Episodes: page 15

You’ve probably heard of Andrew Carnegie or the Rockefeller family, but have you heard of Julius Rosenwald? Today’s guest may be able to help with that. Aviva Kempner is a Peabody award winning documentary filmmaker, whose work focuses on unsung heroes from Jewish history. I spoke with Aviva about her most recent work which details […]

If you think about history in Washington, D.C. you’ll probably think about all the massive monuments and national museums. While there’s nothing wrong with that, D.C. has local history and culture just like any city, and few places capture that history like the Heurich House Museum. Kim Bender and Jennifer Ezell joined Nick from the […]

At first glance, it might seem strange to think of an archaeologist working in a state’s highway administration office. But in reality the two can go hand-in-hand. Julie Schablitsky has conducted archaeological research and digs everywhere from Scotland to Maryland to California. She has utilized augmented reality to allow people to explore reconstructions of slave […]

Big picture questions in public history and historic preservation can sometimes be intimidating to think about. What should the public expect from their historic institutions? How do public history sites remain relevant in a world that seems to change more and more every year? Fortunately, there are people out there like today’s guest, Dr. Taylor […]

What does it mean to be a preservationist? How does the built environment that surrounds you impact your daily life? Why does it matter? It’s never too early or too late to think about these questions, especially according to today’s guests, Matthew Craig and Christian Hughes. Matthew, Christian, and I talked about their work through […]

Have you ever seen a building and had something about it rub you the wrong way, but you can’t explain it? Well, today’s guest may be able to help you find the right words. Kate Wagner runs the popular blog McMansion Hell, which takes a comedic approach to dissecting modern suburban architecture, as well as […]

It’s easy to be surprised by the history in your own backyard, even if you’re a historic preservationist. Nathan Dennies, the chairperson and founder of the Greater Hampden Heritage Alliance, joined Nick to trace the history of Baltimore’s iconic Hampden-Woodberry neighborhood, including the many recently re-purposed historic mills, Baltimore’s famous “Avenue,” and the Jones Falls […]

Often if we don’t make a special effort to remember and tell the stories of individuals and groups within history, their contributions to our shared story can all too easily be forgotten. That is as true for Jewish-Americans as for any other group. And that is why Jerry Klinger founded the Jewish American Society for […]

Ever walk into a historic building or place and find yourself imagining new ways to use it? Like an art project or public event? Well, it’s one thing to have the idea, but a historic change maker like today’s guest Dana Saylor, is someone who actually follows through. Dana is a prominent voice in placemaking, […]

A few weeks ago we took PreserveCast on the road — albeit only a few blocks — to visit a truly unique historic place, the American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM). Nick sat down with AVAM’s founder, Rebecca Hoffberger, in one of the museums several re-purposed historic buildings to discuss the history of the institution that houses the […]

When is a building worth saving? This can be a controversial question even among preservationists. Greg Galer, the Executive Director of the Boston Preservation Alliance, joined us on PreserveCast to share his perspective. Greg has worked to preserve many examples of mid-century modern Brutalist architecture like Boston City Hall and the Boston Christian Science Center. […]

It may not come as a surprise that some historians and museum professionals are not always quick to adapt to change, but that’s only some of us. There are others out there, like today’s guest Frank Vagnone, who not only are capable of adapting, but thrive on inverting the status quo of museums and public […]

How are battlefields preserved? Why are battlefields preserved? What should we do with a battlefield site once it is protected? These are all important questions and we are fortunate to be joined by someone who can possibly provide the answers. Jim Lighthizer is the President of the Civil War Trust and an expert in battlefield […]

Often with history and historic preservation it can be all too easy for the places associated with a particular piece of our history to fall through the cracks. To a degree, that has been the case with the history of Maryland’s Women’s Suffrage Movement. But today we’re joined by historian Kacy Rohn, a native Marylander […]

It doesn’t matter if it’s your molar, your canine, or what, everybody has some kind of sweet tooth. Something that you may not be thinking about is how that sweet tooth has played a role in history. Susan Benjamin is the founder of True Treats Candy in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, and author of the […]

Based in Newport, Rhode Island, The 1772 Foundation’s mission is to ensure the safe passage of historic buildings and farmland to future generations in the Northeast and around the country. Under the direction of today’s guest, Mary Anthony, one of the key tools the Foundation uses to accomplish this mission is their nationwide historic property […]

As historic preservationists, we often can fall into only thinking about history through the framework of buildings and sites or even get caught up on buildings from just one era. That is not the case for our guest today, Dr. Bill Schindler. Bill is one of the world’s leading experimental archaeologists and an expert on […]

Understanding why preserving historic places makes good economic sense can sometimes seem complex and hard to explain. But fortunately our guest today is Donovan Rypkema, the Principal of PlaceEconomics and the President of Heritage Strategies International, and a man who has made a career out of explaining the interplay of economics, real estate, and preservation. […]

When does history end? For some, like today’s guest Clare Lise Kelly, it might be closer to the present than you think. Clare is an architectural historian here in Maryland whose focus is the preservation of mid-century modern architecture from the 1950s and 60s. She literally wrote the book Montgomery Modern, focused on the architecture […]

From buildings to furniture to fine art, there are few historic objects or items that Dr. Susan Buck would be unable to analyze through the microscopic examination of paint samples. Join us for a conversation about Susan’s work on projects from Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia, to the Forbidden City in Beijing, China, to items from 19th […]