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

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 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    

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.    

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/

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.

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. 

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 19th 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.

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

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.    

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.