Museums – Past & Present Podcasts
Colonial Williamsburg: Past and Present brings you new perspectives from the Revolutionary War era. American history is explored in interviews with historic interpreters, tradesmen, musicians, historians, curators, authors, archaeologists, and more.
Episodes
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The Organized Piano
John Watson, Curator of Musical Instruments and Conservator of Instruments, discusses the Foundation’s organized piano, which first belonged to the St. George Tucker family.
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George Washington’s Wallet
What was in George Washington’s wallet? Long before the establishment of a standard American currency, there was trade, barter and credit. How were these financial activities handled with the myriad coins and metals in circulation?
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Stories in Silver
Rare and beautiful silver forms share the social history of their users and their makers. Visit “A Handsome Cupboard of Plate,” an exhibit open now at the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg.
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An Organized Piano Restored
A new blog launching March 3 follows the restorative conservation of a rare survival: an organized piano. A piano combined with a pipe organ, this unique instrument towered at nine feet tall and seven feet wide. Its restoration raises questions at every step. Repairing a broken element could mean...
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Threads of Feeling
London’s foundling children were orphans in the midst of a crowded city. The exhibit Threads of Feeling tells their stories, as well as those of their mothers.
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Painters and Paintings of the Early American South
Painters and Paintings of the Early American South is a new exhibit focusing on the interrelatedness of Southern artists and subjects. See it at the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg.
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Changing Keys
A 130-year span of keyboard instruments documents a revolution in colonists’ musical tastes. See the progression in “Changing Keys,” a new exhibit at the Museums of Colonial Williamsburg. Curator John Watson describes the outlay.
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Making a 200-year-old supper
Setting the table for a 200-year old dinner takes research and clever re-creation. Antique plates and platters bear historic foods in dining settings that reflect the season and the host. Curator Amanda Keller works with a team from the museums to lay out authentic feasts.
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A Very British Revolution
The American Revolution came from an old British tradition. Hear how the English were in the habit of rebelling in “A Very British Revolution,” a tour at The Colonial Williamsburg Art Museums led by Emma Ross.
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Fire in a Crowded Century
Old-fashioned fire engines had to do much the same jobs as today’s, but they relied on classic physics and plenty of manpower. Curator Erik Goldstein describes the fire engine at the center of a new exhibit at the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg.
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Conservation, Where Art and Science Meet
Museum conservators wage daily battle against 10 agents of decay. Exhibit Curator Emily Williams outlines the plan of attack in “Conservation, Where Art and Science Meet.”
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New in the Collection
Objects rare and poignant joined the Colonial Williamsburg museum collections in 2009. Chief Curator and Vice President for Collections, Conservation and Museums Ron Hurst describes the finds.
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Migrating Cultures
Foreign tools and family treasures came to America like stowaways in immigrants’ baggage. Trish Balderson retraces migration’s story through museum objects.
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Mourning Art
Tangible expressions of grief keep lost loved ones close. Curator Kim Ivey explains the customs of mourning art.
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The Carolina Room
Modern-day curators focus on reversible restoration techniques. Conservator Shelley Svoboda describes the renewal of the Carolina Room.
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Captured Colors
Four flags survive through battle and time against equally long odds. Curator Erik Goldstein talks about a compelling new exhibit at the Museums of Colonial Williamsburg.
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Fakes and Forgeries
Fakes and phonies are stopped with a squint. Curator John Davis discusses the subtleties of form.
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A Rarity Restored
Two artists collaborate across the centuries: one working with a brush, and the other with a micro spatula. Curator Barbara Luck and conservator Pam Young describe the restoration of a rare watercolor.
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Treasure Keepers
Good as new isn’t always as good as old. Curator John Watson talks about conservation at Colonial Williamsburg.
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Mythical Beasts, Magical Creatures
Dragons, mermaids and griffins lurk in the museum collections. Christina Westenberger leads the hunt.
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Pounds, Pence, and Pistareens
Curator Erik Goldstein describes the antecedents of modern coinage in a new exhibit at the DeWitt Wallace Museum.
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Museum Renovation
Vice President of Collections and Museums Ron Hurst says refreshed exhibits and gallery spaces make two of Colonial Williamsburg’s museums warm, welcoming, and inviting.
About this show
Colonial Williamsburg: Past and Present brings you new perspectives from the Revolutionary War era. American history is explored in interviews with historic interpreters, tradesmen, musicians, historians, curators, authors, archaeologists, and more.