PreserveCast

Sailabration: Sailing Traditions in Ink with Owen McGarry

We're again connecting with New England-based hand poke tattoo artist Owen McGrarry, who will be at Sailabration: Sailing Traditions in Ink - a festival celebrating the lives of sailors and the art of tattooing - on October 26th in Baltimore. Before the electric tattoo machine was invented in 1891 by a former sailor, tattoo artists used a simple poke and stick technique. Aboard ship, sailors often used the materials they had on hand, such as large needles for sewing sails, India ink, laundry bluing, and even gunpowder. Owen Payette McGarry is a traditional hand poke tattoo artist based in Boston, Massachusetts. He came to tattooing in 2014 through his interest in maritime folk art, while working as a boat builder. 

Owen's previous episode: https://www.preservecast.org/2023/02/20/stick-poke-tattooing-with-owen-mcgarry/

Law, Policy & the Preservation of Place with Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Chair Sara Bronin

Sara Bronin has spent her career exploring, researching, and publishing on the intersection of law, policy, and preservation. Today, as the preservation community grapples with the challenges of equity, climate and inclusionary zoning – Sara’s research and expertise is filling an important role. Bronin was nominated by the Biden administration and now serves as chair of the U.S. Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) shaping preservation policy.

Sara and I connected via Twitter following her appointment by President Biden to chair the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation – and with her long list of credentials, publications and keen awareness of equitable land use planning, I felt she’d make an ideal guest as our field grapples with these heavy but important issues when it comes to saving historic places.   

Protecting Rural Land & Resources with Renée Hamidi

Today we're sitting down with Renée Hamidi, executive director of Valleys Planning Council, a nonprofit that works to protect land and resources, preserve historic character, and maintain the rural feel of 130 square miles of northwestern Baltimore County, Maryland. We'll cover a bit about the work of Valleys Planning Council, and a current issue, the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project, that would put irreplaceable heritage sites and thousands of acres of public-and-private conserved lands at risk. 

City Archaeology with Dr. Eleanor Breen and Scott Vierick

Historical archaeologist Dr. Eleanor Breen currently directs the renowned public archaeology program and museum that preserves and interprets the buried history of the City of Alexandria, Virginia. She joins us along with return guest Scott Vierick, who serves on the Alexandria Archaeological Commission. Together they'll discuss the work of connecting Alexandrians with the Port City’s past. 

 

 

A Journey through Atlanta's National Treasure with Gene Kansas

Gene Kansas, an award-winning cultural developer, preservationist, and social entrepreneur, joins us to discuss his upcoming book Civil Sights (UGA Press, 2025), about the Sweet Auburn Historic District in Atlanta and the movement to preserve it.

Crabbing with Luke McFadden: The History and Future of Maryland’s Watermen

On this week’s PreserveCast, we’re setting a course for the Chesapeake Bay with first-generation Maryland crabber Luke McFadden. Luke’s story is anything but typical – from beginning crabbing at age 12 to developing a social media following to help build a brand – but his atypical approach to crabbing might just be what the industry needs at this challenging moment. We’re talking with Luke about the beautiful swimmers, maintaining crab boats, and how his can-do approach may just help sustain Maryland’s iconic watermen heritage.

Restoring Historic Places One Brick at a Time

Today’s episode of PreserveCast returns to the United Kingdom to open a conversation with Colin and Dan Richards of CJR Heritage, a company that has spanned continents and worked with princes to save priceless heritage. From Transylvania to the Great Wall of China, we’re talking with two of England’s most accomplished tradespeople about the future of historic trades.

The Association of African American Museums with Vedet Coleman-Robinson, Ph.D.

Today we're talking with Vedet Coleman-Robinson, Ph.D., who serves as the president and CEO of the Association of African American Museums (AAAM), an organization bringing stories of civil rights and social injustice to the forefront, chronicling the strides that have been made, and emphasizing inequalities that still exist today.

AAAM is hosting its 46th Annual Conference in Baltimore August 13-16. 

Learn more:  

AAAM Website: Association of African American Museums – The official web site of Association of African American Museums. (blackmuseums.org)

Conference registration: AAAM 2024 Conference Registration – Association of African American Museums (blackmuseums.org)

 

Zoned In with Maria Tova Enriquez Dougherty

Continuing with the Smart Growth theme from last episode, today we're chatting with Maria Tova Enriquez Dougherty from HDAdvisors about urban planning, policy, affordable housing, and the Virginia Zoning Atlas. As always, we'll cover the connection to history and preservation and the real world impact of this work. 

Maria is involved on a variety of projects, including providing policy research and programmatic development for HousingForward Virginia and the Virginia Statewide Community Land Trust (VSCLT) and affordable housing real estate development.

As referenced in this episode: 

www.HousingForwardVA.org

https://www.zoningatlas.org

https://www.hdadvisors.net/

 

 

 

 

What's Smart Growth Got to Do With It? with Briana Paxton

Today we're talking with Preservation Maryland's Revitalization Policy Analyst Briana Paxton about the intersection of historic preservation and smart growth, zoning, barriers to infill, and what preservationists can do to incentivize smart development.

 

The History of Juneteenth with Dr. Dennis Doster

In 2021 - 158 years after the first Juneteenth - the celebration became a federal holiday, changing the understanding of awareness of the holiday for millions of Americans. On this week’s PreserveCast, we’re talking with Dr. Dennis Doster, who runs the Black History Program for the Prince George’s County Department of Parks and Recreation about what the designation means and how Juneteenth fits into the broader American story. 

Dennis A. Doster, Ph.D. is the director of the M-NCPPC Black History Program. Dr. Doster has close to 15 years of experience in the field of Public History. He has worked for the National Archives, the Johns Hopkins University, and the Alexandria Black History Museum. Additionally, he is an adjunct professor in African American Studies, History, and Women’s Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park and the University of Maryland, University College.

Learn more at: https://www.pgparks.com/1378/Black-History

The Path to Preservation with Historic Annapolis' Rachel Robinson

Today we're talking with Rachel Robinson Vice President, Preservation at Historic Annapolis, a non-profit organization in the historic capital of Maryland. Rachel takes us through her journey to a career in preservation and the organization's current projects. 

 

 

The History of Entertainment: A Conversation with Smithsonian Curator Ryan Lintelman

The history of entertainment is a unique and compelling thread in America’s story – one that today’s guest has dedicated his life to studying, collecting, and interpreting. Ryan Lintelman is the Entertainment Curator at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and is putting the finishing touches on a massive new exhibit exploring this aspect of American history. Click your Ruby slippers three times, because we’re not in Kansas anymore on this week’s episode of PreserveCast.

Ryan Lintelman specializes in the history of entertainment as a curator in the division of culture and the arts at the National Museum of American History. He studies and cares for the museum’s collections of historical objects related to theater, television and film, including the ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz, Phyllis Diller’s joke file, and Jim Henson’s Muppets.

Learn more: https://americanhistory.si.edu/profile/1176

Entertainment Nation: https://americanhistory.si.edu/exhibitions/entertainment-nation

 

 

Activating Historic Resources with Lauren Riviello from the C&O Canal Trust

We're excited to (finally!) sit down with C&O Canal Trust's President & CEO Lauren Riviello to talk about the C&O Canal, unique ways to activate historic resources, and the innovative Canal Quarters program.

The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park preserves and interprets the historical, natural, and recreational resources of the C&O Canal and has more than 5 million visitors annually.

Lauren joined the C&O Canal Trust in February 2021, serving as Director of Development prior to becoming President & CEO in April 2023. During her tenure leading the Trust’s development team, the organization steadily enhanced its fundraising efforts, growing critical support for conservation, education, and preservation efforts in the C&O Canal National Historical Park. A native of Shepherdstown, WV, she grew up exploring the C&O Canal at Lock 38.

 

 

Talking Pretzel History with Tim Snyder of Julius Sturgis Pretzels

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.

More About Our Guest

Since 2006, Tim Snynder has been the President and majority owner of the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery, based in historic Lititz, Pennsylvania. A former educator, Tim has worked in the food industry for the past four decades representing and selling iconic brands across the region. Tim has also served Lititz on the Town Council  from 1998 to 2005 and as Mayor since 2012.

Learn more at: https://juliussturgis.com/

Balancing Contemporary Sustainability Standards with Historic Structures with Daniela Holt Voith

On this week’s PreserveCast, join us as we talk with Daniela Holt Voith, a founding principal of Voith & Mactavish Architects. Daniela will take us through her history as an architect, how she was introduced to preservation, and one of her latest projects in the Town of Oxford, Md., where she and her team had to walk the line between modern sustainable practices and preservation.

Leading the Maryland Park Service with Angela Crenshaw

On today's PreserveCast we're sitting down with Angela Crenshaw, Director of the Maryland Park Service. We'll hear about Angela's background, the State Park system, famous Marylanders, and the important work she's doing leading the department that safeguards Maryland's cultural and natural resources. 

Historic Charleston Foundation with Winslow Hastie

Join us this week as we talk with Winslow Hastie, President & CEO of the Historic Charleston Foundation (HCF). On this week’s episode, we chat with Winslow about the 77-year old organization - it’s past and future - and the Nathaniel Russell House, a 19^th century historic house museum in Charleston, South Carolina, owned and operated by the Historic Charleston Foundation.

In December 2023, HCF announced they would be divesting the house and a month later, after public outcry, that decision was reversed. Sit in on our conversation with Winslow as we discuss what this story says about the current and future state of preservation.

Historic Shoemaking with Andrew Rowand

On this week’s PreserveCast, join us as we talk with Andrew Rowand, a shoemaker who focuses on recreating shoes from the 17^th, 18^th, and 19^th centuries. Andrew will take us through his process for making the shoes, where his inspiration comes from, and what started his decade-long journey. 

Building Futures: Apprenticeship Insights with Jennifer Dewees

On this week’s PreserveCast, join us as we talk with Jennifer Dewees, President at Maryland Center for Construction Education and Innovation, Inc. (MCCEI). Jennifer will discuss apprenticeships and how important they are to the construction industry, and the workforce as a whole. Jennifer is a co-founder and Construction Lead at the Maryland Apprenticeship Center where they are championing apprenticeships as essential pathways across all industries.

 

 

The Tenement Museum with Annie Polland

On this week’s PreserveCast, join us as we talk with Annie Polland, President of the Tenement Museum, about their new exhibit A Union of Hope. Annie will take us through how they discovered the story of Joseph and Rachel Moore, Black New Yorkers who lived in the tenement in the 1860s – 1870s, and how they recreated their apartment in the Tenement Museum while navigating historic preservation and interpretation.

 

Researching a Historic Property with Christiana Limniatis and Maggie Pelta-Pauls

Today we're joined by two of Preservation Maryland's own (the organization that powers PreserveCast!), Christiana Limniatis and Maggie Pelta-Pauls, to discuss the process of researching a historic property - why people conduct the research, the hidden histories that can be uncovered, and how researching a historic property has real-world impact today. 

Check out Christiana and Maggie's work here: https://www.preservationmaryland.org/researching-the-history-of-the-berlin-house/

and Preservation Maryland’s Property Research Guide here: https://www.preservationmaryland.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/PresMD-Property-Research-Guide.pdf

Historic Trades Apprenticeship with Natalie Henshaw

On this week's episode we're talking with Natalie Henshaw, Director of The Campaign for Historic Trades. You may recognize Natalie's name (and voice!) as she hosts PreserveCast's Trades Takeover episodes, some of our most downloaded conversations here on PreserveCast. 

Listen in to learn about the value of historic trades, apprenticeship programs, the impact they're having, and how you can get involved to make sure trades training happens in your community. 

*March 3-9th is also Women in Construction Week - a perfect time for the head of a national historic trades program to share her knowledge about the industry and discuss equitable opportunities in the trades. 

A Salem Witch: The Trial, Execution, and Exoneration of Rebecca Nurse with Daniel A. Gagnon

Join us as we talk with Daniel Gagnon about his book A Salem Witch: The Trial, Execution, and Exoneration of Rebecca Nurse. Dan will take us on a deep dive into the world of the Salem Witch Trials and how one story stuck out and just had to be told. We cover everything from the accusations to the legacy, and how witchcraft themed tourism impacts modern storytelling. 

Dan is the author of A Salem Witch: The Trial, Execution, and Exoneration of Rebecca Nurse. He is a high school history teacher on the North Shore of Massachusetts, serves on the board of directors of the Rebecca Nurse Homestead Museum, and serves as Chairman of the Town of Danvers’ Salem Village Historic District Commission. He has shared his research through many in-person and online programs, including C-SPAN’s television program American History TV, and has served as a subject-matter expert for local media.

Learn more: https://danielgagnonhistory.com/

Overground Railroad: The Green Book and the Roots of Black Travel in America with Candacy Taylor

As we continue to recognize Black History Month, honoring the triumphs and struggles of African Americans throughout U.S. history, we're revisiting a conversation with Candacy Taylor, an award-winning author, photographer and cultural documentarian working on a multidisciplinary project based on the Green Book. In Overground Railroad: The Green Book and the Roots of Black Travel in America, Taylor has masterfully pulled together this story of resilience and segregation in a way that elevates and memorializes this history – a history still rooted in countless towns and cities across America.