Category Archives: Uncategorized

Interpreting and Preserving History By Doing It: The World of ALHFAM with Kathy Dickson

| March 21, 2022

Nothing can replace the experience of seeing history come alive – whether it be on a farm or a carpenters shop or some other authentic historic setting. The people doing this work, known as living historians, put great effort into this work and are supported by a national organization – Association for Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums – who are working hard to keep history alive and make the field more representative of the stories they tell. All topics perfect to learn from on this week’s PreserveCast.

Sustainability, Equity, and Preservation: A Conversation with Dr. Erica Avrami

| March 14, 2022

Dr. Erica Avrami’s research and publication on preservation policy is helping the movement reframe the way we think about our work – and helping to suggest ways of improving our efforts as we confront the legacy of preservation and the need for a more equitable, sustainable and just world – topics of conversation that I felt would be of great interest to all of our PreserveCast listeners.

The Cultural Destruction Wrought by Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine; a Conversation with Former Fulbright Scholar, Rachel Rettaliata

| March 9, 2022

Historic preservationists know that our work isn’t just about physically preserving historic buildings, structures, and sites. It’s also about preserving and celebrating the intangible heritage and culture of people and their communities. I would be remiss, and sou would this podcast, if we didn’t lead by acknowledging the heart-breaking conflict in Ukraine and the value and importance of those intangible pieces of the Ukrainian identity, too. On this special edition of PreserveCast, we’re sitting down with Rachel Rettaliata to discuss what’s at risk as this illegal and unjust invasion drags on.
 

A Year on the Field: Preserving Agricultural History by Doing with Claus Kropp

| February 28, 2022

After a year of supply chain shortages and pressures on agriculture, many have come to question the future of our globalized food network. It’s why conversations like this one – where we dive deep into the history and future of agriculture are so critical. Preservation isn’t just about buildings – it can also help us understand the food we eat and the future of that which sustains us – the topic of this week’s PreserveCast as we dive into the world of heritage wheat with Claus Kropp. Learn more at: https://www.yearonthefield.net/

The Future of Post-Industrial Cities with Mac McComas

| February 21, 2022

How cities will survive and thrive post-COVID is a question on a lot of people’s minds. Today’s guest has been thinking about the future of cities since before the pandemic and has continued that work as the world grapples with this latest shock to the system. Mac McComas is the senior program manager of the Johns Hopkins University 21st century cities initiative – an effort aimed at providing cities with up-to-date economic information and analysis to help build a more sustainable future.

Collecting & Preserving the Story of COVID with Dr. Alexandra Lord

| February 14, 2022

COVID-19 has changed all of our lives. It is a defining moment for this generation – and for American history – which means that the Smithsonian has made it a priority for collecting and interpreting for future generations. How we will remember this moment is something as a historian I’ve often thought about – and a reason I wanted to sit down with an expert at the Smithsonian who is focused on that very question. On this week’s PreserveCast, we’re sitting down with Dr. Alexandra Lord, the Chair of the Chair Division of Medicine and Science at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History to discuss how that institution is working to capture this moment in history. Dr. Alexandra Lord is an accomplished historian of medicine and health and is a leader in the effort to document COVID – a perfect guest as we approach the two-year anniversary of the onset of the pandemic. 

Talking Pretzel History with Tim Snyder of Julius Sturgis Pretzels

| February 7, 2022

Pretzels. Few words are as synonymous with snacking – and they are ubiquitous on tables across the nation, no matter the region. Today’s guest, Tim Snyder, leads one of America’s oldest pretzel brands – where the history of the twisted treat is almost equally as important as the taste. Connecting food and history is a theme this year on PreserveCast, and this is a great place to start with an icon in the food industry. 

As a part of our historic foods series – where we’re diving into preserving some of the most iconic foods and brands, we sat down with Tim Snyder, President of the Julius Sturgis Pretzel company, America’s oldest pretzel bakery, based in historic Lititz, Pennsylvania to talk about preserving the history and charting the future of one of America’s favorite snacks. 

A Big Slice of History: Pizza, Preservation and Culture

| January 31, 2022

As a part of our historic foods series – where we’re diving into preserving some of the most iconic foods and brands, we sat down with pizza historian Alexander Hughes to discuss his work chronicling the history of pizza in the United States and Canada and what is being done to preserve this slice of our history. Pizza, history and preservation are three of my favorite things – and it’s rare that they come together under one PreserveCast episode – but that’s what we’ve got in store this week; a topic and conversation made even sweeter by the fact that it is set in my hometown of Buffalo, New York where pizza historian Alexander Hughes conducted much of his research.