In the 1880s, a conservator at the Smithsonian set out for Montana to capture an American bison before the dwindling species vanished forever. He returned with six taxidermied bison that he displayed in the museum.
The bison diorama wowed visitors so much that it helped kickstart a movement to save the species. But then, just like that, the stuffed bison v ... Show More
Jun 24
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 appr ... Show More
42m 14s
Jun 17
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 ... Show More
31m 13s
Jan 2025
Learning from what others leave behind
For millennia, humans have created artifacts of their lives — from art, to books, to music. This hour, we explore ideas about capturing the ephemeral human experience for future generations to find. Guests include paleoanthropologist Genevieve von Petzinger, museum curator Ariana ... Show More
50m 4s