PreserveCast

Forensic Modelling at Gettysburg with Christopher Oakley

On this week’s PreserveCast, we are talking with Christopher Oakley from UNC Asheville about his research behind solving the number 1 question guests at the Gettysburg National Cemetery ask. “Where did Lincoln stand [during the Gettysburg Address]?” Join us while Oakley takes us through the intense analysis of 19^thcentury photographs with today’s technology & 3D modelling software.

Christopher Oakley is an associate professor of New Media and teaches courses in animation and the history of animation at the University of North Carolina in Asheville.

Christopher is also an animator and director with over 25 years of experience in the film, television, commercial and game industries. After several years working as a stop motion animator and director on commercials and CBS' Pee-wee's Playhouse, Christopher was recruited by Walt Disney Feature Animation to work on their pioneering computer-generated film Dinosaur and other projects. After moving to Asheville, NC, Christopher animated "Into the Groove" for Madonna's Sticky and Sweet world tour.

Christopher has a life-long passion for history and has spent much of that time researching Abraham Lincoln. In 2013, Christopher launched an undergraduate research endeavor titled "The Virtual Lincoln Project." Together with his students, Christopher created a photo-real, digital Abraham Lincoln and brought him to life delivering the Gettysburg Address. The discovery was featured in Smithsonian Magazine ("Will the Real Abraham Lincoln Please Stand Up") and went viral worldwide. In addition, Christopher's blending of 19th Century analog materials with 21st Century digital technology has helped him pinpoint the size, shape, and location of the speaker's stand from which Lincoln delivered his Gettysburg Address. Christopher's reveal of that location at a recent gathering of The Lincoln Forum in Gettysburg was featured on the front-page of the New York Times.

Christopher received his BFA in Theatre from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin and his MFA in Film from Columbia University in New York City.

Learn more: www.christopheroakley.com  

 

 

The Real Father Christmas: Preserving Charles Dickens Legacy with Dr. Cindy Sughrue

There is perhaps no author or person who has made more of an impact on the modern notion of Christmas than Charles Dickens. The famed author is now almost synonymous with Christmas – and his legendary work, A Christmas Carol, has sold millions of copies and has been turned into no fewer than 135 different movies. With this legendary success, how best to tell his story? That’s the subject of today’s PreserveCast – a deep dive into the legacy and story of Dickens with Dr. Cindy Sughrue, the Director of the Charles Dickens Museum.

Living in the past, present and future is the work of preservation – and today’s guest is working to keep the legacy of Charles Dickens, arguably the father of our modern Christmas, alive at his home in London, England.

At this festive time of the year, we’re talking with Dr. Cindy Sughrue, the Director of the Charles Dickens Museum.

“I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me.” – Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

Live from the Field: Talking Trades with Christman Company (& three skilled tradespeople)

We're excited to bring you today's PreserveCast live from the field! We're in Annapolis, Maryland on the grounds of the historic State House, where we're sitting down with Drew Brown of the Christman Company to discuss the organization's work on the overhaul of the State House's c. 1788 dome. Then we'll shift the conversation to talk with three of the project's tradespeople, skilled in window restoration, painting, and slate and shingle work. 

After all - without the trained hands to do the work, preservation is just good intentions. Come along with us as we discuss this unique project and explore careers in the historic trades.

PreserveCast is brought to you by Preservation Maryland, which also runs the national workforce development program The Campaign for Historic Trades in partnership with NPS' Historic Preservation Training Center. To learn more about The Campaign's work to expand and strengthen careers in the field of historic trades, visit www.historictrades.org

 

The Historic Trades Labor Study with Donovan Rypkema from PlaceEconomics

The first comprehensive research study on the status of heritage trades in the US has now been published! On this week’s PreserveCast, we are talking with Donovan Rypkema from PlaceEconomics about the Historic Trades Labor Study published by The Campaign for Historic Trades (Powered by Preservation Maryland). Rypkema will take us through the research and how he and his team conducted the study, some surprising key findings about Historic Trades in the United States, and about the industry’s expected growth in the next decade.

To access the full study and other assets, visit www.historictrades.org/laborstudy

Donovan D. Rypkema is principal of PlaceEconomics, a Washington, D.C.-based real estate and economic development-consulting firm. The work of the firm is at the nexus of historic preservation and economics. He has undertaken assignments for public and non-profit sector clients in 49 US states. He also teaches a course on the economics of historic preservation at the University of Pennsylvania where he received the 2008 G. Holmes Perkins Award for Distinguished Teaching.

Rypkema was educated at Columbia University receiving a Master of Science degree in Historic Preservation. He is author of several publications including Community Initiated Development, The Economics of Rehabilitation, and the Feasibility Assessment Manual for Reusing Historic Buildings. Rypkema’s book, The Economics of Historic Preservation: A Community Leader’s Guide is widely used by preservationists nationwide and has been translated into Russian, Georgian, and Korean.

Rypkema has worked with such groups as the Urban Land Institute, the Mayors’ Institute on City Design, the American Planning Association, Smart Growth America, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the International Downtown Association. Federal Government clients have included the U.S. Army, the Department of State, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Interior, and the Advisory Council for Historic Preservation for whom he prepared a report entitled Measuring Economic Impacts of Historic Preservation.

 

 

[Thanksgiving Episode] This Land is Their Land by Dr. David J. Silverman

For most of us – Thanksgiving is a time of reflection, communion and appreciation – shared around a table groaning under the weight of rich foods with family and friends. Central to the holiday is a story dating back to the 1620s – when our European forbearers gathered with native peoples and peacefully celebrated a harvest. Or, at least, that’s what legend, myth and selective memory would lead us to believe.

Today’s guest, Dr. David J. Silverman, has authored a powerful new history of Thanksgiving which explores the story from all angles – and makes the case that the way we remember and consider Thanksgiving requires thoughtful reconsideration as we endeavor to tell the full story of American history.

On this week’s PreserveCast, we’re exploring the untold story of Thanksgiving with an authority on the subject.

Hey, Nick here – and as we approach Thanksgiving – I want to say thank you to all of our listeners – you have made this podcast a huge success and have grown us to become one of the most listened to history and preservation podcasts in the nation – no small feat for a podcast produced on a shoestring. Speaking of that shoestring, and thanks, would you consider making a quick donation today to help us bring more content like this to you in the year ahead? Every bit helps and we greatly appreciate whatever you can provide! Now, let’s head back to the 1620s to get the full story of Thanksgiving.

Hessians: German Soldiers in the American Revolutionary War with Friederike Baer

Join us in exploring a new narrative of the American Revolutionary War from the eyes of hired German Soldiers, known as Hessians. On this week’s PreserveCast, we are talking with Friederike Baer about her book Hessians: German Soldiers in the American Revolutionary War. We’ll explore the untold stories of the Hessians and the profound impact they had in the American Revolution.

Friederike Baer is Associate Professor of History and Division Head for Arts and Humanities at Pennsylvania State University, Abington College. Originally from Germany, Baer holds a Ph.D. in early American history from Brown University. Her research, which has been supported by organizations such as the American Philosophical Society, University of Michigan Clements Library, German Historical Institute in Washington, D.C., and German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), focuses primarily on the experiences of German-speaking people in North America in the periods of the War for American Independence and Early Republic. Among her publications are the books The Trial of Frederick Eberle: Language, Patriotism and Citizenship in Philadelphia’s German Community, 1790-1830 (New York UP, 2008) and Hessians: German Soldiers in the American Revolutionary War (Oxford UP, 2022).

Learn more: https://friederikebaer.com/

Book: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/hessians-9780190249632?lang=en&cc=us

 

 

Stop the Road: A Conversation with E. Evans Paull

Hold onto your steering wheel as we’re about to hit the road on this week’s PreserveCast as we talk with Evans Paull about Baltimore’s Stop the Road movement, the historic waterfront communities saved, and the Highway to Nowhere. Detailed in his recently released book, Stop the Road: Stories from The Trenches of Baltimore’s Road Wars, Paull will give us a glimpse into the up-close-and-personal account of Baltimore’s 40-year battle over highway plans.

 E. Evans Paull spent 45 years as a city planner working in Baltimore and nationally on urban redevelopment issues. He began his career in the Baltimore City Department of Planning as a generalist planner before specializing in the redevelopment of brownfields. 

After starting and managing Baltimore’s Brownfields Initiative, he tackled these same issues at a national level, working first for Northeast-Midwest Institute before becoming director of the National Brownfields Coalition and finally running his consulting business, Redevelopment Economics. Although now retired, many of his published articles and papers still appear on the Redevelopment Economics website.

Paull has won several awards, including: Brownfields Leadership Award, Phoenix Award (for brownfields redevelopment), Governor’s Smart Growth Award and Professional Achievement in Economic Development Award from the Maryland Chapter American Planning Association.

The Great Maryland Recipe Hunt with Joyce White

It’s time for The Great Maryland Recipe Hunt! Join us on this week’s PreserveCast as we talk with Joyce White from A Taste of History to discuss the upcoming anniversary of one of Maryland’s most iconic cookbooks, Maryland’s Way, The Hammond-Harwood House Cook Book. This cookbook included recipes found in historic handwritten journals as well as many that were donated from Marylanders across the state. The Hammond-Harwood House and the Maryland State Archives are teaming up to continue the search for recipes that fully represent Maryland’s evolving cuisine to honor this 60^th anniversary.

Joyce White is a foodways historian operating A Taste of History with Joyce White, offering interactive food history presentations with tastings on a variety of topics. Joyce is also the foodways consultant to the c. 1801 Riversdale House Museum in Riverdale Park, Maryland, was the consultant for the restoration of the 18th century kitchen at Annapolis’ William Paca House, and was the guest curator for the Maryland State Exhibit for the Southern Food & Beverage Museum in New Orleans.

 

Spooky Season with Colin Dickey

In a world where rational, scientific explanations are more available than ever, belief in the unprovable and irrational--in fringe--is on the rise: from Atlantis to aliens, from Flat Earth to the Loch Ness monster, the list goes on. Enter Colin Dickey, Cultural Historian and Tour Guide of the Weird. With the same curiosity and insight that made Ghostland a hit with readers and critics, Colin looks at what all fringe beliefs have in common, explaining that today's Illuminati is yesterday's Flat Earth: the attempt to find meaning in a world stripped of wonder. On this week’s PreserveCast things are about to get weird as we enter spooky season with The Unidentified: Mythical Monsters, Alien Encounters, and Our Obsession with the Unexplained.

Historic New England Summit with Carissa Demore

On this week’s PreserveCast, we are talking we are talking with Carissa Demore from Historic New England about the Historic New England Summit (2022) happing this Thursday, October 13^th through Friday, October 14^th. This 2-day event will be full of conversations exploring how 21^st-century challenges and opportunities are transforming the fields of historic preservation, architecture, urban planning, conservation, arts & culture, museum studies, collections management, public history, and education. If you are interested, you can still participate! Join the Summit virtually via livestream for both daytime sessions. Grab your tickets now!

Carissa Demore joined Historic New England in 2013 and became the Team Leader of Preservation Services in 2017. In her current role, she is responsible for the overall planning and implementation of a variety of preservation programs and initiatives, including management of the Preservation Easement Program, direction of public programs to raise visibility and awareness of historic preservation issues, administration of Historic New England’s two grant programs, and leadership and support of partner agencies and organizations advocating for historic resources and sound preservation policies across the region. Carissa has a Bachelor’s degree in Landscape Architecture from Colorado State University and a Master’s degree in Historic Preservation from the University of Maryland. Prior to joining Historic New England, Carissa was the Program Coordinator for the City of Annapolis Main Street Program.

 

Learn more: https://www.historicnewengland.org/

Historic New England Summit: https://summit.historicnewengland.org/register/

Bus Stop Paintings: A Conversation with Diego Bleifuss Prados

Hop off the bus with us on this week’s PreserveCast as we talk with Diego Bleifuss Prados, artist from @busstoppaintings, who paints a reflection of original communities within Chicago’s historic neighborhoods from their bus stops. Bleifuss Prados will share how he started painting bus stops and his rush to preserve images of these historic areas before rapid gentrification.

 

Diego Bleifuss Prados is a painter based in Chicago, Illinois. Born and raised in Chicago, Diego first began painting watercolors while living in Denver, Colorado and then in Marfa, Texas. His paintings try to capture and celebrate the vernacular architecture and design of older commercial buildings, such as corner stores plastered with years of beer advertisements, chipped and faded hand-painted signs, and closed shops fallen into disrepair. Many of his paintings' subjects are holdouts in rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods, and still reflect the original community that built and patronized these spots. Diego's paintings can be found on his Instagram @busstoppaintings. 

Learn more: https://www.busstoppaintings.com/

Battle of Sharpsburg: A Glimpse into the Lives of its Civilians with Steve Cowie

On this week’s PreserveCast, take a look back at one of the bloodiest days in American history and the battle’s horrendous toll on the area’s civilians. We are talking with Steve Cowie, author of When Hell Came to Sharpsburg: The Battle of Antietam and Its Impact on the Civilians Who Called It Home about the Battle of Antietam and how it impacted civilians. Cowie will share the process of writing his book, researching the lives of Sharpsburg civilians, and how they dealt with the emotional, physical, and financial havoc.

Steven Cowie earned a degree from California State University, Long Beach. As part of the Los Angeles film industry, he penned spec screenplays and sold his award-winning short film to the Sundance Channel. A lifelong student of the Civil War, Cowie dedicated fifteen years to exclusively researching the Battle of Antietam. When Hell Came to Sharpsburg is his first book.

 

Learn more: https://www.stevencowie.com/when-hell-came-to-sharpsburg

Purchase When Hell came to Sharpsburg: https://www.amazon.com/When-Hell-Came-Sharpsburg-Civilians/dp/1611215900/ref=zg_bsnr_465224_30?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=97YC6K1GH6E8F31VA8B4

 

 

Becoming a Nationally Protected Resource with Seth Clark

Today we’re joined by Seth Clark, Executive Director of The Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve Initiative (ONPPI). ONPPI is a community based group of Middle Georgia and Muscogee (Creek) citizens working together to expand the current site of the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park into Georgia’s first National Park and Preserve. With growing national attention focused upon the necessity of preservation of our public lands, ONPPI is committed to being the driving force behind local conservation efforts. Seth, born and raised in rural Georgia, is leading the effort to create Georgia’s first national park “on the land that raised me.”

[RE-RELEASE] PreserveCast Ep. 25: Too Afraid to Cry: Maryland Civilians in the Antietam Campaign

160 year ago, on Sept. 17, 1862, America saw the bloodiest day of the American Civil War with more than 23,000 casualties. Today, on the anniversary of the battle, we are re-releasing an episode with award-winning historical fiction and non-fiction author Kathleen Ernst.

 

---

 

The battle at Antietam Creek has gone down in history as the bloodiest day of the American Civil War. But as too often happens in significant military moments, people tend to overlook what this battle meant for the local civilian population. That's why this week's guest, the award-winning author Kathleen Ernst, decided to do exactly that. Join us as Kathleen discusses her non-fiction history of the Civil War and the Antietam campaign, as well as her fictional mystery series and books for American Girl, which have sold over 1.7 million copies combined. This is PreserveCast.

Listen here: https://www.preservecast.org/2017/06/26/kathleen-ernst-too-afraid-to-cry-maryland-civilians-in-the-antietam-campaign/

 

Producer's note: This episode is part of our focus series on the history of the Antietam Battlefield.

What We Think We Know About History With Dennis Frye

As we approach the 160th anniversary of the Battle of Antietam (September 17th, 1862), we are revisiting and episode about how authors and historians can keep writing new books on the same 'ole history.

Should it not ever change because it’s all in the past?

The truth is anything but.

No one can explain that better than our guest, Dennis Frye – having been involved in everything from giving tours to leading nationally important preservation and battlefield protection organizations, few people know the complexities of Civil War history like Dennis.

In his book, Antietam Shadows: Mystery, Myth & Machination, Dennis makes the case that history should never lie dormant, it always needs to be re-examined, stating, “Historians should always be challenging themselves. They should always be a detective. They should always be mining for new information, and if it completely reverses something that’s conventional, good, good. Throw it out there and let people see it in a different way, in a different manner, in a different light.”

Listen in to this episode of PreserveCast to hear from Dennis about his investigative and inclusive approach to historical research on this special re-broadcast in commemoration of the upcoming anniversary of the Battle of Antietam.

Roller Derby History: A Conversation with Margot Atwell

Lace up your skates and join us in the rink for this this week’s PreserveCast as we talk with Margot Atwell, author of Derby Life: A Crash Course in the Incredible Sport of Roller Derby about the history of the sport and her experience competing. Atwell will share how she got started in Roller Derby and what prompted her to write her book Derby Life.

 

A Peek into the History of the CCC with Erik Ledbetter

Join us as we explore the history of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and a living historian’s experience passing on his knowledge to parkgoers. On this week’s PreserveCast, we are talking with Erik Ledbetter from Maryland Park Service about his time at Seneca Creek State Park working as a Park Ranger, Assistant Manager of the Park about his experience as a steward of Maryland’s Cultural History.  

Erik Ledbetter is a Park Ranger at Seneca Creek State Park for the Maryland Park Service. He also works as the CCC Historian and Living History Interpreter. He has served as a Maryland Park Ranger and Assistant Manager of Seneca Creek State Park. Ledbetter earned a Master of Philosophy in History from Yale (1992) and a B.A. and M.A. in History from Johns Hopkins University (1988).

 

Building Small: Socially Responsible and Resilient Placemaking with Jim Heid

On this week’s PreserveCast, we are talking with Jim Heid, author of Building Small: A Toolkit for Real Estate Entrepreneurs, Civic Leaders and Great Communities. We will be looking at how Building Small is a tool for developers to integrate socially responsible, economically resilient, and authentic placemaking. And how this style of development and thinking can be used for historic rehabilitations.

Jim Heid is an infill developer and sustainable development advisor based in Sonoma County, California. Known for his aspirational but practical approach, he works with a range of tools and best practices to communicate the value of inspired design and sustainability within the realities of local market norms. With over forty years experience as an urban designer, land planner, sustainability strategist and now infill developer, he brings a broad range of perspectives and skills to the discussion about how communities grow. Trained as a landscape architect, he received a Masters in Real Estate Development from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as way to more effectively integrate economics, development and design thinking.

 

 

Selling History to a Wide Audience: A Conversation with David Bussiere Jr.

There’s many ways to experience and enjoy history – and this week’s episode is taking a deep dive with Dave Bussiere Jr., the owner and founder of TR Historical about his experience running a history-based retail shop. From an online shop to vendor stalls David will walk us through his experience and provide some insight into how to make history fun, engaging, and marketable to many.

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

Step Right Up – The History of the Circus with LaVahn Hoh

Step right up – on this week’s PreserveCast, we’re revisiting a conversation about the history of the Circus with historian LaVahn Hoh. From special effects to teaching at Clown College, LaVahn will take us through his own history and the history of the circus as well as a conversation about the future of this 2,000-year-old institution.

LaVahn Hoh is a nationally known circus historian and teaches the only accredited course in America on the history of the American circus. He earned his M.F.A. from the University of Wisconsin and his M.A. for the University of Illinois. He taught at the University of Virginia’s Department of Drama before retiring in 2015.

Lavahn’s book: https://www.amazon.com/Step-Right-Up-Adventure-America/dp/1558701397/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1656700950&sr=1-8

A Delicious History of Food with Dr. Ashley Rose Young

We hope you brought your appetite, because on this week’s PreserveCast, we are talking with Dr. Ashley Rose Young from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History about American food, history, and culture. Dr. Young will share how she got started researching the intersection of race, ethnicity, and gender in American food culture and economy and where that work is taking her in this post-COVID world.

Dr. Ashley Rose Young is a cultural and social historian working at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Her research explores the intersection of race, ethnicity, and gender in American food culture and economy. Young earned a Ph.D. in History from Duke University (2017), an M.A. in History from Duke University (2013), a B.A. in History from Yale College (2010), and was a visiting scholar at Oxford University (2009).

Learn more: https://americanhistory.si.edu/profile/1342

Cooking Up History:  https://americanhistory.si.edu/topics/food/pages/cooking-history

The Professor And The Practitioner: Ep. 7

[Ep. 238] On this seventh edition of PreserveCast Conversations: The Professor and the Practitioner, an ongoing feature of PreserveCast, co-hosts Nicholas Redding and Dr. Whitney Martinko explore the trends, topics and issues that are making headlines in the world of preservation this month.

They’re covering a lot of ground in today’s conversation on preservation and the issues that matter. For regular listeners, also, be sure to send any questions you have about this episode or questions you’d like answered in next month’s conversation to info@presmd.org.  

Dr. Whitney Martinko is an associate professor of History at Villanova University, where she teaches classes about the early United States, environmental history and sustainability, and material culture. She also directs the graduate program in public history. She earned her AB in History from Harvard College and her MA and PhD in History from the University of Virginia. She lives in West Philadelphia. Learn more about Martinko and her work at https://www.whitneymartinko.com/  

Creating a Fairytale: A Conversation with Adler Display

Once upon a time, in 1955 to be exact, the Enchanted Forest, a nursey rhyme-themed amusement park, opened in Ellicott City, Maryland. On this week’s PreserveCast, we are looking at how Howard Adler and his team at Adler Display helped to bring the vision of Enchanted Forest to life. We're talking with Ron Adler, Howard’s son, about his father’s legacy and the history of Adler Display.

 

A Jubilee Celebration: A Conversation with Imogen Hayden of Kiplin Hall

Queen Elizabeth II has reigned over the United Kingdom for 70 years – an unparalleled record – and one that is being celebrated across the kingdom. On this week’s PreserveCast, we’re looking at how our friends at Kiplin Hall are celebrating this monumental moment with Imogen Hayden, an intern who took a new look at the Jubilee and how it connects to a place like Kiplin.

 

Repairing, Restoring, and Preserving With Master Craftsperson Amy McAuley

Talented tradespeople make preservation physically possible. Today’s guest is Amy McAuley, the preservation joiner at George Washington’s Mount Vernon, where she uses her hands and hand powered tools to repair, restore, and preserve one of America’s most historic homes.