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Sidedoor: Daily Summaries Delivered
by 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.
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- 3 days ago27 min
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 HistoryDillon Delvo, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Little Manila Rising in South Stockton, CaliforniaPhillip Merlo, a historian and educator who serves as the Executive Director of the San Joaquin County Historical Society & Museum
- 2 weeks ago32 min
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.
- May 13, 202630 min
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-returnsTo 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 CenterNathan Sowry, reference archivist at the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) Archive CenterRachel Menyuk, processing archivist at the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) Archive CenterSpecial thanks to the Harmon Family:Leonard Harmon, Pam Pierce Harmon Johnston, Mike Harmon and Matthew Harmon
- Apr 29, 202630 min
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 HistoryEric Jentsch, curator at the Smithsonian National Museum of American HistoryDawn Wallace, objects conservator at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History
- Apr 15, 202630 min
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 BiographyMarla R. Miller, historian and author of Betsy Ross and the Making of America
- Apr 1, 202634 min
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
- Mar 18, 202632 min
Made in America
What does it look like for something to be made in America? Through the photography of Christopher Payne, we journey across the past, present and future of American manufacturing to answer this question. From centuries-old textile mills to modern assembly lines, Payne’s photographs offer a rare, behind-the-scenes view of how everyday objects—from pencils to airplanes to marshmallow Peeps—are made. With the help of Smithsonian curator, Susan Brown, and author, Rachel Slade, we also explore the history behind these factories, and how the story of American manufacturing is the story of our nation itself. Guests: Christopher Payne, Industrial photographerSusan Brown, associate curator, and acting head of textiles at Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum; curator of the exhibition Made in AmericaRachel Slade, author of the book Making it in America: The Almost Impossible Quest to Manufacture in the U.S.A. (and How it Got That Way)
- Mar 4, 202634 min
Dark Matter, Bright Mind: How Vera Rubin Saw the Unseen
Something dark and invisible makes up as much as 90 to 95 percent of the universe—and it took a little girl staring out a bedroom window at the night sky to bring it to light. As a child, Vera Rubin built her own telescope. As an adult, she uncovered a problem no telescope could solve: stars at the edges of galaxies were moving just as fast as those near the center. The math contradicted everything astronomers expected to see...unless the universe was filled with unseen matter.This is the story of how Vera Rubin pushed through the gender barriers of the 1950s and turned a fringe idea into one of astronomy’s biggest open questions. What is dark matter? How did Rubin help prove it was real? And what does it mean that most of the universe is made of something we can’t see?Guests: Ashley Yeager, Associate News Editor at Science News and Author of Bright Galaxies Dark Matter and Beyond: The Life of Astronomer Vera RubinRamona Rubin, Granddaughter of Vera Rubin Deidre Hunter, Astronomer at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona Amruta Jaodand, Astrophysicist at the Chandra X-Ray Center in the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
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About Sidedoor
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.
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