Episode 9: Unsolved Mysteries

S5E16: "Ready to Relaunch: The Atari 7800 Pro System as a document of the mid 1980s"In 1986 American video game pioneer Atari responded to the growing popularity of Nintendo by introducing their 7800 machine, a game system with graphics and (some) games that rivaled the NES, but never quite took.  On this episode my guest Jason and I trade stories of how we got our 7800s, the features and games we liked most, and how cool we think its metallic look is.  We also go over, however, the shortcomings of Atari's attempt at relaunching their dominance of the market, and how Nintendo was able to surge ahead by decade's end.#history #popculture #videogames #gaming #videogamehistory #atari #atari7800

S5E15: "Everyday is Woman's Day: The magazine and the crafts it has inspired as primary sources of several eras"Since 1931 many women have turned to Woman's Day magazine to get inspiration on home economics, recipes, remedies and arts and crafts.  Monica is a social studies teacher in New Hampshire and my drop-in guest back in October at the NHCSS (of which she is the president) conference where we talked about how this publication may be responsible for a good amount of the crafting industry and culture that exists to this day.#popculture #artsandcrafts #history #womansday #podcast #historypodcast

S5E14: "Giving Thanks: The Mayflower II project as a symbol of post-War trans-Atlantic relations"Richard Stone literally wrote the book on the 1950s Mayflower II project, which saw two groups--one British and one American--simultaneously work to create a replica of the ship which ferried the Pilgrim Separatists from England to America in 1620.   We discuss the context of this project both through the historical lens as well as a geopolitical one, as the wooden ship ended up being a symbol of the Cold War "special relationship" between the World War allies Great Britain and the United States.You can find Richard's book Project Mayflower: Building and Sailing a 17th-Century Replica wherever books are sold, (including your local bookstore).#podcast #mayflower #mayflowerii #history #1950s #coldwar #britishhistory #americanhistory #modernhistory

S5E13: "I Am Sam, Sam I Am: Uncle Sam as a measurement of Americans' view of the the US Government"2026 NH Teacher of the Year Megan Philbrook joined me in dissecting Uncle Sam--the character more than the real person--and deciding how the bearded, star-spangled figure acts as a regular indicator of how Americans view their government as well as America's identity and place in the world.#history #popculture #unclesam #cartoons #politicalcartoons #US #warof1812 #artwork #socialstudies

S5E12: "E Pluribus Unum: Looking at The American Revolution as a Document of Here and Now"Documentaries shape the way we remember the past and they also reveal the time in which they’re made. In this episode, I’m joined by Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt, co-directors with Ken Burns of the new film The American Revolution, for a conversation about the craft behind historical storytelling.Together, we explore why the project was conceived, how they and their team chose what stories to tell, , and why every documentary is ultimately a reflection of “here and now,” just as much as it is a record of the past. This episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at how narrative decisions, source material, and creative choices become primary sources in their own right.#PopCulture #history #podcast #AmericanRevolution #KenBurns #DocumentaryFilm #PublicHistory #HistoryEducation #PrimarySources #TeachingHistory #HistoryPodcast #AmericanHistory #EPluribusUnum #EverythingIsAPrimarySource #America250 #HistoricalDocumentary #FilmmakingProcess #USHistory @PBS @kenlburns

Food is major part of any society's popular culture, even in a time of war.  World War I expert and fellow social studies teacher Kristin Stelfox joined me in analyzing a collection of three papers from the Great War, detailing the food rations and cooking needs of an American unit in France.  It is remarkable what one can learn about time and place just by reading into their menus of food and drink.#wwi #popculture #foodways #worldwari #history #greatwar

S5E10: "Life Goes On: Life magazine as a reporter of historic eras"Life magazine has been in print since the 1880s, but the monthly photographic document publication that usually springs to mind began its run in 1936.  My drop-in guest at NH Makers Fair (apologies for background noise) and I spoke to all iterations of Life to decide how the publication has reflected the excitement of the 20th century in America.

S5E9: "From Stack to Streaming: Unsolved Mysteries as a continuous reflection of America."Author Ally Russell joins the show to discuss and compare the original run of "Unsolved Mysteries" with the Netflix update from 2019.  How have these shows informed, and been informed by, the society and culture of their respective times?Ally's latest book is Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave, which can be found wherever outstanding books are sold.  Her website is allyrussellbooks.comJoin our conversation at everything-history.comLearn more about EPS To Go! at everything-history.com/epstogo#podcast #history #popculture #unsolvedmysteries #tvhistory #robertstack #author #mysteryjames 

S5E8: "A Good Ol' Worker and A Good Ol' Pal: The Erie Canal as a Primary Source"This October is particularly Erie as it marks 200 years since the opening of New York's "Grand Canal."  Kevin Leisten, who teaches social studies within a few miles of the canal, joined me to discuss the Erie Canal as both a reflection of the time in which it was conceived, as well as a force for development and change after it was created.Visit everything-history.com/eriecanal to add to the conversationGo to everything-history.com/epstogo to learn more about the Everything is a Primary Source primary source rental service.#history #popculture #eriecanal #NYS #newyorkhistory #canal #19thcentury

S5E7: "A Walk on the Wilde Side: The Picture of Dorian Gray as a reflection of 1890s society and values"Daniel stopped by at the Makers Fair this Spring and selected to discuss Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray as a document of its era, 1891.  Is it possible that the famed Irish writer was forecasting our 21st century relationship with fame and celebrity, or is it something that people have always had to consider?  Join the conversation at everything-history.com#history #popculture #gothic #horror #oscarwilde #literature #gothicliterature #books