1 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:07,480 Speaker 1: Welcome to Aaron Menkey's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of 2 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:13,840 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio and Grim and Mild. Our world is 3 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:17,960 Speaker 1: full of the unexplainable, and if history is an open book, 4 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:21,640 Speaker 1: all of these amazing tales are right there on display, 5 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:27,600 Speaker 1: just waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet 6 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:39,000 Speaker 1: of Curiosities. Museums all over the world are home to 7 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:42,200 Speaker 1: the finest works of arts ever created. New York City's 8 00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:46,080 Speaker 1: Museum of Modern Art houses pieces by Andy Warhol, Claude Monet, 9 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:49,360 Speaker 1: and Jackson Pollock, as well as Vincent van Gogh's iconic 10 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:53,000 Speaker 1: painting Starry Night. The Louve in Paris houses the Mona 11 00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:56,640 Speaker 1: Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci her rye Smile greeting each 12 00:00:56,680 --> 00:01:01,040 Speaker 1: guest who passes by. Such works in vite speculation as 13 00:01:01,080 --> 00:01:03,000 Speaker 1: to what the artist was thinking when they made it, 14 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:05,479 Speaker 1: What is it telling us? What does it say about 15 00:01:05,520 --> 00:01:08,840 Speaker 1: the world at large? Art is subjective, often up to 16 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:14,160 Speaker 1: all kinds of interpretation. Some pieces, however, transcend simple questions 17 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:16,960 Speaker 1: about intent and meaning. They are made with the same 18 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:20,160 Speaker 1: kind of skill other artists only dream of. These works 19 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:24,000 Speaker 1: don't only invite interpretation, they demand it. Such were the 20 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:30,280 Speaker 1: paintings of Pierre Brissa. Brissau exploded onto the Swedish art 21 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:33,679 Speaker 1: scene in nineteen sixty four. His first exhibition was held 22 00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:37,640 Speaker 1: in gerta Borga, Sweden, and the critics loved him. Ralph Anderberg, 23 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:41,160 Speaker 1: art critic for the local paper, said, Brisseau paints with 24 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:45,000 Speaker 1: powerful strokes, but also with clear determination, and then he 25 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:48,960 Speaker 1: added that he performed with the delicacy of a ballet dancer. 26 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:53,000 Speaker 1: Brisseau had been discovered by Daca Axelsson, who insisted he 27 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 1: share his paintings with the rest of the world. Axelson 28 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 1: had been invited into the artist studio weeks earlier, where 29 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:01,440 Speaker 1: he selected four of the painters finest pieces and had 30 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:04,640 Speaker 1: them put up in the gallery. Brassau's paintings took the 31 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:06,680 Speaker 1: medium to a whole new level at a time when 32 00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:10,560 Speaker 1: abstract art was gaining in popularity across Sweden. A private 33 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:13,760 Speaker 1: collector immediately bought one of his paintings for ninety dollars, 34 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 1: which would equal about seven hundred dollars today. Sadly, Brassau's 35 00:02:18,639 --> 00:02:21,600 Speaker 1: work was not long for this world. He stopped painting 36 00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:24,520 Speaker 1: after his first show, most likely brought on by one 37 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:28,560 Speaker 1: critics scathing review the following day. It read only an 38 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:32,160 Speaker 1: ape could have done this. Now. Other artists might have 39 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:36,600 Speaker 1: shrugged off such an unpleasant sentiment, but not Brazow, probably 40 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:40,560 Speaker 1: because the critic wasn't wrong. Pierre Braza was no artist. 41 00:02:41,120 --> 00:02:45,320 Speaker 1: He was a chimpanzee. His real name was Peter. Pierre 42 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:48,799 Speaker 1: Brazou was the pseudonym that Axelsson used when he submitted 43 00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:51,840 Speaker 1: his paintings to the gallery. Axelsson had actually been a 44 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:54,840 Speaker 1: journalist who wanted to test the credibility of art critics 45 00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:57,120 Speaker 1: at the time. Did they really know what they were 46 00:02:57,120 --> 00:03:00,480 Speaker 1: talking about or were they full of it? He believed 47 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:03,680 Speaker 1: most critics were snobs who couldn't necessarily tell the difference 48 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:07,640 Speaker 1: between good art and bad. Well, their real test was 49 00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:10,560 Speaker 1: about to begin. Axelsson traveled to a zoo in northern 50 00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:13,320 Speaker 1: Sweden looking for his perfect painter, and that's when he 51 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:16,960 Speaker 1: found Peter, a four year old West African chimpanzee. With 52 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:20,680 Speaker 1: the zookeeper's permission, Axelson presented Peter with some oil paints, 53 00:03:20,840 --> 00:03:23,560 Speaker 1: which he took to immediately, just not in the way 54 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:27,840 Speaker 1: everyone expected Peter ate them. Cobalt blue seemed to be 55 00:03:27,919 --> 00:03:30,359 Speaker 1: the most delicious he loved it so much he used 56 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:32,760 Speaker 1: it in most of his paintings. Once he got tired 57 00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:35,120 Speaker 1: of eating his materials, he would put his brush to 58 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 1: the canvas. It also helped that they always had a 59 00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:41,280 Speaker 1: basket of bananas nearby while he painted, keeping him distracted 60 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:45,240 Speaker 1: from swallowing another mouthful of blue. At his hungriest, he 61 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:48,880 Speaker 1: would eat up to nine bananas in ten minutes. After 62 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:52,119 Speaker 1: Peter completed a bunch of paintings, Axelson took the four 63 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:54,360 Speaker 1: he thought were best and sent them to the gallery 64 00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:57,680 Speaker 1: to be displayed. The trap had been set and almost 65 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:02,520 Speaker 1: everyone had fallen for it. Ralph Edinburgh didn't seem bothered 66 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:05,120 Speaker 1: by the Hoaxes reveal. In the end, he stood by 67 00:04:05,160 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 1: his original statement, claiming Peter's painting had still been the 68 00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:12,640 Speaker 1: best in the exhibition. Peter left Sweden a few years later, 69 00:04:12,760 --> 00:04:14,600 Speaker 1: living out the rest of his days at the Chester 70 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:16,880 Speaker 1: Zoo in England. He might not have gone on to 71 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:20,320 Speaker 1: great fame and fortune, but Peter had done something even better. 72 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:23,160 Speaker 1: He turned the tables on a bunch of stuffy art 73 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:39,200 Speaker 1: critics and made a monkey out of all of them. 74 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:42,400 Speaker 1: In August of eighteen sixty two, Confederate General Robert E. 75 00:04:42,560 --> 00:04:46,200 Speaker 1: Lee had just come off to victorious campaigns at Manassas, Virginia, 76 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:50,159 Speaker 1: otherwise known as Bull Run. The Union's defeats had been swift, 77 00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:53,880 Speaker 1: as Lee had a reputation for striking fast. The South 78 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:57,520 Speaker 1: was poised to win the war. Panicked and demoralized, the 79 00:04:57,640 --> 00:05:00,880 Speaker 1: Union prepared for the eventual overtaking a Washington d c. 80 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:05,279 Speaker 1: A steamership even stood by, ready to evacuate President Lincoln 81 00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:10,160 Speaker 1: if necessary. The South, meanwhile, rejoiced with the news. With 82 00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:13,320 Speaker 1: such a strong victory, citizens demanded that their troops moved 83 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:16,840 Speaker 1: farther into Union territory. Lee felt that one more win 84 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:20,560 Speaker 1: over the Union troops would not only prove superior military strength, 85 00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:25,360 Speaker 1: but might also affect the upcoming congressional elections. Lee had 86 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:28,599 Speaker 1: just the target to the Potomac by way of the 87 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:32,279 Speaker 1: Shannon Doah Valley. With skilled veteran generals in his ranks, 88 00:05:32,560 --> 00:05:36,120 Speaker 1: Lee planned to send troops to destroy Pennsylvania's railroad bridge, 89 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:39,760 Speaker 1: cutting off the supply route to Washington. Stonewall Jackson was 90 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:42,800 Speaker 1: set to command a raid on Harper's ferry, while Lee 91 00:05:42,920 --> 00:05:46,760 Speaker 1: and his troops were to march into Haggerstown. Generally wrote 92 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:51,800 Speaker 1: Special Orders one on September nine, eighteen sixty two and 93 00:05:51,960 --> 00:05:56,440 Speaker 1: sent copies to his commanders. After reading his copy of 94 00:05:56,440 --> 00:06:00,920 Speaker 1: the orders, James Longstreet destroyed it by chewing the paper tobacco. 95 00:06:01,160 --> 00:06:04,080 Speaker 1: John Walker kept his pin to the inside of his jacket. 96 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:09,240 Speaker 1: Stonewall Jackson burned his orders after carefully memorizing the words 97 00:06:09,279 --> 00:06:13,320 Speaker 1: everyone was ready and the secret was safe. There was 98 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:16,839 Speaker 1: a fourth general, though both Lee and Jackson believed that 99 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:20,599 Speaker 1: General Daniel Harvey Hill was under their command. Hill was 100 00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:23,560 Speaker 1: Jackson's brother in law, after all. In the mix up, 101 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:26,800 Speaker 1: both Lee and Jackson sent a copy of the orders 102 00:06:26,839 --> 00:06:30,239 Speaker 1: to Hill. One of Hill's copies ended up in Union 103 00:06:30,279 --> 00:06:34,000 Speaker 1: commander George McClellan's hands. The lost orders were the start 104 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:36,480 Speaker 1: of a domino effect that eventually helped the Union win 105 00:06:36,560 --> 00:06:40,200 Speaker 1: the war. With advanced knowledge of Lee's intentions, the Battle 106 00:06:40,279 --> 00:06:43,520 Speaker 1: of Antietam had a much different outlook, and as history 107 00:06:43,600 --> 00:06:48,360 Speaker 1: now shows, the Union troops prevailed. Those railway bridges remained intact, 108 00:06:48,520 --> 00:06:50,680 Speaker 1: and Lee was forced to retreat out of the north. 109 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:53,760 Speaker 1: With Maryland siding with the Union, Washington was no longer 110 00:06:53,839 --> 00:06:57,280 Speaker 1: under threat. States who had held back soldiers to defend themselves, 111 00:06:57,480 --> 00:07:00,880 Speaker 1: now provided the Union with extra men. The Republicans were 112 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:04,919 Speaker 1: even victorious at the polls. The victory gave more meaning 113 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:09,880 Speaker 1: to President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. Without the victory, that proclamation 114 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:13,200 Speaker 1: might have come off sounding empty. In turn, the proclamation 115 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:16,760 Speaker 1: convinced public opinion abroad to stand with the North and 116 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:20,400 Speaker 1: its fights against slavery. But here's the best part. That 117 00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:23,600 Speaker 1: letter hadn't found its way into McClellan's hands by way 118 00:07:23,600 --> 00:07:26,320 Speaker 1: of a spy or a trader. In a strange turn 119 00:07:26,360 --> 00:07:29,720 Speaker 1: of events, Union Commander George McClellan's troops had set up 120 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:33,320 Speaker 1: camp in Frederick, just four days after Confederate General Daniel 121 00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:35,760 Speaker 1: Harvey Hill and his men had stayed in the exact 122 00:07:35,800 --> 00:07:40,920 Speaker 1: same location. Early on the morning of septem Private Barton 123 00:07:40,960 --> 00:07:43,760 Speaker 1: Mitchell took a break after stacking arms with the rest 124 00:07:43,760 --> 00:07:46,680 Speaker 1: of the troops. He noticed something unusual on the ground, 125 00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:50,640 Speaker 1: a bulky package. Mitchell noted that it had already been opened, 126 00:07:50,680 --> 00:07:54,080 Speaker 1: and so he took a look inside. What he discovered 127 00:07:54,160 --> 00:07:57,840 Speaker 1: was a note wrapped around three cigars, presumably the kind 128 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:01,800 Speaker 1: Daniel Harvey Hill carried. Seeing the plans, he immediately handed 129 00:08:01,840 --> 00:08:05,040 Speaker 1: over the envelope and the contents to his sergeants. By 130 00:08:05,040 --> 00:08:08,480 Speaker 1: that morning, McClellan had possession of the package and had 131 00:08:08,480 --> 00:08:13,440 Speaker 1: already wired Lincoln. Lee blamed his defeat on those lost orders. 132 00:08:13,840 --> 00:08:17,280 Speaker 1: His assistant General R. H. Chilton signed an affid David 133 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:20,480 Speaker 1: stating that the order had been delivered, suggesting that Hill 134 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:23,640 Speaker 1: had wrapped his cigars with the plans and then carelessly 135 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:26,480 Speaker 1: lost them. But Hill insisted that the only copy he 136 00:08:26,520 --> 00:08:30,960 Speaker 1: had ever received had been from Jackson, not Lee. One 137 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:33,920 Speaker 1: hole in Hill's explanation is that Private Mitchell found the 138 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:38,000 Speaker 1: envelope opened, which indicates that someone had already read the orders. 139 00:08:38,440 --> 00:08:42,040 Speaker 1: Such orders were usually delivered sealed. Since Chilton could no 140 00:08:42,080 --> 00:08:45,920 Speaker 1: longer recall the courier's name, no one could question them. 141 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:48,520 Speaker 1: Hill contended that the courier must have lost the package 142 00:08:48,520 --> 00:08:51,040 Speaker 1: after arriving at Frederick, between the time he'd left and 143 00:08:51,080 --> 00:08:54,240 Speaker 1: the Union troops arrived. The second hole in his theory 144 00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:57,640 Speaker 1: how three cigars came to be wrapped in the battle plans, 145 00:08:58,920 --> 00:09:03,080 Speaker 1: courier or care listeness. Whichever theory you believe, one thing 146 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:07,520 Speaker 1: is certainly true that day in Frederick, Lee's battle plans 147 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:11,600 Speaker 1: and the Confederate momentum in the Civil War all went 148 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:17,800 Speaker 1: up in smoke. I hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour 149 00:09:17,960 --> 00:09:22,040 Speaker 1: of the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, 150 00:09:22,120 --> 00:09:25,640 Speaker 1: or learn more about the show by visiting Curiosities podcast 151 00:09:25,880 --> 00:09:29,640 Speaker 1: dot com. The show was created by me Aaron Manky 152 00:09:29,960 --> 00:09:33,400 Speaker 1: in partnership with how Stuff Works. I make another award 153 00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:37,040 Speaker 1: winning show called Lore, which is a podcast, book series, 154 00:09:37,080 --> 00:09:39,679 Speaker 1: and television show, and you can learn all about it 155 00:09:39,760 --> 00:09:43,320 Speaker 1: over at the World of Lore dot com. And until 156 00:09:43,360 --> 00:09:45,319 Speaker 1: next time, stay curious.