Library of Congress Hair Collection

A Seattle restaurant pushes diners to eat beyond their borders through its embrace of global street foods. 

The Pan-American Highway is considered the longest road in the world – it stretches nearly 20,000 miles, from Alaska to Argentina. In her new docuseries Pati Jinich Explores PanAmericana, Pati talks with people along the famous route about the different ways we form our identitie ... Show More

Early polar explorers faced long nights and dangerous expeditions. To entertain themselves, they wrote and published niche newspapers and periodicals. Atlas Obscura’s community editor Allegra Rosenberg reads an essay exploring this unique polar tradition. Read her full essay here ... Show More

Since 1800, the Library of Congress has functioned as the national library of the United States. Don't let the name fool you -- this institution isn't just a bunch of dusty old tomes and long-forgotten letters from politicians. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max explore some o ... Show More

يعتبر صمود مكتبة سانت غال في سويسرا لاثني عشر قرناً حتى اليوم واحدة من معجزاتها الكبرى فبينما اختفى الكثير من مكتبات العصور الوسطى نجت وحافظة  على دورها الثقافي. 

In this Diamond Jubilee year, BBC Arts Editor Will Gompertz has been selecting some of the most revealing objects from the Royal Collection to see what they tell us about the monarchs who acquired them. It is one of the most wide-ranging collections of art and artefacts in the wo ... Show More

When Sidedoor listener Cliff Hall bought a used violin, he found a tattered note tucked alongside the century-old instrument. Obsessed with this cryptic piece of paper, Cliff’s quest to find the owner of the violin unlocked a tale of subterfuge, scandal, and the Smithsonian’s fir ... Show More

On this episode of Our American Stories, in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, right below the Great Smoky Mountains you will find the Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum. Andrea Ludden, daughter of the original collector, shares the story of how this amazing collection came to be a museum. Suppor ... Show More

On Start the Week Tom Sutcliffe picks through the remains of vanished buildings with the writer James Crawford. In his book, Fallen Glory, Crawford looks at the life and death of some of the world's most iconic structures. The conductor Semyon Bychkov explores why some music fade ... Show More

Hello! Libraries are about far more than borrowing books. We’re exploring how libraries around the world serve their communities and are adapting to changing needs. Sociologist Eric Klinenberg explains why libraries help build social solidarity and should be a priority for govern ... Show More

Today is part II of our tribute to one of the most iconic pieces of American culture.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

They bring out the voyeur in us. And the Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art is full of them. In three short letters, we offer a glimpse of tender moments in the complex lives of others. Guests: Josh T. Franco, Head of Collecting at the Archives of American Art. Liza Kirwin, I ... Show More

قرر الامبراطور البيزنطي قسطنطين الأول إنشاء مكتبة عامة في القرن الرابع الميلادي فأمر بجمع النصوص الدينية والأدب الكلاسيكي فبلغ عدد الكتب والمجلدات سبعة آلآف كتاب ومجلد ساهم بذلك في الحفاظ على الكتب والمعارف الاغريقية واليونانية القديمة لأكثر من ألف عام.