-museum-19-october-2025/] NPR Staff. (2011). The theft that made the “Mona Lisa” a masterpiece. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2011/07/30/138800110/the-theft-that-made-the-mona-lisa-a-masterpiece [https://www.npr.org/2011/07/30/138800110/the-theft-that-made-the-mona-lisa-a-masterpiece] Ord, S. (2026). Authorities announce progress in Louvre jewellery heist investigation. Jeweller Magazine. https://www.jewellermagazine.com/Article/14781/Authorities-announce-progress-in-Louvre-jewellery-heist-investigation [https://www.jewellermagazine.com/Article/14781/Authorities-announce-progress-in-Louvre-jewellery-heist-investigation] The New York Times. (2025). In just 7 brazen minutes, thieves grab “priceless” jewels from Louvre. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/19/world/europe/louvre-paris-robbery.html [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/19/world/europe/louvre-paris-robbery.html] Wilson, B. (n.d.). Vincenzo Peruggia: The man who stole the Mona Lisa. Medium. https://brucewilsonauthor.medium.com/vincenzo-peruggia-the-man-who-stole-the-mona-lisa-71fb61cb7128 [https://brucewilsonauthor.medium.com/vincenzo-peruggia-the-man-who-stole-the-mona-lisa-71fb61cb7128] Zelazko, A. (2026). What was stolen from the Louvre. Encyclopaedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/art/What-Was-Stolen-from-the-Louvre [https://www.britannica.com/art/What-Was-Stolen-from-the-Louvre] Goppion. (n.d.). Mona Lisa returns to her home in an improved high-tech display case. https://www.goppion.com/journal/mona-lisa-returns-to-her-home-in-an-improved-high-tech-display-case-by-goppion-1 [https://www.goppion.com/journal/mona-lisa-returns-to-her-home-in-an-improved-high-tech-display-case-by-goppion-1] Smithsonian Magazine. (n.d.). Stolen: How the Mona Lisa became the world’s most famous painting. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/stolen-how-the-mona-lisa-became-the-worlds-most-famous-painting-16406234/ [https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/stolen-how-the-mona-lisa-became-the-worlds-most-famous-painting-16406234/] Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands [https://redcircle.com/brands] Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy [https://redcircle.com/privacy]

The Mona Lisa was STOLEN?! - crimes at the Louvre, part one

Today we dive into the 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa (!!!) and the investigation that even dragged Pablo Picasso into police questioning. Plus, we set the stage for the modern-day 2025 Louvre robbery that eerily mirrors the past... Follow us on Instagram: @MysteryForTwoPodcast A special thanks to Sarah Schilling for assisting with the research on this episode. Sources: NPR Staff. (2011, July 30). The theft that made the “Mona Lisa” a masterpiece. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2011/07/30/138800110/the-theft-that-made-the-mona-lisa-a-masterpiece [https://www.npr.org/2011/07/30/138800110/the-theft-that-made-the-mona-lisa-a-masterpiece] Andrews, E. (2016). The heist that made the Mona Lisa famous. History.com. https://www.history.com/articles/the-heist-that-made-the-mona-lisa-famous [https://www.history.com/articles/the-heist-that-made-the-mona-lisa-famous] Everything we know about the Louvre jewellery heist. (2025). BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg7nrlkg0zxo [https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg7nrlkg0zxo] In just 7 brazen minutes, thieves grab ‘priceless’ jewels from Louvre. (2025, October 19). The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/19/world/europe/louvre-paris-robbery.html [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/19/world/europe/louvre-paris-robbery.html] Four more arrests made following Louvre jewellery heist. (2025). BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr5zm7n8ngpo [https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr5zm7n8ngpo] Ord, S. (2026). Authorities announce progress in Louvre jewellery heist investigation. Jeweller Magazine. https://www.jewellermagazine.com/Article/14781/Authorities-announce-progress-in-Louvre-jewellery-heist-investigation [https://www.jewellermagazine.com/Article/14781/Authorities-announce-progress-in-Louvre-jewellery-heist-investigation] Leath, M. (2025). A history of heists at the Louvre: From the Mona Lisa to Napoleon’s jewels. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/International/history-heists-louvre-mona-lisa-napoleons-jewels/story?id=126680032 [https://abcnews.go.com/International/history-heists-louvre-mona-lisa-napoleons-jewels/story?id=126680032] Mona Lisa returns to her home in an improved high-tech display case. Goppion. https://www.goppion.com/journal/mona-lisa-returns-to-her-home-in-an-improved-high-tech-display-case-by-goppion-1 [https://www.goppion.com/journal/mona-lisa-returns-to-her-home-in-an-improved-high-tech-display-case-by-goppion-1] Wilson, B. (n.d.). Vincenzo Peruggia: The man who stole the Mona Lisa. Medium. https://brucewilsonauthor.medium.com/vincenzo-peruggia-the-man-who-stole-the-mona-lisa-71fb61cb7128 [https://brucewilsonauthor.medium.com/vincenzo-peruggia-the-man-who-stole-the-mona-lisa-71fb61cb7128] Stolen! How the Mona Lisa became the world’s most famous painting. (n.d.). Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/stolen-how-the-mona-lisa-became-the-worlds-most-famous-painting-16406234/ [https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/stolen-how-the-mona-lisa-became-the-worlds-most-famous-painting-16406234/] Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands [https://redcircle.com/brands] Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy [https://redcircle.com/privacy]