Stories from the Attic

Greg Van Antwerp, History Hunter, public speaker@
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Documentary
  • Updated Monthly

Greg has been hunting for hidden history in the basements and attics of America for over 30 years. He is a public speaker, historian and preservationist and this podcast presents the stories behind some of his favorite discoveries. Along with Co-host Martin Blanco, they discuss the items with a bent towards humor, while promoting the importance preservation and the accessibility for anyone to conduct their own search for hidden history.

  1. May 2

    How to win at Russian Roulette

    Join Greg and Martin in a listening party as we try to decipher another fascinating piece of of hidden history from an attic dig. Can you really win at Russian Roulette? Listen in and see... um , or hear! Vintage audio is a viable hobby. Enthusiasts shop for gear like turntables, amplifiers and audio decks for one reason: The recorded media is still out there, still sounding great and also rare - some of these recordings did not make it to the newer formats. In this episode, we have a one-of-akind recording that presents more than one a humorous and poignant mystery.

    25 min

  2. Mar 18

    Technically Speaking...

    Is technology passing you by? Join Greg and Martin in this light-hearted talk about the woes of chasing advances, innovating, and building vintage tech in the moment to recover home movies a family had never seen until Greg found....(Cue title)

    24 min

  3. Mar 5

    Sex and Cigarettes

    In 1954, A psychologist meets a friend in the city. This friend introduces him to a reporter covering a story on intimacy and smoking. The good doctor unwittingly speaks freely with the reporter. What happens next sets in motion a panic in which the doctor must recover his reputation from unintentional exposure. Can he? Does he? The answer comes from this important question: How does Marilyn Monroe fit into her bloomers?

    34 min

  4. 07/31/2025

    An Honor and a Privilege

    It's a true opportunity to sit down with someone who has owned an historic home, but who also has a rich and vibrant memory of their own history. This is John Reed. As superintendent of Newtown CT schools, he and I collaborated on a series called "Schools and Schooling." John with his vast knowledge of education, and me with my community studio anxious to have as many people use as possible. We were able to give high school students the opportunity to participate in the creation of TV programming and consider it as a possible career path. John is moving from a house that was built as the first Library in Newtown in 1900. Small in stature but built to last, an it has, with just a few alterations in the 1930s to transform it in to a residence. This first episode of season 3 was created to promotion for the sale this very weekend. While you may be reading this after the fact, consider the quest for hidden history your opportunity to see and touch the past before it os gone forever.

    24 min

  5. 06/20/2025

    Abandoned in Greenwich

    "10 buildings on one street in Greenwich, CT to be demolished" was all Martin Blanco and I needed to hear, and we were on our way to hunt for history, or get stuck in an attic while the wrecking ball moved closer. It was hot and exhausting and mostly empty, but we made the most ofit and found some treasure along the way.

    9 min

  6. 06/06/2025

    Movie Props for Sale

    In this quick episode Martin and I grab the gear and head to Hastings on Hudson to look for the elusive Wire Recorder used in the film "Death of a Salesman" which featured Dustin Hoffman. The home of a long-time film industry sound editor is also the place where numerous film props he collected can be purchased. Take a look at them while Matin and I power tossing a brick (prop) at either Frank Whalley or Nathan Lane.

    11 min

  7. 05/29/2025

    Tips from a 1750s House - Don't Smoke your Meat!

    "Stories From The Attic" Podcast: A colonial estate in Wilton, CT is the setting for this episode. Greg and Martin stay in the Backyard and use a very old doll house to show where the treasure is sometimes hidden. Examples of things found in an old house are: A bag of 75 year old bird seed; An 1863 almanac from Rhode Island; An 19th century unopened jar of smoke flavor for meat, which ends the problem of your smoke house burning down all the time.

    14 min

  8. 05/21/2025

    Tackling the Hoard Part 2

    The dig so big...it needed two episodes. Note: we are taping shorter episodes now, and in the future they may get shorter. You're busy; we get that. Back in the studio, Martin Blanco and I review the journey to Wilton and share before and after footage of the non-hoarder hoard. There was a lot in this house but the owners were just doing what everyone else tries to do - Live a full life and save little pieces of it. When it's time to clear out and you want to keep history from becoming lost, and then have it preserved - somehow - call us first. Reach out here!

    19 min
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About

Greg has been hunting for hidden history in the basements and attics of America for over 30 years. He is a public speaker, historian and preservationist and this podcast presents the stories behind some of his favorite discoveries. Along with Co-host Martin Blanco, they discuss the items with a bent towards humor, while promoting the importance preservation and the accessibility for anyone to conduct their own search for hidden history.

Information

  • Creator
    Greg Van Antwerp, History Hunter, public speaker@
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    23
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Greg Van Antwerp, History Hunter, public speaker@
  • Show Website
    Stories from the Attic