Sidedoor

Smithsonian Institution

More than 154 million treasures fill the Smithsonian’s vaults. But where the public’s view ends, Sidedoor begins. With the help of biologists, artists, historians, archaeologists, zookeepers and astrophysicists, host Lizzie Peabody sneaks listeners through the Smithsonian’s side door, telling stories that can’t be heard anywhere else. Check out si.edu/sidedoor and follow @SidedoorPod for more info. 

  1. American Aspirations: A Nation in Pursuit

    21 hr ago

    American Aspirations: A Nation in Pursuit

    Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III has spent a lifetime thinking about how history gets told. Before becoming the head of the Smithsonian, he was a curator, someone whose job is deciding which stories, people, and objects help us make sense of ourselves. So as America approaches its 250th birthday, Lizzie wanted to know: if you had to tell the story of the United States through just a handful of things, where would you begin? In this special episode, Secretary Bunch puts his curator hat back on to lead Lizzie through American Aspirations, a new exhibition he co-curated. Starting with the desk on which the Declaration of Independence was drafted, they get up close with some of the nation's most treasured objects: Abraham Lincoln campaign swag, Amelia Earhart's flight suit, Thomas Edison's light bulb, and even a miniature Statue of Liberty (which is still pretty big!). What can these objects reveal about a nation still striving to become its best self? Guest: Lonnie G. Bunch III, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution The American Aspirations exhibition at the Smithsonian Castle was co-curated by Smithsonian Secretary Bunch — alongside Abeer Saha, curator at the National Museum of American History, and Harry Rubenstein, curator emeritus at the National Museum of American History. American Aspirations received support from Jacqueline B. Mars and the Smithsonian’s Our Shared Future: 250, a Smithsonian-wide initiative commemorating the nation’s 250th. Major support for Our Shared Future: 250 has been provided by Lilly Endowment Inc. Additional contributions have been made by Target and the Gates Foundation. To watch a video version of this podcast find us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/smithsonian

    42 min
  2. U.S. History in 100 Objects (with Roman Mars)

    17 Jun

    U.S. History in 100 Objects (with Roman Mars)

    A screw. A stuffed possum. A shoe-sizing device. What could any of these objects possibly tell us about the history of the United States? When we think of historic artifacts, we tend to picture the extraordinary: Abraham Lincoln's pocket watch, the original Kermit the Frog, Martin Luther King Jr.'s draft of the "I Have a Dream" speech. But the story of America can just as easily be found in the everyday objects that shape our lives. In this bonus episode, Lizzie sits down with Roman Mars to talk about his new series, A History of the United States in 100 Objects. Together, they explore how ordinary things can reveal distinctly American stories. Guests:  Roman Mars, host and creator of 99% Invisible  To pitch your object to Roman’s team, write to 100objects@99pi.org

    31 min
  3. How Can You Forget Me

    10 Jun

    How Can You Forget Me

    Everyone thought ghosts lived in the basement of Stockton, California's old Daguhoy Lodge. So, nobody went down there. But when one man refused to be spooked, he made a discovery that would bring the ghosts back to life.  In this episode, we explore how an accidental discovery resurrected the stories of a nearly forgotten generation of Filipino immigrants who came to work in the fields. Why did these men leave behind steamer trunks that remained unopened for decades? And what could we learn from the belongings found inside?   We'll unpack the steamer trunks and dust off a fading piece of American history as we dive into the stories of these farmworkers and their surprising sense of fashion.  Guests:  Sam Vong, Curator of Asian Pacific American History at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History Dillon Delvo, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Little Manila Rising in South Stockton, California Phillip Merlo, a historian and educator who serves as the Executive Director of the San Joaquin County Historical Society & Museum

    28 min
  4. High Art, Low Ride

    27 May

    High Art, Low Ride

    How did a car with chopped suspension and hydraulics become a symbol of pride and self-expression for an entire community? We'll cruise back in time to see how lowriders emerged from the post-WWII car craze and became a powerful symbol of Mexican American pride. It's a long road with a few speed bumps, but lowriders are now more popular than ever (especially in Japan!) So, lean your seat back and see how chrome, paint, and a dose of defiance turned classic cars into rolling works of art that have cruised their way into the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.  Learn more about the Smithsonian's exhibition on Lowriders — Corazón y vida — HERE  This project received federal support from the Smithsonian Latino Initiative Pool, administered by the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino.

    32 min
  5. The People in the Pictures

    13 May

    The People in the Pictures

    At the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, archivists are working with Native communities to correct the historical record … one photo at a time. In this episode, we go inside the archives, where century-old photographs once labeled “Indian man” or “woman in costume” are being reexamined and renamed so they can be reconnected to living descendants. It’s a painstaking effort that’s also challenging the romanticized imagery popularized by photographers and anthropologists of the late 1800s, early 1900s.  Think there might be photos of your ancestors in the Smithsonian Online Virtual Archives? Check here: https://sova.si.edu/ You can read about the Smithsonian's Ethical Returns and Shared Stewardship Policy here: https://ncp.si.edu/SI-ethical-returns To submit a shared stewardship or ethical return inquiry or request, complete this form: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7447374/Shared-Stewardship-and-Ethical-Returns-Inquiry-Request-Submission-Form  If you have questions about the policy, contact nmai-sser@si.edu. Guests:  Emily Moazami, head archivist at the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) Archive Center Nathan Sowry, reference archivist at the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) Archive Center Rachel Menyuk, processing archivist at the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) Archive Center Special thanks to the Harmon Family: Leonard Harmon, Pam Pierce Harmon Johnston, Mike Harmon and Matthew Harmon

    30 min
  6. May the 4th Be With You

    29 Apr

    May the 4th Be With You

    A long time ago, in movie theaters not far away, Star Wars: A New Hope revolutionized American entertainment. In honor of May the 4th, we explore how a scrappy space fantasy reinvented a tale as old as time — and gave Americans hope in a time of difficulty. We'll also trace the journey of two bickering droids from a galaxy far, far away to the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.  Guests:  Ryan Lintelman, curator of entertainment at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History Eric Jentsch, curator at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History Dawn Wallace, objects conservator at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History

    30 min
  7. Broad Stripes, Bright Stars, and White Lies

    15 Apr

    Broad Stripes, Bright Stars, and White Lies

    As we approach the nation's 250th birthday, we are looking back at some of the most important moments in American history. One of those moments is when Betsy Ross sewed the first American flag. But, as we discovered, there’s actually no proof that Ross sewed the first flag. In fact, we don't even know what the first American flag even looked like!  In this episode of Sidedoor, we unravel this vexillological tall tale to find out how this myth got started, and who Betsy Ross really was. Sidedoor also recently teamed up with the popular 99% Invisible podcast to explore the lesser-known history of the American flag. The episode, “Flag Days: Unfolding a Moment,” is available to listen to now.  Guests:  Jennifer Locke Jones, political and military history curator at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History  Marc Leepson, journalist, historian and author of the book Flag: An American Biography Marla R. Miller, historian and author of Betsy Ross and the Making of America

    31 min
  8. Tapir Caper

    1 Apr

    Tapir Caper

    When a Smithsonian archaeology intern opened a dusty box of bones in a Panamanian warehouse, she didn't expect to find a mystery, let alone a potential crime scene. But Nina Hirai’s discovery of a tapir skull riddled with what appeared to be bullet holes sparked an investigation that would lead her several miles up the Panama Canal and nearly forty years into the past. Join us as we unspool the strange, unresolved story of a tapir named Alice, and ask what it means to live with uncertainty when the past refuses to explain itself. Guests: Nina Hirai, former archeology intern at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute  Nicole Smith-Guzmán, archeology curator at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute  Ashley Sharpe, research archeologist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute  Aureliano Valencia (“Yeyo”), archeological research technician at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute  Phyllis (Lissy) Coley, professor emerita in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Utah and research associate at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute   Monica Brenes Lynan, former veterinarian at Parque Municipal Summit in Panama  Andres Ramos, lider de guardabosques del Monumento Natural Barro Colorado / head park ranger at Barro Colorado Island

    34 min
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Trailers

Hosts & Guests

About

More than 154 million treasures fill the Smithsonian’s vaults. But where the public’s view ends, Sidedoor begins. With the help of biologists, artists, historians, archaeologists, zookeepers and astrophysicists, host Lizzie Peabody sneaks listeners through the Smithsonian’s side door, telling stories that can’t be heard anywhere else. Check out si.edu/sidedoor and follow @SidedoorPod for more info. 

Information

  • Creator
    Smithsonian Institution
  • Years Active
    2016 - 2026
  • Episodes
    250
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Smithsonian 2016
  • Show Website
    Sidedoor

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