About this episode

This episode explores the disturbing history of electroplating human remains and the work of Dr. J. M. Variot.

In the late 1800s, Dr. J. M. Variot developed a disturbing process that blurred the line between science, preservation, and the grotesque. In this episode, we dig into the history of electroplating and electrotyping human remains, the patents behind the process, the chemicals involved, the public backlash, and the darker claims surrounding Variot’s work. Was this simply an unusual preservation method, or was there something far more disturbing happening beneath the surface? From metallic death masks and electrical experiments to accusations, strange deaths, and forgotten newspaper reports, we explore every angle of one of the most bizarre chapters in medical and scientific history. This is Electroplating the Dead.

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