Everything is a Primary Source

America at 250 Episode 10: "Staying in the Loop: Chicago's WLUP radio as an example of terrestrial radio's role in civic life." The Museum of Broadcast Communications has a special exhibit dedicated to its hometown Rock n roll radio station, 97.7 FM, WLUP.  Starting in 1977, "The Loop" immediately secured its place in the everyday life of Chicagoans like my guest, Luke, who grew up listening to its lineup of boundary-pushing DJs through the 80s and 90s.Our conversation highlights the role of radio stations-- of all formats --and their role in supporting strong civics in the range of their signal, something that has declined over the last 30 years due to corporate take over of local stations, satellite radio, and rise (ironically) of on-demand audio.This is the tenth episode of a special season of the Everything is a Primary Source where, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, American pop culture is examined for historical value and for connection to the founding of the country in July of 1776.Teaching resources and supplements available soon at everything-history.com/america250This episode is brought to you by iCivics and their new educational game, Investigation Declaration.#podcast #popculture #chicago #TheLoop #radio

America at 250 Episode 9: "Sweepin' the Clouds Away: Sesame Street as a product of, and contributor to, American culture."  Mary Cay carries a lifelong adoration of Sesame Street and is quite familiar with its place on the pantheon of both children's educational TV and public broadcasting.  We had a wonderful conversation about how the show came to achieve that status at a hall of honor, the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago.I recognize that Sesame Street takes place in New York and not Chicago, but one of the many great points my guest in the Second City makes about the pioneering children's program is that it had an urban setting, something not very common for the era in which it first entered households. This is the ninth episode of a special season of the Everything is a Primary Source where, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, American pop culture is examined for historical value and for connection to the founding of the country in July of 1776.**As it occasionally happens when you discuss history on the fly, I make a misstatement in this episode. 1990 is the year of the Americans with Disabilities Act, but I link it to the Bicentennial, 1976.  However, legislation typically is the result of many years of work, and in the case of the ADA, much of that promotion began in the mid 1970s.**Teaching resources and supplements available soon at everything-history.com/america250This episode is brought to you by iCivics and their new educational game, Investigation Declaration.#podcast #popculture #sesamestreet #pbs

America at 250 Episode 8: "X Marks the Spot: How The X-Files represent 1990s society and culture."  Val is the archivist at the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago, and therefore a deep thinker about television and radio programming's place in history.  She chose her favorite TV show, The X-Files, to be the subject of the first drop-in episode in the Windy City, and we had a great conversation about the groundbreaking science fiction show. The letter X appeared frequently in 1990s pop culture: Gen X, X-Games, X-Men, and of course, The X-Files. The running theme of all Xs seemed to be something different, edgy and outside of the ordinary.  Val explains that it wasn't just the topics of The X-Files that set the show apart, but that it was made in an unconventional way, symptomatic of the last decade of the 20th century.  This is the eighth episode of a special season of the Everything is a Primary Source where, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, American pop culture is examined for historical value and for connection to the founding of the country in July of 1776. Teaching resources and supplements available soon at everything-history.com/america250This episode is brought to you by iCivics and their new educational game, Investigation Declaration.#podcast #popculture #1990s #xfiles 

America at 250 Episode 7: "Full Circuit: 'Electronic Selector' as a refection of the 1950s'"  Ric chose to discuss "Electronic Selector," a cross between a trivia board game and a electrical tutorial from the 1950s as the last recording during the preview event at the NH Telephone Museum in Warner back in May.  If this box was marketed in the present it would likely be referred to as a STEM activity, because as Ric indicated, it was activities like this which opened pathways for him and many youths of the era to explore electrical engineering and other technical careers.  I snagged Electronic Selector out of a bin at Goodwill Buy the Pound because of the vibrant graphics, but I never put together exactly what it is until Ric walked me through it.  It makes sense that products like this would be developed in the post-World War II period as there was a desire, and perhaps need, to have young people equipped with skills to take on the increasingly high tech world around them.This is the seventh episode of a special season of the Everything is a Primary Source where, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, American pop culture is examined for historical value and for connection to the founding of the country in July of 1776.  Teaching resources and supplements available soon at everything-history.com/america250This episode is brought to you by iCivics and their new educational game, Investigation Declaration.#podcast #popculture #1950s #electronicselector #electrical

America at 250 Episode 6: "Future Boy: 1985's Back to the Future as a primary source"  Gwen asked to chat about 1985's Back to the Future for her podcast segment and I was glad to oblige considering it is one of my all-time favorites.  The 1985 movie could've been incredibly hokey but the recipe of writers, director, actors and special effects makes it a near-perfect contemporary classic.  But what can it tell us about the society it was made for in the 1980s?  This is the sixth episode of a special season of the Everything is a Primary Source where, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, American pop culture is examined for historical value and for connection to the founding of the country in July of 1776.  I honestly feel foolish for saying it was a stretch connecting the Declaration of Independence to Back to the Future considering its signing is one of two events Doc Brown uses to illustrate the capabilities of his time machine.  However, I like Gwen's take on the challenge even better.Teaching resources and supplements available soon at everything-history.com/america250This episode is brought to you by iCivics and their new educational game, Investigation Declaration.#podcast #popculture #backtothefuture #80smovies #1980s

America at 250 Episode 5: "A Telephone's Ring: The many tales the telephone tells"If you host a drop-in podcast at a telephone museum, you're bound to get more than a few conversations about the world-changing device recorded.   A veteran social studies teacher, my guest, Pam, teaches just as I do, using artifacts of everyday life to tell stories and learn about the past in doing so.  In this talk we go from learning about a telephone that went full circle, to learning about how the dial was added to the device, and even how phones were created in the first place.This is the fifth episode of a special season of the Everything is a Primary Source where, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, American pop culture is examined for historical value and for connection to the founding of the country in July of 1776.Teaching resources and supplements available soon at everything-history.com/america250This episode is brought to you by iCivics and their new educational game, Investigation Declaration.#podcast #popculture #telephone #phones #oralhistory

America at 250 Episode 4: "A Lineman for the Country: A conversation about the evolution of telecommunications with a career phone company man."This is the kind of episode I imagined making when I started taking the Everything is a Primary Source Podcast out into the world.  I had just sat down with Pam to record a piece at the New Hampshire Telephone Museum when Bill, a retired telephone company man, and his family came in to visit.  Bill and Pam immediately got to talking and I just sat back, microphones on, taking in the interesting stories that someone with such an incredibly interesting career might tell. Bill worked for telecommunications companies for 50 years, and what a monumental half a century that was as he was immediately involved with the entire communication system as it evolved from analog to digital to fiber.  Bill and his fellow telephone employees were responsible for ensuring the integrity of the infrastructure so that the most important trait of our culture--sharing of information--could continue unabated. This is the fourth episode of a special season of the Everything is a Primary Source where, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, American pop culture is examined for historical value and for connection to the founding of the country in July of 1776.Teaching resources and supplements available soon at everything-history.com/america250This episode is brought to you by iCivics and their new educational game, Investigation Declaration.#podcast #popculture #telephone #phones #oralhistory

America at 250 Episode 3: "Our House: Virginia Lee Burton's 1942 picture book, The Little House as a primary source."Sage took the time to speak with me at the New Hampshire Telephone Museum this Spring, selecting Virginia Lee Burton's 1942 Caldecott Award-winning picture book, The Little House to chat about.  The book tells the tale of a personified pink cottage as it enjoys its existence in the country until the noise and congestion of the big city envelopes it.  Sage and I try to determine what this book can tell us regarding attitudes  as the country experienced significant changes as the first half of the 20th Century came to an end.This is the third episode of a special season of the Everything is a Primary Source where, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, American pop culture is examined for historical value and for connection to the founding of the country in July of 1776.Teaching resources and supplements available soon at everything-history.com/america250This episode is brought to you by iCivics and their new educational game, Investigation Declaration.

America at 250 Episode 2: "Telecom Rebels: Phone Phreaking as a Document of the 1970s"Dave met with me at the New Hampshire Telephone Museum in Warner to discuss the "Phone Phreaking" trend of the 1970s.  Rebellious, technologically-minded youth used their know-how to work the monopolistic phone system to make free calls to telephones all over the world.  This at the forefront of the computer revolution, something that notable Phone Phreaks like Steve Jobs regarded as necessary for that movement to take place.**Be advised that telecommunications sounds are played from 8:50 to approximately 10:00**This is the second episode of a special season of the Everything is a Primary Source where, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, American pop culture is examined for historical value and for connection to the founding of the country in July of 1776.Teaching resources and supplements available soon at everything-history.com/america250This episode is brought to you by iCivics and their new educational game, Investigation Declaration.#history #popculture #phonephreaking #americanrevolution #america250 #1970s

America at 250, Episode 1: "We Begin."Historian Jim Ambuske, Ph.D. specializes in 18th Century studies, and the American Revolution specifically, so I could think of no more appropriate guest to have on the podcast to dissect the Declaration of Independence as an artifact of its time and place.This is the first episode of a special season of the Everything is a Primary Source where, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, American pop culture will not only be examined for historical value, but for connection to the founding of the country in July of 1776.Teaching resources and supplements available soon at everything-history.com/america250This episode is brought to you by iCivics and their new educational game, Investigation Declaration. #history #popculture #declarationofindependence #americanrevolution #america250

S5E35: "No Payne, No Gain: Dissecting 1995's Major Payne as a document of its time."Eric is joined by filmmaker Steven Martini, whose break out role as an actor came as Cadet Alex Stone, the foil for Damon Wayan's title character, to discuss Major Payne as a document of its era.  As you'll hear, the talk about the 1990s movie and Steven's latest projects transform into a discussion on copyright law with a pretty heavy dose of Hollywood History.This is the last episode of Season 5, but don't worry, Season 6 will be starting up in less than a month.  Tune in on the Fourth of July for an episode about the Declaration of Independence which will kick off the special "America at 250" series of oral history through pop culture episodes.everything-history.com/america250#podcast #majorpayne #1995 #movies #history

Debora Masterson is the guest on this episode of the Everything is a Primary Source Podcast, discussing the 1970s band, Freedom Quest, of which she was a member, and her new book, Freedom Quest: A Love Story, and what they both can tell us about time and place.This is fitting as one month from the publication of this podcast, I’ll be wrapping up a Freedom Quest of my own. I’ll be taking the Everything is a Primary Source Podcast from Chicago to Colorado Springs, learning about our country’s long history of independence, freedom, and self expression from the folks I meet along the way.  Learn more at everything-history.com/america250 .   Until then, I hope you enjoy this conversation.#podcast #history #popculture #1970srocknroll #freedomquest

S5E33: "Bridge to the Past: Kinzua Bridge State Park in Pennsylvania as a Primary Source"This is an interview from 2023 with Professor Kevin Patrick, an active member of the Society for Commercial Archeology, regarding Kinzua Bridge State Park in Western Pennsylvania.  Although on the shorter side, we covered topics that are very relevant as we round out Preservation Month and approach Memorial Day.Learn more about my America at 250 Public History Road Trip here: everything-history.com/america250#podcast #preservation #popculture #history #kinzuabridge

S5E32: "Somewhere That's Green: 'Little Shop of Horrors' as a primary sourceSince it’s that time of the year again when people begin to plan out their planting for the season, I figured I’d cultivate an episode from a short recording from few years ago about Roger Corman’s 1960 B Horror Comedy Little Shop of Horrors. Let this be a cautionary episode of the Everything is a Primary Source Podcast.#podcast #history #popculture #littleshopofhorrors

S5E31: "Failure is Not an Option: Apollo 13 as a primary source of the mid 1990s"This episode of the Everything is a Primary Source podcast is another clip extracted from the archives, this time a conversation with a drop-in guest named Ted about the 1994 book Lost Moon, which was the basis for the 1995 film, Apollo 13.It may have taken a few years but my guest’s wish is about to come true. I will be beginning my week-long oral history collecting road trip in his native Chicago this June. You’ll be able to catch me at the Museum of Broadcast Communications, and you know there will be plenty of displays, artifacts, and other amazing TV and Radio materials on hand to inspire more conversations about time and place. Check out everything-history.com/america250 to learn more about this and see how you can get involved.

S5E30: "Greetings from the Jersey Shore: Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band as a document of time and place."Melissa Ziobro is the Director of Curatorial Affairs for the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music, which is set to open to the public in its brand new building later this Spring.  Melissa is also a native to the Jersey Shore, and therefore the best person to speak with to discuss Springsteen and his E Street band as reflections of that area's heritage and character.Learn more about the Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music on their website, springsteencenter.org and throughout social media.Get details about the Everything is a Primary Source summer oral history road trip at everything-history.com/america250 .#musichistory #brucespringsteen #estreetband #placebasedhistory

S5E29: "Back to L.A.: SCA and Historic Preservation in Los Angeles"This episode is a callback to three years ago when I spoke with members of the Society for Commercial Archeology during their conference. One of the top priorities of SCA is historic preservation, particularly of signage and structures along America’s roadways and throughout our developed towns and cities. My summer roadtrip project is in the same vein as I look to capture the stories connected to these landmarks in the same way as this episode depicts. 

S5E28: "There's No Place Like Home: The Wizard of Oz as a Primary Source" This episode of the Everything is a Primary Source features a discussion about The Wizard of Oz. It was recorded a few summers ago at Prescott Park in Portsmouth, NH, just before a performance of Little Shop of Horrors. This portion was originally included in with a longer dialogue in Season 3, but is now taking its own path down the yellow brick road.#podcast #wizardofoz #popculture #history

S5E27: "The Bad Boys of Boston: Aerosmith's origins as a document of the early 1970s"We learn about the early days of Aerosmith from one of their original roadies, who just happened to be in the right place and the right time to get the gig. His story is very telling about this era of rock n roll, and perhaps the status of things in general as the 60s transitioned to the 70s.  This was recorded a few years ago and originally was included as a small part of a larger episode, but I thought it deserves to walk this way into the spotlight.

S5E26: "Welcome to Sinclair Dinoland: Evaluating dinosaurs' evolution in pop culture media"My son has contributed to several episodes of the Everything is a Primary Source Podcast over the last five seasons, and this is his latest contribution.  Using a guidebook to the Sinclair Oil "Dinoland" experience at the 1964-65 World's Fair in New York as the basis of our discussion, we take a look at the correlation between what the science world discovers about dinosaurs and how they are represented in pop culture media.#podcast #dinosaurs #paleontology #popculture #modernhistory

S5E25: "First Day: An 1853 letter and how it depicts everyday life in the era"Jonathan Ahl of the Rokeby Museum in Vermont returns to the podcast to walk us through an 1853 letter from his museum’s archive that simultaneously tells us so little but shows us so much.  Rowland Robinson, who would go on to be a well-recognized writer and artist, wrote a letter to his mother Rachael, describing the goings-on around their home on a Sunday ("First Day," in Quaker terminology) afternoon in September, as she was away recuperating from an illness.  Unlike so many other similar pieces from the same time period, Rowland's letter doesn't report of major events, but instead gives us an incredible first-hand view of everyday life in the mid 19th century.#history #quakers #abolitionists #19thcentury #vermont

S5E24: "War Games: a breakdown of a deck of cards from 2003 featuring Iraqi high command"I met with a group of pre-service social studies teachers from Plymouth State University at the NHCSS conference last fall and they selected a deck of cards that I had received from another exhibitor just that day to talk about.  Looking back on the conversation about a deck of cards that would've been issued to US troops during the 2003 invasion of Iraq I didn't realize how full-circle it all was as I was carrying out my student teaching the year these cards were utilized, and clearly recall seeing the news of the Ace of Spades, Saddam Hussein, being captured just before my graduation day.#popculture #waronterror #modernhistory #iraqwar 

S5E23: "I Just Called to Say: treating telephones through the ages as primary sources"Graham Gifford is theExecutive Director of the New Hampshire Telephone Museum in Warner.  She and I connected at the NHCSS conference in Concord last October.  I think we were really dialed in with our talk, and I hope you enjoy the tone of the conversation as we connect lines between all iterations of telephonic communication.#livefreeanddial #nhtelephonemuseum #popculture #telephones #history

S5E22:"Stars of the Second City: The 1893 and 1933 World's Fairs in Chicago as documents of their time periods"Plymouth State University History Professor John Kruekeberg and I speak about two of the shining stars in Chicago's storied past, the Columbian Exposition of 1893 and the 1933 Century of Progress World's Fair, by way of a souvenir deck of cards I have from the former event.#worldsfair #chicago #columbianexposition #history #podcast

S5E21:"Program 1: The Beatles on 8-Track as a primary source of the early 1970s"Morgan, who works with Creative Guts, a creativity-centered non-profit and podcast, stopped by my exhibit last year at the NH Makers Fest held at the Children's Museum of New Hampshire.  He chose my Beatles/ 1962-1966 compilation on 8-track to talk about, but we spent less time talking about the Fab Four themselves and more about how the introduction of new media often forces subtle changes in other areas of life.Learn more about Everything is a Primary Source at everything-history.com#podcast #beatles #1970s #8track #popmusic #media

S5E20" "Blinded Me With Science: Seeing versions Henrik Ibsen's An Enemy of the People as a reflections of time and place"Shoshannah Boray is the Education Coordinator for Vermont Stage, a Burlington-based theater company, whose Public Square Play this season is Gracie vs. The People.  The performance is an adaptation and update for modern teen audiences of Swedish playwright Henrik Ibsen's An Enemy of the People.  Ibsen's story of two brothers put at odds with each other as scientific concerns clash against public opinion, and has been retold many times on film and stage, including with this production touring Vermont schools.Join the conversation, and learn more about EPS To Go!  at everything-history.com.#popculture #history #anenemyofthepeople #stage #drama #theater

S5E19: "Strictly In It: Analyzing a 1907 postcard to determine what it tells us of time and place"Jonathon Ahl is the Education coordinator at the Rokeby Museum in Ferrisburgh, Vermont, and therefore is no stranger to dissecting a document on the spot, sight unseen.  We applied our analytical skills to a postcard from Oregon featuring a cartoon duck, printed and filled out in the first part of the 20th Century.Join the conversation at everything-history.com#podcast #history #ephemera #postcard #oregon #popculture #early20thcentury

S5E18: "This One's For Chuck: Chuck Mangione and his Album Feels So Good as a document of the late 1970s"The waning days of December is the time to reflect on the previous year and that includes notable people we have lost.  Jazz musician Chuck Mangione was one such purpose, and I had the pleasure of speaking to one of his biggest fans about Mangione's most recognized album, Feels So Good at a conference in October, to decide how it's a reflection of the era.#podcast #history #jazz #chuckmangione #popculture #kingofthehill

S5E17:"Gee the Traffic is Terrific: Navigating with road maps and travel culture as documents of time and place"John King teaches in Florida, New York, and joined me at the Mid Hudson Council for the Social Studies conference this Fall to talk about some of the road maps in my collection that caught his eye.  This is not the first time that road maps have come up on the show, but as John demonstrates, everyone has their own perspectives and experiences as they navigate around a shared roadway culture.#popculture #history #podcast #travel #travelculture #roadways #roadmaps

S5E16: "Ready to Relaunch: The Atari 7800 Pro System as a document of the mid 1980s"In 1986 American video game pioneer Atari responded to the growing popularity of Nintendo by introducing their 7800 machine, a game system with graphics and (some) games that rivaled the NES, but never quite took.  On this episode my guest Jason and I trade stories of how we got our 7800s, the features and games we liked most, and how cool we think its metallic look is.  We also go over, however, the shortcomings of Atari's attempt at relaunching their dominance of the market, and how Nintendo was able to surge ahead by decade's end.#history #popculture #videogames #gaming #videogamehistory #atari #atari7800

S5E15: "Everyday is Woman's Day: The magazine and the crafts it has inspired as primary sources of several eras"Since 1931 many women have turned to Woman's Day magazine to get inspiration on home economics, recipes, remedies and arts and crafts.  Monica is a social studies teacher in New Hampshire and my drop-in guest back in October at the NHCSS (of which she is the president) conference where we talked about how this publication may be responsible for a good amount of the crafting industry and culture that exists to this day.#popculture #artsandcrafts #history #womansday #podcast #historypodcast

S5E14: "Giving Thanks: The Mayflower II project as a symbol of post-War trans-Atlantic relations"Richard Stone literally wrote the book on the 1950s Mayflower II project, which saw two groups--one British and one American--simultaneously work to create a replica of the ship which ferried the Pilgrim Separatists from England to America in 1620.   We discuss the context of this project both through the historical lens as well as a geopolitical one, as the wooden ship ended up being a symbol of the Cold War "special relationship" between the World War allies Great Britain and the United States.You can find Richard's book Project Mayflower: Building and Sailing a 17th-Century Replica wherever books are sold, (including your local bookstore).#podcast #mayflower #mayflowerii #history #1950s #coldwar #britishhistory #americanhistory #modernhistory

S5E13: "I Am Sam, Sam I Am: Uncle Sam as a measurement of Americans' view of the the US Government"2026 NH Teacher of the Year Megan Philbrook joined me in dissecting Uncle Sam--the character more than the real person--and deciding how the bearded, star-spangled figure acts as a regular indicator of how Americans view their government as well as America's identity and place in the world.#history #popculture #unclesam #cartoons #politicalcartoons #US #warof1812 #artwork #socialstudies

S5E12: "E Pluribus Unum: Looking at The American Revolution as a Document of Here and Now"Documentaries shape the way we remember the past and they also reveal the time in which they’re made. In this episode, I’m joined by Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt, co-directors with Ken Burns of the new film The American Revolution, for a conversation about the craft behind historical storytelling.Together, we explore why the project was conceived, how they and their team chose what stories to tell, , and why every documentary is ultimately a reflection of “here and now,” just as much as it is a record of the past. This episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at how narrative decisions, source material, and creative choices become primary sources in their own right.#PopCulture #history #podcast #AmericanRevolution #KenBurns #DocumentaryFilm #PublicHistory #HistoryEducation #PrimarySources #TeachingHistory #HistoryPodcast #AmericanHistory #EPluribusUnum #EverythingIsAPrimarySource #America250 #HistoricalDocumentary #FilmmakingProcess #USHistory @PBS @kenlburns

Food is major part of any society's popular culture, even in a time of war.  World War I expert and fellow social studies teacher Kristin Stelfox joined me in analyzing a collection of three papers from the Great War, detailing the food rations and cooking needs of an American unit in France.  It is remarkable what one can learn about time and place just by reading into their menus of food and drink.#wwi #popculture #foodways #worldwari #history #greatwar

S5E10: "Life Goes On: Life magazine as a reporter of historic eras"Life magazine has been in print since the 1880s, but the monthly photographic document publication that usually springs to mind began its run in 1936.  My drop-in guest at NH Makers Fair (apologies for background noise) and I spoke to all iterations of Life to decide how the publication has reflected the excitement of the 20th century in America.

S5E9: "From Stack to Streaming: Unsolved Mysteries as a continuous reflection of America."Author Ally Russell joins the show to discuss and compare the original run of "Unsolved Mysteries" with the Netflix update from 2019.  How have these shows informed, and been informed by, the society and culture of their respective times?Ally's latest book is Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave, which can be found wherever outstanding books are sold.  Her website is allyrussellbooks.comJoin our conversation at everything-history.comLearn more about EPS To Go! at everything-history.com/epstogo#podcast #history #popculture #unsolvedmysteries #tvhistory #robertstack #author #mysteryjames 

S5E8: "A Good Ol' Worker and A Good Ol' Pal: The Erie Canal as a Primary Source"This October is particularly Erie as it marks 200 years since the opening of New York's "Grand Canal."  Kevin Leisten, who teaches social studies within a few miles of the canal, joined me to discuss the Erie Canal as both a reflection of the time in which it was conceived, as well as a force for development and change after it was created.Visit everything-history.com/eriecanal to add to the conversationGo to everything-history.com/epstogo to learn more about the Everything is a Primary Source primary source rental service.#history #popculture #eriecanal #NYS #newyorkhistory #canal #19thcentury

S5E7: "A Walk on the Wilde Side: The Picture of Dorian Gray as a reflection of 1890s society and values"Daniel stopped by at the Makers Fair this Spring and selected to discuss Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray as a document of its era, 1891.  Is it possible that the famed Irish writer was forecasting our 21st century relationship with fame and celebrity, or is it something that people have always had to consider?  Join the conversation at everything-history.com#history #popculture #gothic #horror #oscarwilde #literature #gothicliterature #books

S5E6: "Representatives of Discontented Youth: Repo Man as a document of the early 80s"Richard Erdmann, owner of Mare Booksellers, joined me to talk about 1984's Sci-Fi/Punk Rock/Chase Comedy Repo Man as a reflection of the society and culture of the era.See how you can interact with the conversation, and learn more about EPS To Go! at everything-history.com#history #popculture #punk #repoman #1984 #80s

S5E5: "What Would Coach Bombay Do?: The Mighty Ducks (1992) as a indicator of youth sports in the modern era"This episode was actually recorded over two years ago when I set up my exhibit at just outside McCue's Comedy Club in the Roundabout Diner in Portsmouth, NH.  Comedian Liam Hales sat with me before the show he was hosting and we used The Mighty Ducks as a jumping off point to discuss the evolution of the youth sports coach up to and beyond the early 1990s, when Coach Gordon Bombay reluctantly took to training that ragtag District 5 team in Minneapolis.Join the conversation at everything-history.comLearn more about EPS To Go! at everything-history.com/epstogo#comedy #youthsports #hockey #themightyducks #gordonbombay #history #popculture #podcast

S5E4: "Mama Duck: Robert McCloskey's 'Make Way for Ducklings' as a document of 1941"Children's book author Ashlee Ridlon and I talk about 1941's Make Way for Ducklings and how it acts as a report from 1940s Boston.#history #popculture #makewayforducklings #boston #childrensbooks #picturebooks #caldecottaward 

S5E3: "Survivors: The things we hold onto and collect in storage units"I met with Tony, cohost of the podcast "Storage Unit 217," at the AES Ephemera Fair earlier this year, and we got to talking about our shared interest in helping otherwise forgotten pieces of the past survive as long as possible.Learn more about EPS To Go! and join the conversation at everything-history.com

S5E2: "Age of Enlightenment: Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson as a document of history"Gibby sat down with me at this year's Makers Fest at the Children's Museum of New Hampshire to talk about Calvin and Hobbes and the comic strip's role as a document of the era in which it ran.Learn more about EPS To Go! at everything-history.com/epstogoJoin the discussion at everything-history.com.#history #popculture #calvinandhobbes #comicstrip #sundaycomics #dailycomics 

Season Premiere! S5E1: "All's Fair: The New York State Fair as a living document of the 19th century"I spoke with Jason, a teacher with the NYS OCFS, about the significance of the New York State Fair to Central New York's history and identity.Learn more about EPS To Go! at everything-history.com/epstogoJoin the discussion at everything-history.com.#NYSFair #History #popculture #newyorkhistory #Fair

SEASON FINALE!  S4E50: "Never Forget What They Did Here: The Battle of Gettysburg, and its legacy' as primary sources"Picking up where episode 38 of this season left off, Danielle and I dissect the Battle of Gettysburg--what it connects to in other parts of American History, and its legacy as reflections of different time periods since July 1-3, 1863.Would you like to add your ideas to this conversation? Visit everything-history.com/classroom/epsproject to involve your voice in the dialogue.#history #popculture #civilwar #battleofgettysburg #gettysburg

S4E49: "Magic Moments: Walt Disney World Silhouette Portrait Souvenirs as Primary Sources"I met with Lenore at the Ephemera Fair this past Winter and we talked about the Walt Disney World silhouette portrait souvenir I had on display, something she and her siblings had made when visiting the park in the 1970s.  Although Walt Disney had passed away by the time his company's second park opened that decade, these kinds of souvenirs (which, despite what I report on the podcast, you can still have made), and the Main Street USA section of the park where they can be found, are reminders of his affinity for the simplicity of early 20th Century America.  Lenore and I talk about this trait of Disney's parks as they act as an anchor of sorts, balancing out the high-tech imagineering taking place elsewhere on the same property.#disney #popculture #history #waltdisneyworld #disneyworld #early20thcentury

S4E48: "A Literal Deep-Dive: Scuba diving as a document of modern history"I met Paul at the Ephemera Fair in Greenwich Conn. this past Winter as he was looking to learn about some financial documents that have been in his family since the mid 19th century.  A "Diver's Log" in my collection caught his eye and so we ended up doing a deep dive on the underwater archaeology activity that he is quite familiar with.  #history #popculture #scuba #ephemera #deepdive

S4E47: "Ciencia Publica: Analyzing Popular Science magazine as a primary source"Sylvia is an archivist and a practitioner of material culture analysis.  I was delighted to speak with her a few months ago at the Ephemera Fair in Old Greenwich Connecticut regarding a 1931 issue of Popular Science (or cover thereof) that a student gifted me last year.  In the ultimate coincidence, we just happened to be having our discussion in the former home of Conde Nast publishing, the maker of several popular magazine titles of the 20th century, including Glamour, Vogue, House & Garden, and Vanity Fair.Add to the conversation at everything-history.com/classroom/epsproject#magazines #popularscience #1920s #1930s #history #popculture

S4E46: "In Memorial: ' A Young Man on the Front Line' as a Primary SourceI caught up with Elaine Makas last Fall at the NCSS conference in Boston where she was promoting her book,  A Young Man on the Front Line: Lessons of War.  It is a World War II story following the experiences in the conflict and afterwards by her father, Sgt. Chris Makas.  We discuss not only how his generation and how they handled the crisis that was World War II is a reflection of time and place, but the practice of memorializing them through films, audio and books is a indicator of who we are in the modern era, too.#wwii #memorialday #memoirs #history #popculture