Museums in Strange Places
I believe that museums are one of the best ways to discover a place, whether it’s your first time visiting or you’ve lived there your whole life. Join me on this adventure as I get to know the world….one museum as a time. I’m your host, Hannah Hethmon. In each episode, I visit a different museum to discover its stories, discuss challenges and triumphs with fascinating museum professionals (and volunteers), and get to places through their museums. Season 1 is all about museums in Iceland. Season 2 is all about museums in the state of Maryland. NOTE from the crea...
Bonus · Thu, January 26, 2023
Trailer: We the Museum
I always meant to get back into doing Museum in Strange Places episodes, but producing professionally as Better Lemon Creative Audio and the pandemic got in the way. Now, I'm finally back with a brand new show for museum workers, WE THE MUSEUM. We the Museum is a podcast for museum workers who want to form a more perfect institution. Episodes will feature in-depth conversations with museum workers in the US and beyond. Explore ideas, programs, and exhibitions that inform and inspire. We the Museum is a space where we can all slow down and take a moment away from the day-to-day work to learn, grow, and expand our toolkit. Find out more at WeTheMuseum.com and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Bonus · Wed, March 11, 2020
BONUS: The Vagina Museum Podcast Trailer
One of the many projects I've been working on through my new production company ( Better Lemon Creative Audio ) is a podcast for the Vagina Museum in London. I'm so passionate about the work this museum is doing, and I think you're going to LOVE this podcast. It's written and produced by me with research and narration by science communicator Alyssa Chafee. Guests include big names like Dr. Jen Gunter, Kate Lister, Emma Rees, Fern Riddell, and more! Search for "The Vagina Museum" wherever you get your podcasts or use this link: https://pod.link/1488645205
Bonus · Thu, February 06, 2020
An Update
I know it's been a long time since a new episode came out, but I have a good excuse! Don't unsubscribe yet, I promise new episodes are on their way.
Bonus · Wed, November 13, 2019
BONUS: London is Ok I Guess
[A pilot for a new show I developed about living in London. I'm really proud of how it turned out, but I just don't have the time to make more episodes, so it's going to live here on the Museum in Strange Places feed. I meet up with escape room creator, museum professional, and self-proclaimed mermaid hunter Sacha Coward , who takes me somewhere that will inspire me a bit and help me see the beauty in London’s “layers of puked-up history.” Sacha also knows some great queer history stories about the area and has great advice about finding my own spaces in the city. I share some personal feelings and try to put Sacha’s advice into practice. TRANSCRIPT The Favorite Trailer History of The Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College The Queen's House Support Sacha's Work Sacha Coward on Twitter Interested in starting a podcast? Check out my book, Your Museum Needs a Podcast: A Step-By-Step Guide to Podcasting on a Budget for Museums, History Organizations, and Cultural Nonprofits (available on Amazon).
S2 E12 · Mon, September 23, 2019
The (Pop-Up) Anti-Trump Museum of Atlantic City
Donald J. Trump has been active in business and media for fifty years, but his scandal-ridden presidency has overshadowed most of his history. Levi Fox's Pop-Up Atlantic City Trump Museum is an attempt to remedy this oversight for one specific chapter of the Trump story: his four Atlantic City casinos and the impact their short tenures and bankruptcies had on the gambling capitol of the East Coast. Together, we unpack the Trump-branded duffel bags he uses to store his collection of Trump casino-branded memorabilia while he explains why these bobbleheads, keychains, and other miscellania are worth hauling to the boardwalk every Sunday. SHOW WEBSITE TRANSCRIPT Show Notes: The Trump Museum Project (Website) " Donald Trump Gripes About the Press During 1990 Opening of Atlantic City Casino " (YouTube video) " Hillary Clinton: Donald Trump exploited workers " (Youtube video of Clinton's Atlantic City rally, 2016) " Battle of the Billionaires " at WrestleMania 23 (YouTube video, 2007) " How Donald Trump Bankrupted His Atlantic City Casinos, but Still Earned Millions " ( New York Times article, 2016) " Trump’s Casinos Couldn’t Make Atlantic City Great Again " ( Wired article, 2019) " In Atlantic City, Where Trump Built and Destroyed a Casino Empire, One Man Has Created an Odd Museum to the President’s Past " ( artnews article, 2018)
S2 E11 · Tue, July 23, 2019
Poe Belongs to Baltimore, Baltimore to Poe
He’s the master of macabre, the man who created mystery fiction, the face on the socks and beer bottles of everyday Baltimoreans. He’s Edgar Allan Poe, and he belongs to Baltimore. Join me on a visit to the Poe House in Baltimore, the tiny house where his career began, to learn about Baltimore’s devotion to Poe, his tragic life, and the future of his legacy in the city where he died mysteriously. The Beatles/Poe mashup song is " The Poe-tles (Beatles/Edgar Allan Poe Mashup) " by Emuvies and can be found on Youtube. This episode is sponsored by Grove History Consulting. TRANSCRIPT
S2 E10 · Mon, July 01, 2019
Slavery in Maryland: Facing Our Whole History at Sotterley Plantation
So much of Maryland was built on the back of enslaved Africans, yet it’s easy to avoid confronting the history of slavery in Maryland’s former plantation country. Historic Sotterley is trying to change that. The plantation was built in 1703 by a man who made his money off the slave trade, and the site was witness to 165 continuous years of slavery. Today, staff and descendants at Sotterley are committed to sharing the site’s whole history and healing the legacy of trauma left by the violence of slavery with the ultimate goal of making their community and their world a better, kinder place. This episode is sponsored by Grove History Consulting TRANSCRIPT Find more information on the museum and photos on my website, hhethmon.com . If you enjoy Museums in Strange Places , please help me keep it going by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes or sharing this episode with a friend. Let me know what you think by sending me a tweet @hannah_rfh . Interested in starting a podcast at your organization? Check out my new book, Your Museum Needs a Podcast: A Step-ByStep Guide to Podcasting on a Budget for Museums, History Organizations, and Cultural Nonprofits .
S2 E9 · Tue, June 18, 2019
Museum on Main Street: A Love Letter to Small-Town America (02/09)
About half of all museums in the US are in small towns in rural America. Each of these museums holds stories and objects that are worth preserving and sharing, but they don’t always have the funding and infrastructure they need to operate and innovate. That’s where Museum on Main Street comes in. This Smithsonian program brings traveling exhibits to small towns for six weeks at a time. But the exhibit materials are just the catalyst for a much bigger experience, an experience that leaves these towns empowered to use culture to build stronger communities. In this episode, I hear from folks in DC, Massachusetts, Florida, Iowa, and Minnesota about the impact of Museum on Main Street. TRANSCRIPT Find more information about Museum on Main Street and photos on my website, hhethmon.com . If you enjoy Museums in Strange Places , please help me keep it going by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes or sharing this episode with a friend. Let me know what you think by sending me a tweet @hannah_rfh . Interested in starting a podcast at your organization? Check out my new book, Your Museum Needs a Podcast: A Step-ByStep Guide to Podcasting on a Budget for Museums, History Organizations, and Cultural Nonprofits .
S2 E8 · Wed, April 24, 2019
Baltimore’s Jewish Roots ft. Harry Houdini (S02/E08)
What do Baltimore, Russian Jews, the third oldest synagogue in America, Eastern European Catholics, seances, and Harry Houdini have in common? You’ll find out in this episode, a visit to the Jewish Museum of Maryland, an institution that prioritizes storytelling (and is pretty good at it). Join me for a tour of the historic Lloyd Street Synagogue, a journey back in history to the heyday of the Jewish market on Baltimore’s East Lombard Street, and a celebration of the life of Harry Houdini, the son of a rabbi. All the music in this episode is by Seth Kibel and the Alexandria Kleztet . This episode is sponsored by Grove History Consulting TRANSCRIPT Find more information on the museum and photos on my website, hhethmon.com . If you enjoy Museums in Strange Places , please help me keep it going by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes or sharing this episode with a friend. Let me know what you think by sending me a tweet @hannah_rfh . Interested in starting a podcast at your organization? Check out my new book, Your Museum Needs a Podcast: A Step-ByStep Guide to Podcasting on a Budget for Museums, History Organizations, and Cultural Nonprofits .
S2 E7 · Thu, February 28, 2019
Why We Work: Improving the Way Museums Work at The Baltimore Museum of Industry (S02/E07)
S02/E07: Located in a waterfront 1860s oyster cannery in the Baltimore Harbor, The Baltimore Museum of Industry is trying to inspire and engage their visitors around the concept of work by telling the stories of historical workers. But in order to better fulfill this mission, the museum has to be constantly re-evaluating themselves and their assumptions about work. In this episode, I talk to staffers Beth Maloney and Auni Gelles about how an experimental interactive and a new job description are pushing the museum beyond more traditional education and interpretation methods. This episode is sponsored by Grove History Consulting . Featured songs in this episode are by The Bumper Jackson s, off their new album, I Never Met a Stranger. DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT Find more information on the museum and photos on my website, hhethmon.com . If you enjoy Museums in Strange Places , please help me keep it going by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes or sharing this episode with a friend. Let me know what you think by sending me a tweet @hannah_rfh . Interested in starting a podcast at your organization? Check out my new book, Your Museum Needs a Podcast: A Step by Step Guide to Podcasting on a Budget for Museums, History Organizations, and Cultural Nonprofits .
S2 E6 · Wed, January 30, 2019
A Secular Gathering Place: The Sandy Spring Museum (S02/E06)
The Sandy Spring Museum describes itself as “community-activated.” They want to be a secular gathering places, where people of different backgrounds can come together and build a sense of place and belonging. I visit the museum to speak with Executive Director Allison Weiss about the museum’s radically community-driven programming, the Quaker principles built into the museum’s design, and how they are trying to serve a community of incredible diversity. This episode is sponsored by The Lyndhurst Group . DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT Music in this episode is by Los Hijo 'e Plena, the musical arm of the community-building nonprofit Cultural Plenera . Find more information on the museum and photos on my website, hhethmon.com . If you enjoy Museums in Strange Places , please help me keep it going by leaving a review on iTunes or sharing this episode with a friend. Let me know what you think by sending me a tweet @hannah_rfh . Interested in starting a podcast at your organization? Check out my new book, Your Museum Needs a Podcast: A Step by Step Guide to Podcast on a Budget for Museums, History Organizations, and Cultural Nonprofits .
Bonus · Tue, January 29, 2019
BONUS: 17th Century Ships are Like Classic Cars
BONUS content from Episode 5, "The Lost City: Historic St. Mary’s City, Maryland." Dr. Regina Faden and I head down to Historic St. Mary's City's Waterfront exhibit, where we board the Maryland Dove, a replica 17th century sailing ship. The ship's Boatswain, Jeremy, talks to us about what it's like working on a historic ship and why old boats are like classic cars. Music in this episode is by Hesperus , from their album An Early American Quilt , released on the Maggie’s Music Label. Find more information on the museum and photos on my website, hhethmon.com . If you enjoy Museums in Strange Places , please help me keep it going by leaving a review on iTunes or sharing this episode with a friend. Let me know what you think by sending me a tweet @hannah_rfh . Interested in starting a podcast at your organization? Check out my new book, Your Museum Needs a Podcast: A Step by Step Guide to Podcast on a Budget for Museums, History Organizations, and Cultural Nonprofits .
Bonus · Mon, January 28, 2019
BONUS: What We Can Learn From Dirt
BONUS content from Episode 5, "The Lost City: Historic St. Mary’s City, Maryland." A brief stop at the active dig site of Historic St. Mary's City's Archeology Field School, where Dr. Travis Parno is guiding students from St. Mary's College in a dig to investigate the site of Maryland's first State House. Dr. Parno also tells me about his ongoing research into early taverns, the powerful enslavers who ran them, and how they can shed light on the codification of slavery in Maryland and America. Music in this episode is by Hesperus , from their album An Early American Quilt , released on the Maggie’s Music Label. Find more information on the museum and photos on my website, hhethmon.com . If you enjoy Museums in Strange Places , please help me keep it going by leaving a review on iTunes or sharing this episode with a friend. Let me know what you think by sending me a tweet @hannah_rfh . Interested in starting a podcast at your organization? Check out my new book, Your Museum Needs a Podcast: A Step by Step Guide to Podcast on a Budget for Museums, History Organizations, and Cultural Nonprofits .
S2 E5 · Mon, January 14, 2019
The Lost City: Historic St. Mary’s City, Maryland (S02/E05)
In the early 17th century, 300 English settlers traveled to the new colony of Maryland in search of new opportunities and a place where they could practice their Catholic faith in peace. They built Maryland’s first capital, St. Mary’s City, and their city thrived...until its founders fell from power in England. Soon, St. Mary’s City was abandoned and it’s wooden structures rotted. The city lay hidden under farm fields and forests until archeological efforts led to the formation of Historic St. Mary’s City, a living history center that tells the story of the fourth permanent English settlement in America. TRANSCRIPT This episode is sponsored by the Lyndhurst Group . Music in this episode is by Hesperus , from their albums An Early American Quilt and Colonial America , released on the Maggie’s Music Label. Find more information on the museum and photos on my website, hhethmon.com . If you enjoy Museums in Strange Places , please help me keep it going by leaving a review on iTunes or sharing this episode with a friend. Let me know what you think by sending me a tweet @hannah_rfh . Interested in starting a podcast at your organization? Check out my new book, Your Museum Needs a Podcast: A Step by Step Guide to Podcast on a Budget for Museums, History Organizations, and Cultural Nonprofits .
Bonus · Mon, December 31, 2018
BONUS: Baltimore's Ring of Fire
BONUS CONTENT from Episode 4, “Museum Time Machine: The Peale Center.” The Peale Center’s Nancy Proctor shows me the museum’s Ring of Fire, explains the phenomenon of skeuomorphism, and tells me why gas lighting was such a game-changing technology in Baltimore. All the music in this episode is by Outcalls . Find more information on the museum and photos on my website, hhethmon.com . If you enjoy Museums in Strange Places , please help me keep it going by leaving a review on iTunes or sharing this episode with a friend. Let me know what you think by sending me a tweet @hannah_rfh . Interested in starting a podcast at your organization? Check out my new book, Your Museum Needs a Podcast: A Step by Step Guide to Podcast on a Budget for Museums, History Organizations, and Cultural Nonprofits .
S2 E4 · Tue, November 27, 2018
Museum Time Machine: The Peale Center (S02/E04)
There’s a time machine in downtown Baltimore on Holliday Street. A time machine that will take you back to the origin of public collections of art, history, and science...and then zip you through the present and into the future of museums. The Peale Center , the oldest purpose-built museum space in the US, is starting its third century as a building and its third life as a museum after decades of sitting vacant. But history isn’t repeating itself here. Executive Director Nancy Proctor wants it to be a cultural commons, a storytelling platform, and an experimental lab for the art of the 21st Century museum. TRANSCRIPT This episode is sponsored by The Lyndhurst Group . All the music in this episode is by Outcalls . Find more information on the museum and photos on my website, hhethmon.com . If you enjoy Museums in Strange Places , please help me keep it going by leaving a review on iTunes or sharing this episode with a friend. Let me know what you think by sending me a tweet @hannah_rfh . Interested in starting a podcast at your organization? Check out my new book, Your Museum Needs a Podcast: A Step by Step Guide to Podcast on a Budget for Museums, History Organizations, and Cultural Nonprofits .
S2 E3 · Wed, November 14, 2018
Community Driven, Community-Led: The Prince George’s African American Museum and Cultural Center (S02/E03)
Prince George’s County, Maryland is one of the wealthiest African American communities in the US, a suburban enclave of Black excellence just outside Washington, D.C. But it wasn’t always that way. At the small (but mighty) Prince George’s African American Museum and Cultural Center, the passionate young Executive Director, Maleke Glee, tells me about the history of the area, the museum’s far-reaching youth programs, and his vision for a museum that’s truly community-led, inclusive, and relevant. DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT This episode is sponsored by The Lyndhurst Group . The featured song in this episode is “Good Morning (feat. Odd Mojo)” by Alex Vaughn . Find more information on the museum and photos on my website, hhethmon.com . If you enjoy Museums in Strange Places, please help me keep it going by leaving a review on iTunes or sharing this episode with a friend. Let me know what you think by sending me a tweet @hannah_rfh . Interested in starting a podcast at your organization? Check out my new book, Your Museum Needs a Podcast: A Step by Step Guide to Podcast on a Budget for Museums, History Organizations, and Cultural Nonprofits .
S2 E2 · Wed, November 14, 2018
A Public Housing Utopia: The Greenbelt Museum (S02/E02)
Tucked among other Maryland suburbs outside Washington, D.C., the cute little town of Greenbelt has a surprisingly radical history. It was one of three “green towns” built under the New Deal Era Resettlement Administration, and it was supposed to be a new way of living, a utopia. Was it really a utopia? And how did the model hold up over time? I discover this and more during my visit to the Greenbelt Museum, housed in one of the original 1937 low-income row homes. This episode is sponsored by The Lyndhurst Group . The featured song in this episode is by Katy Starr. Documentary clips from a 1939 documentary The Ci ty . DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT Find more information on the museum and photos on my website, hhethmon.com . If you enjoy Museums in Strange Places, please help me keep it going by leaving a review on iTunes or sharing this episode with a friend. Let me know what you think by sending me a tweet @hannah_rfh . Interested in starting a podcast at your organization? Check out my new book, Your Museum Needs a Podcast: A Step by Step Guide to Podcast on a Budget for Museums, History Organizations, and Cultural Nonprofits .
S2 E1 · Wed, November 14, 2018
A Temple to Intuition and Art: The American Visionary Art Museum (S02/E01)
The American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland is monument to outsider art, the creative spirit, and the search for truth. Step inside this glittering temple to intuition and inspiration to experience the museum’s marvelous “shows,” each of which comes from the singular mind of the museum’s founder and envisioner, Rebecca Alban Hoffberger. Download Transcript . This episode is sponsored by The Lyndhurst Group . The featured songs in this episode are by The Preschoolers . Find more information on the museum and photos on my website, hhethmon.com . If you enjoy Museums in Strange Places, please help me keep it going by leaving a review on iTunes or sharing this episode with a friend. Let me know what you think by sending me a tweet @hannah_rfh . Interested in starting a podcast at your organization? Check out my new book, Your Museum Needs a Podcast: A Step by Step Guide to Podcast on a Budget for Museums, History Organizations, and Cultural Nonprofits .
Trailer · Tue, November 06, 2018
Season 2: Museums of Maryland (TRAILER)
In each season of this podcast, I explore a different country, state, or region through its museums. In Season 1, I traveled around Iceland. For season two, I decided to explore my native state of Maryland. I visited 22 of Maryland’s most interesting and unique museums, including America’s first purpose built museum, a historic synagogue, a black history wax museum, a New Deal public housing utopia, the house where Edgar Allan Poe published his first poem, one of the earliest nursing schools in the country, and so many more. On November 14, tune in to hear the first three episodes of Museums in Strange Places, “Season 2: Museums of Maryland.” Join me on my latest adventure, as discover what stories these incredible cultural institutions hold and how they reflect and shape this Maryland’s unique identity. Interested in starting a podcast at your organization? Check out my new book, Your Museum Needs a Podcast: A Step by Step Guide to Podcast on a Budget for Museums, History Organizations, and Cultural Nonprofits . Get your copy today on Amazon , where it is available as an ebook, paperback, and Audible audiobook. _____________ Welcome to Museums in Strange Places, a podcast for people who love museums, stories, culture, and exploring the world. In Season 1, the podcast focuses on museums in Iceland. Season 2 will explore the museums of Maryland . I’m your host, Hannah Hethmon, and in each episode I visit a different museum to discover its stories, discuss challenges and triumphs with fascinating museum professionals (and volunteers), and get to know each season’s country, state, or region through it museums. I believe that museums are one of the best ways to discover a place, whether it’s your first time visiting or you’ve lived there your whole life. Join me on this adventure as I get to know the world….one museum as a time. Get bonus material from each episode (photos, further reading, links) at hhethmon.com . Follow me on Twitter @hannah_rfh and Instagram @hannah_rfh . Use the hashtag #MuseumsinStrangePlaces on social media.
S1 E22 · Tue, August 21, 2018
The Shark Farm at Bjarnarhöfn (S01/E22)
Iceland has a lot of weird traditional foods, but nothing compares to fermented shark meat. The family at Bjarnarhöfn has been hunting and fermenting shark meat for nearly 400 years, although today they only process bycatch Greenland sharks. Many years ago, the family opened a Shark Museum at the farm to share their traditions and introduce the world to “hákarl”. In this episode, I get an inside look at how one family continues this traditional method of de-toxifying shark meat while sharing their craft with anyone who’s brave enough to take a bite. (To take advantage of the special offer in the episode, you can send me a message via Twitter , Instagram , or email .) This episode is sponsored by Locatify . The featured song in this episode is “Mamma þarf að djamma” by Baggalútur . _____________ Welcome to Museums in Strange Places, a podcast for people who love museums, stories, culture, and exploring the world. In Season One, the podcast focuses on museums in Iceland. Season Two (coming Fall 2018) will explore the museums of Maryland . I’m your host, Hannah Hethmon, and in each episode I visit a different museum to discover its stories, discuss challenges and triumphs with fascinating museum professionals (and volunteers), and get to know each season’s country, state, or region through it museums. I believe that museums are one of the best ways to discover a place, whether it’s your first time visiting or you’ve lived there your whole life. Join me on this adventure as I get to know the world….one museum as a time. Get bonus material from each episode (photos, further reading, links) at hhethmon.com . Follow me on Twitter @hannah_rfh and Instagram @hannah_rfh . Use the hashtag #MuseumsinStrangePlaces on social media.
S1 E21 · Tue, August 07, 2018
The Art of Volcanoes (S01/E21)
What would it look like if Indiana Jones was into volcanoes and created a museum in a small Icelandic village? The Volcano Museum in Stykkishólmur displays the art and geological specimens collected by volcanologist Haralður Sigurðsson from around the world during his many decades of exploration and research. I speak to museum manager, Filip Polách—a Czech photographer who fell in love with Iceland—about how an Icelandic eruption may have started the French Revolution and how the museum came to have an original Andy Warhol painting of Vesuvius. This episode is sponsored by Locatify . Locatify is an Icelandic software company specializing in mobile apps that use location technologies for Immersive audio guides, treasure hunt games, Augmented Reality and indoor GPS. Songs used in this episode are "Intro" and "Burning Bridges" by Ceasetone . _____________ Welcome to Museums in Strange Places, a podcast for people who love museums, stories, culture, and exploring the world. In Season One, the podcast focuses on museums in Iceland. Season Two (coming Fall 2018) will explore the museums of Maryland . I’m your host, Hannah Hethmon, and in each episode I visit a different museum to discover its stories, discuss challenges and triumphs with fascinating museum professionals (and volunteers), and get to know each season’s country, state, or region through it museums. I believe that museums are one of the best ways to discover a place, whether it’s your first time visiting or you’ve lived there your whole life. Join me on this adventure as I get to know the world….one museum as a time. Get bonus material from each episode (photos, further reading, links) at hhethmon.com . Follow me on Twitter @hannah_rfh and Instagram @hannah_rfh . Use the hashtag #MuseumsinStrangePlaces on social media.
S1 E20 · Wed, July 25, 2018
Iceland in Wartime (S01/E20)
Walk into the War and Peace Museum , a small building sitting on a fjord north of Reykjavík, Iceland, and you're instantly transported into another era. Covering every wall are carefully arranged artifacts, photographs, and documents from the WWII years in Iceland. This is Guðjón Sigmundsson's personal collection, and it's full of surprises and uncovered secrets. This episode is sponsored by Locatify . Locatify is an Icelandic software company specializing in mobile apps that use location technologies for Immersive audio guides, treasure hunt games, Augmented Reality and indoor GPS. Songs used in this episode are SS Montclare and Ballfiðringur by Tómas R. Einarsson. In this episode I reference episode 13 of Museums in Strange Places, " A Flyby of the Icelandic Aviation Museum ." _______ Museums in Strange Places is a podcast for people who love museums, stories, culture, and exploring the world. In Season One, the podcast focuses on museums in Iceland. Subscribe to Museums in Strange Places and you can expect fascinating conversations with Icelandic museum professionals, world class exhibitions, private museums in gas stations, an introduction to Icelanders and their knack for storytelling, and a unique window into the inner workings of museums on this strange but wonderful little island. Get bonus material from each episode (photos, further reading, links) at hhethmon.com . Use the hashtag #MuseumsinStrangePlaces on social media. The podcast is hosted by Hannah Hethmon, an independent museum professional living in Warsaw, Poland. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram @hannah_rfh or on the web at hhethmon.com. Hannah has a BA in English Literature from the University of Maryland, College Park and an MA from the University of Iceland in Medieval Icelandic Studies. After completing her MA, she spent two years as the Marketing Coordinator for the American Association for State and Local History and most recently completed a Fulbright Fellowship on language and museums in Iceland.
Bonus · Wed, July 11, 2018
BONUS: The Making of Eldheimar's Audio Guide
Bonus! I go behind-the-scenes with Locatify 's Steinunn Anna Gunnlaugsdóttir to talk about the making of Eldheimar's location-aware audio guide app (E19: Memorial to an Eruption). We chat about how Locatify joined the Eldheimar project, the beacon technology used in Eldheimar, and their new hyper-precise ultra-wideband system for museum apps. Locatify is an Icelandic software company specializing in mobile apps that use location technologies for Immersive audio guides, treasure hunt games, Augmented Reality and indoor GPS.
S1 E19 · Tue, July 03, 2018
Memorial to an Eruption (S01/E19)
On January 23, 1973, residents of the island town Vestmannaeyjar in Iceland were woken from sleep by the sounds of a huge fissure ripping open the earth. The Eldfell volcanic eruption that followed forced everyone to evacuate the island for six months. By the time the eruption stopped, 400 homes were covered by lava and the rest of the island was covered in ash. In this episode, I hike up the Eldfell volcano and visit Eldheimar , a state-of-the-art museum of remembrance built 40 years after the eruption. Music in this episode is "Þeir vaka yfir þér" by Soffía Björg . This episode is sponsored by Locatify . Locatify is an Icelandic software company specializing in mobile apps that use location technologies for Immersive audio guides, treasure hunt games, Augmented Reality and indoor GPS. _______ Museums in Strange Places is a podcast for people who love museums, stories, culture, and exploring the world. In Season One, the podcast focuses on museums in Iceland. Subscribe to Museums in Strange Places and you can expect fascinating conversations with Icelandic museum professionals, world class exhibitions, private museums in gas stations, an introduction to Icelanders and their knack for storytelling, and a unique window into the inner workings of museums on this strange but wonderful little island. Get bonus material from each episode (photos, further reading, links) at hhethmon.com . Use the hashtag #MuseumsinStrangePlaces on social media. The podcast is hosted by Hannah Hethmon, an independent museum professional living in Warsaw, Poland. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram @hannah_rfh or on the web at hhethmon.com. Hannah has a BA in English Literature from the University of Maryland, College Park and an MA from the University of Iceland in Medieval Icelandic Studies. After completing her MA, she spent two years as the Marketing Coordinator for the American Association for State and Local History and most recently completed a Fulbright Fellowship on language and museums in Iceland.
S1 E18 · Tue, June 19, 2018
We Always Come Back to Home Island (S01/E18)
No matter what happens on the Westman Islands off Iceland's south coast–invading pirates, mass Mormon exoduses, months-long volcanic eruptions, mysterious diseases, perilous fishing waters–the island people, Eyjamenn, always come back to rebuild and repopulate. That's what makes their home island, Heimaey, so unique. In this episode, I visit the local history museum, Sagnheimar , to hear the stories that define them. Music in this episode is by Sume . This episode is sponsored by Locatify . Locatify is an Icelandic software company specializing in mobile apps that use location technologies for Immersive audio guides, treasure hunt games, Augmented Reality and indoor GPS.
S1 E17 · Tue, June 05, 2018
The Penis Museum, Part II ft. John Bodinger de Uriarte (S01/E17)
After visiting the Icelandic Phallological Museum in Episode 16 , I still didn't get what all the hype was about. So, I sat down with anthropology professor (and fellow Fulbright grantee) John Bodinger de Uriarte to talk about how the museum plays with our ideas of authority and reality, why gift shops in Reykjavík are "museums of imagined Icelandicness," and more. The song in this episode is Þjráhyggja by JóiPé x Króli. _______ Museums in Strange Places is a podcast for people who love museums, stories, culture, and exploring the world. This year, the podcast focuses on museums in Iceland. Subscribe to Museums in Strange Places and you can expect fascinating conversations with Icelandic museum professionals, world class exhibitions, private museums in gas stations, an introduction to Icelanders and their knack for storytelling, and a unique window into the inner workings of museums on this strange but wonderful little island. Get bonus material from each episode (photos, further reading, links) at hhethmon.com . Use the hashtag #MuseumsinStrangePlaces on social media. The podcast is hosted by Hannah Hethmon, an American Fulbright Fellow living in Reykjavík. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram @hannah_rfh or on the web at hhethmon.com. Hannah has a BA in English Literature from the University of Maryland, College Park and an MA from the University of Iceland in Medieval Icelandic Studies. After completing her MA, she spent two years as the Marketing Coordinator for the American Association for State and Local History, a Nashville-based national nonprofit dedicated to serving history museums, historical societies, and other public history institutions.
S1 E16 · Tue, May 29, 2018
The Penis Museum, Part I (S01/E16)
I didn't really want to visit the Icelandic Phallological Museum, so to make it more fun, I invited along my Icelandic museum friend, Sig. Join us as we marvel at massive whale phalluses, question the motivation of human donors to the museum, and try to figure out why everyone loves this weird little museum in Reykjavík so much. (This episode contains many PG-rated mentions of penises, but only alludes to sexual acts.) Songs in this episode are B.O.B.A. and Þjráhyggja by JóiPé x Króli. _______ Museums in Strange Places is a podcast for people who love museums, stories, culture, and exploring the world. This year, the podcast focuses on museums in Iceland. Subscribe to Museums in Strange Places and you can expect fascinating conversations with Icelandic museum professionals, world class exhibitions, private museums in gas stations, an introduction to Icelanders and their knack for storytelling, and a unique window into the inner workings of museums on this strange but wonderful little island. Get bonus material from each episode (photos, further reading, links) at hhethmon.com . Use the hashtag #MuseumsinStrangePlaces on social media. The podcast is hosted by Hannah Hethmon, an American Fulbright Fellow living in Reykjavík. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram @hannah_rfh or on the web at hhethmon.com. Hannah has a BA in English Literature from the University of Maryland, College Park and an MA from the University of Iceland in Medieval Icelandic Studies. After completing her MA, she spent two years as the Marketing Coordinator for the American Association for State and Local History, a Nashville-based national nonprofit dedicated to serving history museums, historical societies, and other public history institutions.
S1 E15 · Tue, April 10, 2018
Industry and Nostalgia in Akureyri, Iceland (S01/E15)
For this episode, I'm back in Akureyri to visit The Industry Museum , a small museum formed from the enormous personal collection of one couple, who wanted to document the history of the many successful industries based in the "Capital of North Iceland" in the mid-20th Century. Deputy Director Jóna and I talk about nostalgia and relevance, and she shows me some of her favorite exhibits, including the intact workbench of the local coffin-maker. Music in this episode is by the KK Band . _______ Museums in Strange Places is a podcast for people who love museums, stories, culture, and exploring the world. This year, the podcast focuses on museums in Iceland. Subscribe to Museums in Strange Places and you can expect fascinating conversations with Icelandic museum professionals, world class exhibitions, private museums in gas stations, an introduction to Icelanders and their knack for storytelling, and a unique window into the inner workings of museums on this strange but wonderful little island. Get bonus material from each episode (photos, further reading, links) at hhethmon.com . Use the hashtag #MuseumsinStrangePlaces on social media. The podcast is hosted by Hannah Hethmon, an American Fulbright Fellow living in Reykjavík. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram @hannah_rfh or on the web at hhethmon.com. Hannah has a BA in English Literature from the University of Maryland, College Park and an MA from the University of Iceland in Medieval Icelandic Studies. After completing her MA, she spent two years as the Marketing Coordinator for the American Association for State and Local History, a Nashville-based national nonprofit dedicated to serving history museums, historical societies, and other public history institutions.
S1 E14 · Tue, March 27, 2018
A Museum of Ordinary Things (S01/E14)
Tucked away in a narrow valley just below the town of Akureyri in North Iceland, Sverrir Hermansson's Museum of Sundry Objects is one eccentric man's spectacular collection of ordinary things. In this episode, I visit this beautiful little museum, get to know Sverrir, and have an experience that changes the way I think about museums. Music in this episode is by the Bagdad Brothers . _______ Museums in Strange Places is a podcast for people who love museums, stories, culture, and exploring the world. This year, the podcast focuses on museums in Iceland. Subscribe to Museums in Strange Places and you can expect fascinating conversations with Icelandic museum professionals, world class exhibitions, private museums in gas stations, an introduction to Icelanders and their knack for storytelling, and a unique window into the inner workings of museums on this strange but wonderful little island. Get bonus material from each episode (photos, further reading, links) at hhethmon.com . Use the hashtag #MuseumsinStrangePlaces on social media. The podcast is hosted by Hannah Hethmon, an American Fulbright Fellow living in Reykjavík. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram @hannah_rfh or on the web at hhethmon.com. Hannah has a BA in English Literature from the University of Maryland, College Park and an MA from the University of Iceland in Medieval Icelandic Studies. After completing her MA, she spent two years as the Marketing Coordinator for the American Association for State and Local History, a Nashville-based national nonprofit dedicated to serving history museums, historical societies, and other public history institutions.
S1 E13 · Wed, March 14, 2018
Finding Iceland's Hidden Women (S01/E13)
In this special episode about women's history in Iceland, I visit the Women's History Archive at the National and University Library of Iceland to speak to Rakel Adolphsdóttir about collecting women's history in Iceland and hunting for the women hidden in Iceland's archival collection. I also chat with the researchers behind the Hinsegin Huldkonur project who are trying to uncover the queer women in Icelandic sources and create a database of queer women's history. Music in this episode is by Brynja Bjarnadóttir . _______ Museums in Strange Places is a podcast for people who love museums, stories, culture, and exploring the world. This year, the podcast focuses on museums in Iceland. Subscribe to Museums in Strange Places and you can expect fascinating conversations with Icelandic museum professionals, world class exhibitions, private museums in gas stations, an introduction to Icelanders and their knack for storytelling, and a unique window into the inner workings of museums on this strange but wonderful little island. Get bonus material from each episode (photos, further reading, links) at hhethmon.com . Use the hashtag #MuseumsinStrangePlaces on social media. The podcast is hosted by Hannah Hethmon, an American Fulbright Fellow living in Reykjavík. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram @hannah_rfh or on the web at hhethmon.com. Hannah has a BA in English Literature from the University of Maryland, College Park and an MA from the University of Iceland in Medieval Icelandic Studies. After completing her MA, she spent two years as the Marketing Coordinator for the American Association for State and Local History, a Nashville-based national nonprofit dedicated to serving history museums, historical societies, and other public history institutions.
S1 E12 · Tue, February 27, 2018
A Flyby of the Icelandic Aviation Museum (S01/E12)
The Icelandic Aviation Museum in Akureyri is filled with great stories: locals crashing a Nazi glider into an open grave, the president's plane enlisted to beat the British in the Cod Wars, and a nineteen year search to find a missing WWII plane that crash landed in a glacier. The museum's Chairman of the board, Hörður Geirsson, gave me an insiders tour and told me more about the Flugsafn Íslands collection and the history of aviation in Iceland. Music in this episode is from The Aristókrasía Project album by Úlfur Eldjárn . _______ Museums in Strange Places is a podcast for people who love museums, stories, culture, and exploring the world. This year, the podcast focuses on museums in Iceland. Subscribe to Museums in Strange Places and you can expect fascinating conversations with Icelandic museum professionals, world class exhibitions, private museums in gas stations, an introduction to Icelanders and their knack for storytelling, and a unique window into the inner workings of museums on this strange but wonderful little island. Get bonus material from each episode (photos, further reading, links) at hhethmon.com . Use the hashtag #MuseumsinStrangePlaces on social media. The podcast is hosted by Hannah Hethmon, an American Fulbright Fellow living in Reykjavík. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram @hannah_rfh or on the web at hhethmon.com. Hannah has a BA in English Literature from the University of Maryland, College Park and an MA from the University of Iceland in Medieval Icelandic Studies. After completing her MA, she spent two years as the Marketing Coordinator for the American Association for State and Local History, a Nashville-based national nonprofit dedicated to serving history museums, historical societies, and other public history institutions.
S1 E11 · Tue, February 13, 2018
How the Seals are Saving Hvammstangi (S01/E11)
Just off the Ring Road in the north of Iceland, a small town once known for hunting seals has breathed new life into their community with a much more sustainable industry: seal watching. At the Seal Center in Hvammstangi, scientists and museum professionals are working together to study seal life in Iceland and help visitors engage more meaningfully and responsibly with some of Iceland's cutest locals. They are doing this by combining hard facts and the art of storytelling. I spoke to Sigurður Líndal Þórisson to learn more. Music in this episode is by Jónas Sig . _______ Museums in Strange Places is a podcast for people who love museums, stories, culture, and exploring the world. This year, the podcast focuses on museums in Iceland. Subscribe to Museums in Strange Places and you can expect fascinating conversations with Icelandic museum professionals, world class exhibitions, private museums in gas stations, an introduction to Icelanders and their knack for storytelling, and a unique window into the inner workings of museums on this strange but wonderful little island. Get bonus material from each episode (photos, further reading, links) at hhethmon.com . Use the hashtag #MuseumsinStrangePlaces on social media. The podcast is hosted by Hannah Hethmon, an American Fulbright Fellow living in Reykjavík. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram @hannah_rfh or on the web at hhethmon.com. Hannah has a BA in English Literature from the University of Maryland, College Park and an MA from the University of Iceland in Medieval Icelandic Studies. After completing her MA, she spent two years as the Marketing Coordinator for the American Association for State and Local History, a Nashville-based national nonprofit dedicated to serving history museums, historical societies, and other public history institutions.
S1 E10 · Tue, January 30, 2018
Beatle-Town, Iceland: A Visit to the Icelandic Museum of Rock 'n' Roll (S01/E10)
The Icelandic music scene has produced a remarkable number of international stars like Sigur Rós, Björk, Kaleo, the Sugar Cubes, and Of Monsters and Men. You can learn more about them and discover new music at the Icelandic Museum of Rock 'n' Roll . It's a paradise for Icelandic music fans, but it will also impress museum-lovers and professionals with its beautiful exhibits and the near-endless opportunities to explore the music and learn more. In this episode, I tour the museum and talk with Managing Director Tómas Young to get the inside scoop on the museum and hear some great stories about Icelandic music history. Music in this episode is by Júníus Meyvant . _______ Museums in Strange Places is a podcast for people who love museums, stories, culture, and exploring the world. This year, the podcast focuses on museums in Iceland. Subscribe to Museums in Strange Places and you can expect fascinating conversations with Icelandic museum professionals, world class exhibitions, private museums in gas stations, an introduction to Icelanders and their knack for storytelling, and a unique window into the inner workings of museums on this strange but wonderful little island. Get bonus material from each episode (photos, further reading, links) at hhethmon.com . Use the hashtag #MuseumsinStrangePlaces on social media. The podcast is hosted by Hannah Hethmon, an American Fulbright Fellow living in Reykjavík. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram @hannah_rfh or on the web at hhethmon.com. Hannah has a BA in English Literature from the University of Maryland, College Park and an MA from the University of Iceland in Medieval Icelandic Studies. After completing her MA, she spent two years as the Marketing Coordinator for the American Association for State and Local History, a Nashville-based national nonprofit dedicated to serving history museums, historical societies, and other public history institutions.
S1 E9 · Wed, January 24, 2018
Built with Fish: History Lessons at the Museum of Hafnarfjörður (S01/E09)
How do you keep history fresh at a municipal history museum, even when many people in your audience have lived in that small town their entire lives? How do you best serve your local audience while still offering something interesting for tourists? These are the challenges the Hafnarfjörður Museum is trying to solve. The museum is housed in seven historic buildings in Hafnarfjörður, an old harbor town in the southwest of Iceland. In this episode, museum director Björn Pétursson gives me a tour of the main building, Pakkhusið, and shares some of the museum's recent successes and challenges. Music in this episode is by FÚNI . _______ Museums in Strange Places is a podcast for people who love museums, stories, culture, and exploring the world. This year, the podcast focuses on museums in Iceland. Subscribe to Museums in Strange Places and you can expect fascinating conversations with Icelandic museum professionals, world class exhibitions, private museums in gas stations, an introduction to Icelanders and their knack for storytelling, and a unique window into the inner workings of museums on this strange but wonderful little island. Get bonus material from each episode (photos, further reading, links) at hhethmon.com . Use the hashtag #MuseumsinStrangePlaces on social media. The podcast is hosted by Hannah Hethmon, an American Fulbright Fellow living in Reykjavík. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram @hannah_rfh or on the web at hhethmon.com. Hannah has a BA in English Literature from the University of Maryland, College Park and an MA from the University of Iceland in Medieval Icelandic Studies. After completing her MA, she spent two years as the Marketing Coordinator for the American Association for State and Local History, a Nashville-based national nonprofit dedicated to serving history museums, historical societies, and other public history institutions.
S1 E8 · Tue, January 16, 2018
Community-Centered Contemporary Art in the Heart of Hafnarfjörður (S01/E08)
How does a contemporary art institution–places that are notoriously elitist–provide a thriving cultural center in a town's that on the periphery of Iceland and the world? The Hafnarborg Centre of Culture and Fine Art is a contemporary art gallery and collection in the heart of downtown Hafnarfjörður, an old port town ten kilometers south of Reykjavík. They take their responsibility as the only art museum very seriously. I sat down with Director Ágústa Kristófersdóttir to learn more. _______ Museums in Strange Places is a podcast for people who love museums, stories, culture, and exploring the world. This year, the podcast focuses on museums in Iceland. Subscribe to Museums in Strange Places and you can expect fascinating conversations with Icelandic museum professionals, world class exhibitions, private museums in gas stations, an introduction to Icelanders and their knack for storytelling, and a unique window into the inner workings of museums on this strange but wonderful little island. Get bonus material from each episode (photos, further reading, links) at hhethmon.com . Use the hashtag #MuseumsinStrangePlaces on social media. The podcast is hosted by Hannah Hethmon, an American Fulbright Fellow living in Reykjavík. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram @hannah_rfh or on the web at hhethmon.com. Hannah has a BA in English Literature from the University of Maryland, College Park and an MA from the University of Iceland in Medieval Icelandic Studies. After completing her MA, she spent two years as the Marketing Coordinator for the American Association for State and Local History, a Nashville-based national nonprofit dedicated to serving history museums, historical societies, and other public history institutions. Music Credits: Heim til míns hjarta Lag og texti: Marteinn Sindri Jónsson Útsetningar fyrir blásturshljóðfæri: Eiríkur Rafn Stefánsson Arna Margrét Jónsdóttir, söngur Birkir Blær Ingólfsson, saxófónn Eírikur Rafn Stefánsson, flügelhorn Kári Hólmar Ragnarsson, básúna Kristófer Rodriguez Svönuson, trommur Marteinn Sindri Jónsson, söngur og píanó Tómas R. Einarsson, kontrabassi Hljóðupptaka: Róbert Steingrímsson
S1 E7 · Wed, January 10, 2018
Celtic Connections on the Icelandic Coast: A Visit to the Akranes Folk Museum (S01/E07)
Akranes is a coastal town in the southwest region of Iceland with a growing population of about 7,000. They have a unique heritage, as the area was settled in large part by Celts, not Norsemen. The charming Akranes Folk Museum has been around for almost 60 years, and is beginning a large project to revamp their exhibits to better serve the new residents of the area, Icelanders visiting from the greater Reykjavík area, and an increasing numbers of foreign visitors. I sat down with the museum's director Jón Allansson to discuss the town's unique history and their surprising connection to the current US president. Music in this episode is by the Icelandic musician Snorri Helgason . _______ Museums in Strange Places is a podcast for people who love museums, stories, culture, and exploring the world. This year, the podcast focuses on museums in Iceland. Subscribe to Museums in Strange Places and you can expect fascinating conversations with Icelandic museum professionals, world class exhibitions, private museums in gas stations, an introduction to Icelanders and their knack for storytelling, and a unique window into the inner workings of museums on this strange but wonderful little island. Get bonus material from each episode (photos, further reading, links) at hhethmon.com . Use the hashtag #MuseumsinStrangePlaces on social media. The podcast is hosted by Hannah Hethmon, an American Fulbright Fellow living in Reykjavík. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram @hannah_rfh or on the web at hhethmon.com. Hannah has a BA in English Literature from the University of Maryland, College Park and an MA from the University of Iceland in Medieval Icelandic Studies. After completing her MA, she spent two years as the Marketing Coordinator for the American Association for State and Local History, a Nashville-based national nonprofit dedicated to serving history museums, historical societies, and other public history institutions.
S1 E6 · Mon, December 18, 2017
A Family, a Mineral Collection, and a Museum in a Gas Station (S01/E06)
Hafsteinn Thor has always been interested in geology, nature, biology, and philosophy...and acting and directing...and singing and learning new instruments. But when he met his wife's family, he was draw into their decades-old passion for stone and mineral collecting. Last year, he and his father-in-law finally set up a museum with the family's collection...in the gas station of their small town in the south of Iceland. In this episode, I visit the Ljósbrá Steinasafn , the Hveragerdi Stone and Mineral Museum, to hear the family story and find out more about the gorgeous samples in their collection. Music in the first part of the episode is by Hyson.
S1 E5 · Mon, December 04, 2017
Keeping the Legacy of a Medieval Legend Alive at Snorrastofa (S01/E05)
I visit the Snorrastofa , a research and cultural center at Reykholt, the farm in southwestern Iceland where the great medieval Icelandic historian and writer Snorri Sturluson built his home, a church, and later a small fortress. Snorrastofa Project Manager Sigrun Guttomsdóttir Þormar and I talk about Snorri's dramatic life, his legacy, and his hot tub, which is still in perfect working condition 800 years after its construction. The music in this episode is by the Iceland/German band Árstíðir lífsins , who take their inspiration from the Old Norse literature. ________ Museums in Strange Places is a podcast about Icelandic museums and museum culture. Subscribe to Museums in Strange Places and you can expect fascinating conversations with Icelandic museum professionals, world class exhibitions, private museums in gas stations, an introduction to Icelanders and their knack for storytelling, and a unique window into the inner workings of museums on this strange but wonderful little island. Get bonus material from each episode (photos, further reading, links) at hhethmon.com . Use the hashtag #MuseumsinStrangePlaces on social media. The podcast is hosted by Hannah Hethmon, an American Fulbright Fellow living in Reykjavík. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram @hannah_rfh or on the web at hhethmon.com. Hannah has a BA in English Literature from the University of Maryland, College Park and an MA from the University of Iceland in Medieval Icelandic Studies. After completing her MA, she spent two years as the Marketing Coordinator for the American Association for State and Local History, a Nashville-based national nonprofit dedicated to serving history museums, historical societies, and other public history institutions.
S1 E4 · Tue, November 21, 2017
The Future of History at the Reykjavík City Museum (S01/E04)
I visit the Reykjavík City Museum to talk with Museum Director Guðbrandur Benediktsson about museum mergers, historians as presidents, the state of history in Iceland, and the future of history museums in Reykjavík. The music in this episode is "Humble History Song" by the Icelandic singer/ songwriter Ceasetone . ________ Museums in Strange Places is a podcast about Icelandic museums and museum culture. Subscribe to Museums in Strange Places and you can expect fascinating conversations with Icelandic museum professionals, world class exhibitions, private museums in gas stations, an introduction to Icelanders and their knack for storytelling, and a unique window into the inner workings of museums on this strange but wonderful little island. Get bonus material from each episode (photos, further reading, links) at hhethmon.com . Use the hashtag #MuseumsinStrangePlaces on social media. The podcast is hosted by Hannah Hethmon, an American Fulbright Fellow living in Reykjavík. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram @hannah_rfh or on the web at hhethmon.com. Hannah has a BA in English Literature from the University of Maryland, College Park and an MA from the University of Iceland in Medieval Icelandic Studies. After completing her MA, she spent two years as the Marketing Coordinator for the American Association for State and Local History, a Nashville-based national nonprofit dedicated to serving history museums, historical societies, and other public history institutions.
S1 E3 · Mon, November 06, 2017
A Writer's Home: Gljúfrasteinn-Laxness Museum (S01/E03)
In this episode, I drive thirty minutes outside of Reykjavík to visit Gljúfrasteinn , the museum–and former home–of Halldór Laxness, writer and Nobel laureate. His remarkable life spanned almost the entire 20th century, from 1902 to 1998. He published his first novel at 17 and would go on to publish more than 60 books in his lifetime, mostly novels, but also volumes of poetry and short stories. The museum's director, Guðný Dóra Gestsdóttir, gives me a tour of the home, built in the 1940's, and talks about how they are trying to focus on stories and atmosphere above just showing objects. Music in this episode is by the Icelandic singer Ósk . ________ Museums in Strange Places is a podcast about Icelandic museums and museum culture. Subscribe to Museums in Strange Places and you can expect fascinating conversations with Icelandic museum professionals, world class exhibitions, private museums in gas stations, an introduction to Icelanders and their knack for storytelling, and a unique window into the inner workings of museums on this strange but wonderful little island. Get bonus material from each episode (photos, further reading, links) at hhethmon.com . Use the hashtag #MuseumsinStrangePlaces on social media. The podcast is hosted by Hannah Hethmon, an American Fulbright Fellow living in Reykjavík. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram @hannah_rfh or on the web at hhethmon.com. Hannah has a BA in English Literature from the University of Maryland, College Park and an MA from the University of Iceland in Medieval Icelandic Studies. After completing her MA, she spent two years as the Marketing Coordinator for the American Association for State and Local History, a Nashville-based national nonprofit dedicated to serving history museums, historical societies, and other public history institutions.
S1 E2 · Mon, October 30, 2017
The Icelandic Punk Museum in Reykjavík, Iceland (S01/E02)
I descend into the historic city public toilets of downtown Reykjavík to check out one of the newer museums in town, the Icelandic Punk Museum . You know it's legit because Johnny Rotten himself presided over the opening in 2016. In a town with it's fair share of tourist traps, this space is no gimmick. The museum was created by punks and music scholars who manage to hit just the right notes with their content and presentation. Music in this episode is by Skrattar , and is used with their permission. ________ Museums in Strange Places is a bi-weekly podcast about Icelandic museums and museum culture. Subscribe to Museums in Strange Places and you can expect fascinating conversations with Icelandic museum professionals, world class exhibitions, private museums in gas stations, an introduction to Icelanders and their knack for storytelling, and a unique window into the inner workings of museums on this strange but wonderful little island. Get bonus material from each episode (photos, further reading, links) at hhethmon.com . Use the hashtag #MuseumsinStrangePlaces on social media. The podcast is hosted by Hannah Hethmon, an American Fulbright Fellow living in Reykjavík. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram @hannah_rfh or on the web at hhethmon.com. Hannah has a BA in English Literature from the University of Maryland, College Park and an MA from the University of Iceland in Medieval Icelandic Studies. After completing her MA, she spent two years as the Marketing Coordinator for the American Association for State and Local History, a Nashville-based national nonprofit dedicated to serving history museums, historical societies, and other public history institutions.
Bonus · Sun, October 22, 2017
Bonus Ep: What Makes an Open Air Museum Memorable?
I continue my conversation with Sigurlaugur Ingólfsson at the Árbær Open Air Museum in Reykjavík. We discuss what makes an open air museum visit memorable, whether admission prices motivate museums to stay fresh and engaging, and why we have to think about museums like businesses (sometimes). Music for this episode created by soandso. Used here with permission from the artist. _________ Museums in Strange Places is a podcast about Icelandic museums and museum culture. Subscribe to Museums in Strange Places and you can expect fascinating conversations with Icelandic museum professionals, world class exhibitions, private museums in gas stations, an introduction to Icelanders and their knack for storytelling, and a unique window into the inner workings of museums on this strange but wonderful little island. Get bonus material from each episode (photos, further reading, links) at hhethmon.com . Use the hashtag #MuseumsinStrangePlaces on social media. The podcast is hosted by Hannah Hethmon, an American Fulbright Fellow living in Reykjavík. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram @hannah_rfh or on the web at hhethmon.com. Hannah has a BA in English Literature from the University of Maryland, College Park and an MA from the University of Iceland in Medieval Icelandic Studies. After completing her MA, she spent two years as the Marketing Coordinator for the American Association for State and Local History, a Nashville-based national nonprofit dedicated to serving history museums, historical societies, and other public history institutions.
S1 E1 · Mon, October 16, 2017
Árbær Open Air Museum in Reykjavík, Iceland
I visit the Árbær Open Air Museum in Reykjavík to interview the Árbær Museum Project Manager, Sigurlaugur Ingólfsson. In this episode you'll learn about: open air/living history museums in Iceland, museum mergers, tourists vs. locals, Vikings, and why it's blasphemy to visit Siglufjörður and *not* visit the Herring Era Museum. _________ Museums in Strange Places is a podcast about Icelandic museums and museum culture. Subscribe to Museums in Strange Places and you can expect fascinating conversations with Icelandic museum professionals, world class exhibitions, private museums in gas stations, an introduction to Icelanders and their knack for storytelling, and a unique window into the inner workings of museums on this strange but wonderful little island. Get bonus material from each episode (photos, further reading, links) at hhethmon.com . Use the hashtag #MuseumsinStrangePlaces on social media. The podcast is hosted by Hannah Hethmon, an American Fulbright Fellow living in Reykjavík. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram @hannah_rfh or on the web at hhethmon.com. Hannah has a BA in English Literature from the University of Maryland, College Park and an MA from the University of Iceland in Medieval Icelandic Studies. After completing her MA, she spent two years as the Marketing Coordinator for the American Association for State and Local History, a Nashville-based national nonprofit dedicated to serving history museums, historical societies, and other public history institutions.
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