Undiscarded: Stories of New York
The City Reliquary Museum and Civic Organization
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A ticket stub, a bottle cap, a piece of fabric, a plastic souvenir, a lightbulb… these simple things hold power – they capture moments in time and the stories of people’s lives. Undiscarded: Stories of New York is a new podcast series that celebrates the extraordinary history behind seemingly mundane objects, telling absorbing and absolutely unique stories that shed new light on the people whose lives have always made New York so alive, exciting, and gloriously messy.
Available episodes
Newest first
Oldest first
May 31, 2023
Letters to a Hero
This week on Undiscarded, meet the unsuspecting family with an uncanny name who found themselves in a web of confusion. Fan mail, requests, and even some generous checks kept turning up to the Parker family’s home in Forest Hills, Queens… all addressed to Spider-Man. What was initially dismissed as a prank turned out to be comic book canon. Tune in as Tania and guest Pamela Parker unveil the lore within these letters, which are now on display at The City Reliquary, and the love they show for New York’s friendly neighborhood hero.
Look at photos of this object and more at at: https://www.cityreliquary.org/undiscarded-letterstoahero
Learn more about the City Reliquary, its mission, and its collections at: cityreliquary.org
In the city or just visiting? Stop by the Reliquary any Saturday or Sunday, noon to 6pm, 370 Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn 11211
If you like Undiscarded, tune into The Brooklyn Public Library’s flagship podcast called Borrowed. Brooklyn has so many stories to tell, and a lot of them start at the library.
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May 17, 2023
Rollerskate
Strap on your skates and get ready to roll back in time! In today’s episode, Tania joins rollerskating legend Eric Alston to take a spin through the history of the Brooklyn’s iconic Empire Rollerdrome, the surprisingly deep intersections of roller disco, urban communities, the Civil Rights movement, and how rollerskating continues to be a deep source of joy and self-expression.
Look at photos of this object and more at at: https://www.cityreliquary.org/undiscarded-rollerskate/
Learn more about the City Reliquary, its mission, and its collections at: cityreliquary.org
In the city or just visiting? Stop by the Reliquary any Saturday or Sunday, noon to 6pm, 370 Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn 11211
Now until July 29th, further explore the history of Empire Rollerdrome at “Empire Roller Disco, Photographs by Patrick D. Pagnano” presented by Anthology Editions at The Gallery at The Ace Hotel Brooklyn: https://acehotel.com/brooklyn/going-on/anthology-editions-present-empire-roller-disco-by-patrick-d-pagnano-the-gallery/2023-05-26/
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May 3, 2023
Model Buildings
A riddle: when are tiny models more than tiny models? Answer: when they were once part of a HUGE model. In the case of these unprepossessing little wooden and plastic buildings, probably the greatest scale model ever built: the Panorama of the City of New York. In this episode, Tania talks to Lynn Maliszewski of the Queens Museum about the crown jewel of their collection and the extraordinary history of its creation, spearheaded by one the biggest New Yorkers of all time.
Look at photos of this object and more at at https://www.cityreliquary.org/undiscarded-modelbuildings
Learn more about the City Reliquary, its mission, and its collections at cityreliquary.org
In the city or just visiting? Stop by the Reliquary any Saturday or Sunday, noon to 6pm, 370 Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn 11211
And while you’re in town, plan your trip across Newtown Creek to visit the panorama and the rest of the Queens Museum at https://queensmuseum.org/
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Apr 19, 2023
Stuffed Alligator
“Alligators thriving in the sewers of New York City” –– one of the most famous and persistent urban myths. But could it be… true? Well, according to former Manhattan Borough Historian Michael Miscione, it’s at least “true-ish”! Learn more as he and Tania go down the manhole to find a truly epic tale of boys vs. beast.
Look at photos of this object and more at at https://www.cityreliquary.org/undiscarded-stuffedalligator
Learn more about the City Reliquary, its mission, and its collections at cityreliquary.org
In the city or just visiting? Stop by the Reliquary any Saturday or Sunday, noon to 6pm, 370 Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn 11211
Learn more about Michael’s projects at https://nyc125.org/
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Apr 5, 2023
Pigeon Tags
“Why would pigeons need tags?” Tania asks in this episode, and it’s a natural question – pigeons are underfoot everywhere in big cities, and claiming one as your own might seem as silly as claiming a particular dead leaf or piece of litter. But popular urban naturalist Gabriel Willow joins her to explain how domestic pigeons have been an important and versatile part of human life for thousands of years, and their story opens a unique view of the wildlife in New York.
Look at photos of this object and more at https://www.cityreliquary.org/undiscarded-pigeontags
Learn more about the City Reliquary, its mission, and its collections at cityreliquary.org
In the city or just visiting? Stop by the Reliquary any Saturday or Sunday, noon to 6pm, 370 Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn 11211
Learn more about Gabriel at https://www.gabrielwillow.com/
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Mar 22, 2023
Letters from a Sign
Who’s hungry? In today’s episode of Undiscarded (produced with the collaboration of the New York Historical Society) Tania joins Jack Lebewohl of the famous 2nd Ave Deli to talk about the rise and decline of the delicatessen, the great culinary contribution of one of the immigrant groups that most dramatically shaped New York as we know it: the Yiddish-speaking Jews of Eastern Europe.
Look at photos of this object and more at cityreliquary.org/undiscarded-2ndavedeli.
Learn more about the City Reliquary, its mission, and its collections at cityreliquary.org
In the city or just visiting? Stop by the Reliquary any Saturday or Sunday, noon to 6pm, 370 Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn 11211
Plan your visit to the 2nd Ave Deli at https://2ndavedeli.com/
Plan your visit to the New York Historical Society at https://www.nyhistory.org/
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Mar 22, 2023
Mannequin
In today’s episode of Undiscarded, local burlesque star and reigning Miss Coney Island Maggie McMuffin joins Tania to talk about a decorated mannequin that represents the life and times of the most famous of all exotic dancers – the sensation of the Chicago Exposition and Queen of the Boardwalk, the celebrated and notorious “Little Egypt”!
Look at photos of this object and more at cityreliquary.org/undiscarded-littleegypt
Learn more about the City Reliquary, its mission, and its collections at cityreliquary.org.
In the city or just visiting? Stop by the Reliquary any Saturday or Sunday, noon to 6pm, 370 Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn 11211.
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Mar 22, 2023
Lightbulb
In the series premiere of Undiscarded, Tania talks to City Reliquary founder Dave Herman about one of the highlights (pun intended) of the museum’s most celebrated collection. It’s a humble-looking artifact donated by a man who dedicated his life to serving that most magnificent of New York icons: The Statue of Liberty.
Look at photos of this object and more at cityreliquary.org/undiscarded-lightbulb.
Learn more about the City Reliquary, its mission, and its collections at cityreliquary.org
In the city or just visiting? Stop by the Reliquary any Saturday or Sunday, noon to 6pm, 370 Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn 11211.
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Mar 13, 2023
Season One Teaser
Undiscarded: Stories of New York, the new podcast from The City Reliquary, is coming soon to a podcast feed near you!
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