Hagley History Hangout

Hagley Museum and Library

4.6 (9)
EDUCATION
UPDATED SEMIMONTHLY

Podcast by Hagley Museum and Library

1D AGO

Americans Under the Chinese Communist Triumph: DuPont China, 1947-1950 with Sanjiao Tang

Americans had established schools, hospitals, and businesses in China prior to the 1949 triumph of the Communists under Mao. What would be the fate of these institutions and their staff under the new dispensation? In his latest research, Dr. Sanjiao Tang, fellow at the National Library of Australia, explores the actions and reactions of Americans facing the advent of the People’s Republic of China. Using the DuPont firm as a representative American business of the period, Sanjiao finds that most Americans had a “wait and see” attitude toward Mao’s initial triumph. DuPont China only shut down its Shanghai headquarters a year after the Communist victory, doing so shortly before a wave of Anti-American sentiment expropriated the remaining American institutions in China. In support of his research, Dr. Sanjiao received funding from the Center for the History of Business, Technology, and Society at the Hagley Museum and Library. For more information, and more Hagley History Hangouts, visit us online at hagley.org. To make a donation underwriting this program and others like it please visit our Eventbrite page: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/underwriting-donation-tickets-1470779985529?aff=oddtdtcreator

22 min
2D AGO

TV Town II: New York City and Television Industries with Richard Popp

New York City was the focus of the early American television industry. In TV’s early years NYC had the highest concentration of television sets, viewers, broadcasters, and infrastructure. In NYC many Americans had their first encounter with TV. In his latest book project, Dr. Richard Popp, associate professor at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, tunes into the tangled relationship between televisions and the urban fabric and lived experience of NYC. Using several collections held in the Hagley Library, including those of RCA, David Sarnoff, and Ernest Dichter, Popp explores the history of television screens in public spaces, and the many misadventures of the television repair industry. In support of his research, Dr. Popp received funding from the Hagley Center for the History of Business, Technology, and Society at the Hagley Museum and Library. For more information, and more Hagley History Hangouts, visit us online at hagley.org. To make a donation underwriting this program and others like it please visit our Eventbrite page: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/underwriting-donation-tickets-1470779985529?aff=oddtdtcreator

25 min
FEB 2

Film and American World's Fairs 1893-1964 with Dominique Bregent-Heald

Film has played a role in America’s world’s fairs since the 1893 Chicago exhibition where a horse galloping was the big cinematic draw. In her latest book project, Dr. Dominique Bregent-Heald, professor at the Memorial University of Newfoundland, explores the history of film at American world’s fairs, such as the educational and industrial films shown by corporate sponsors. These spectacles were conceived of as a means to make industrial products and processes entertaining, and to induce fair goers to identify with the film subjects. In support of her work Dr. Bregent-Heald received finding from the Center for the History of Business, Technology, and Society at the Hagley Museum and Library. For more information, and more Hagley History Hangouts, visit us online at hagley.org. To make a donation underwriting this program and others like it please visit our Eventbrite page: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/underwriting-donation-tickets-1470779985529?aff=oddtdtcreator

25 min
JAN 19

Rage! At the Train Station: Long Island Railroad Controversies with Elizabeth Moore

Infrastructure projects have frequently generated controversies in American history, and railroads in particular have been the cause of many a political fracas. In her latest project, journalist and independent scholar Elizabeth Moore is uncovering the history of controversies over the Long Island Railroad. The politics are complex and multi-layered. From hyper-local concerns about noise, safety, and property values, to community-wide concerns about development and accessibility, to state-level concerns for tax revenue, popular approbation, and power. Every train, every rail, every station, and every commuter is bound up in these problems. In support of her work Moore received funding from the Center for the History of Business, Technology, and Society at the Hagley Museum and Library. For more information, and more Hagley History Hangouts, visit us online at hagley.org. To make a donation underwriting this program and others like it please visit our Eventbrite page: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/underwriting-donation-tickets-1470779985529?aff=oddtdtcreator

27 min
JAN 5

Industrious Skies: Nitrogen Capture and the Atmosphere of Italian Fascism with Rebecca Falkoff

Nitrogen feeds both war and peace, represents both fecundity and strength, and accordingly, nitrogen capture technology gained a symbolic potency in the ideologically charged atmosphere of fascist Italy. In her latest research, Dr. Rebecca Falkoff, assistant professor at the University of Texas at Austin, is uncovering the story of nitrogen capture in fascist Italy and considering what it can tell us about the atmosphere, literal and figurative, in which fascism and right-wing extremism operate. In support of her work Dr. Falkoff received funding from the Center for the History of Business, Technology, and Society at the Hagley Museum and Library. For more information, and more Hagley History Hangouts, visit us online at hagley.org. To make a donation underwriting this program and others like it please visit our Eventbrite page: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/underwriting-donation-tickets-1470779985529?aff=oddtdtcreator

24 min
12/22/2025

The Rise and Fall of King Coal: American Energy Transitions, 1800-1940 with Mark Aldrich

In this episode we interview Mark Aldrich about his new book, The Rise and Fall of King Coal: American Energy Transitions in an Age of Markets, 1800-1940. From the publisher: “A history of the dynamic role of coal in the energy landscape of the United States during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In The Rise and Fall of King Coal, Mark Aldrich explores the pivotal role of coal in the historical energy landscape of the United States. Meticulously researched and clearly written, this analysis of the rise, dominance, and eventual decline of coal as a primary fuel source traces its evolution from the late eighteenth century to the mid-twentieth century.  Aldrich explains the factors that contributed to coal's ascendancy and decline, including efficiency, marketing, and the technological advancements that facilitated both its widespread adoption and later languishing. A complex interplay among market forces, government policies, and societal attitudes profoundly shaped the coal industry's trajectory. Challenges and controversies have surrounded the production of coal since its inception, including labor issues, environmental concerns, and resource scarcity. Aldrich's comprehensive approach—which combines historical analysis, economic perspectives, and a deep appreciation for the technological and scientific advancements that transformed the energy landscape—also emphasizes the role of innovation and entrepreneurship in driving energy transitions.  By providing a bottom-up history that underscores the pivotal role of individual choices and market dynamics, The Rise and Fall of King Coal offers valuable insights into the dynamic nature of energy transitions. In lively discussions of domestic cooking and heating, Aldrich emphasizes the importance of women in shaping households' energy choices, and he gives voice to individual women and men as they describe how these decisions raised their standard of living. This book represents a seminal contribution to the field of energy history and highlights the complex interplay of factors that have shaped the evolution of energy use in the United States.” To make a donation underwriting this program and others like it please visit our Eventbrite page: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/underwriting-donation-tickets-1470779985529?aff=oddtdtcreator.

1h 9m
12/08/2025

Pennsylvania Merchants and American Ginseng in China, 1784-1840 with Audrey Ke Zhao

Ginseng is the “emperor of plants,” celebrated in traditional Chinese medicine as a sovereign remedy for diverse ailments and promoter of longevity. The introduction of American ginseng to the Chinese market in the late-eighteenth century found a vast market of eager consumers. In her dissertation project, Audrey Ke Zhao, PhD candidate at the University of California – Santa Cruz, is exploring the history of American ginseng in China. Using multiple collections held in the Hagley Library, such as the Lanman & Kemp drug company records, Zhao uncovers the development of an American export industry in ginseng with global connections and an orientation to the Chinese market. Ginseng imported through Canton challenged the imperial monopoly on the coveted commodity, triggering changes across the political economy of China. In support of her work, Zhao received funding from the Center for the History of Business, Technology, and Society at the Hagley Museum and Library. For more information, and more Hagley History Hangouts, visit us online at hagley.org. To make a donation underwriting this program and others like it please visit our Eventbrite page: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/underwriting-donation-tickets-1470779985529?aff=oddtdtcreator

20 min
11/24/2025

Steel Rhythms: The Many Phases of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania with Kimberly Andrews

From the eighteenth-century Moravians singing hymns on communal farms, to twentieth-century steelworkers laboring in blazing furnaces, to twenty-first century healthcare and warehouse workers cutting loose at Musikfest, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania has moved to many beats. In her latest project, Dr. Kimberly Andrews, associate professor at the University of Ottawa, investigates the history of Bethlehem as a creative writing challenge. Learning about the past through archival materials, oral histories, and living landscapes, Andrews seeks to make meaning of the many changes and challenges faced by the people and places of Bethlehem. In support of her work, Dr. Andrews received funding from the Center for the History of Business, Techology, and Society at that Hagley Musuem and Library. For more information, and more Hagley History Hangouts, visit us online at hagley.org. To make a donation underwriting this program and others like it please visit our Eventbrite page: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/underwriting-donation-tickets-1470779985529?aff=oddtdtcreator

24 min

4.6

out of 5

9 Ratings

Deep Archive of Episodes

10/01/2021

Hist Listener

So many fascinating subjects covered by experts in a very accessible style.

Podcast by Hagley Museum and Library

Creator

Hagley Museum and Library
Years Active

2016 - 2026
Episodes

215
Rating

Clean
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Hagley History Hangout