A History of the United States in 100 Objects Not Found in Museums
“. . .From the beginning, we knew the new series was going to approach the episodes from a completely different angle. The new mandate is to select objects often not located in museums.
We will paint an audio portrait of the US with objects that are overlooked, mundane, thrown away, or misunderstood.
“We will also ask our listeners to look through their attics and basements and propose their own stories that our team will help them turn into amazing radio (I still call it all radio).”
“I’m so excited and proud of what you are about to hear. For the next 100 weeks, 99% Invisible and BBC Studios will tell curious and engaging stories that will surprise and captivate you.”
New episodes of A History of the United States in 100 Objects are released every week. You can listen to it here.
“We’ll spend one episode on an American screw that quietly retooled the machinery of the entire world. We’ll follow a gold coin from the California gold rush to the bottom of the Atlantic and discover how it nearly brought down the entire American economy. And yes, one episode is entirely about a ceramic dalmatian from the set of Wheel of Fortune. I promise it earns its place.”
So far there are 9 Episodes available.
100 Objects #1: The Century Safe A locked iron safe, sealed for 100 years. What objects did Americans choose to remember? 18 May 2026 | 30 mins
100 Objects #2: 60-Degree Screw A tiny screw. A precise angle. How America built a hidden empire, one standard at a time. 28 May 2026 | 36 mins
100 Objects #3: The Pension Files Unearthing a remarkable slave rebellion through dusty Civil War paperwork. 4 Jun 2026 | 44 mins
100 Objects #4: Lowe’s Gas Bag How one man’s runaway balloon flight sparked America’s obsession with going ever higher. 11 Jun 2026 | 39 mins
Source: https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20260518-a-new-history-of-the-us-in-100-objects
