historic preservation stories with Rae & Andi
Rae and Andi dive into the chaos and charm of airports — the security scrambles, the gate‑change sprints, the lost‑passport panic, and the tiny design moments that somehow make it all feel magical anyway. They celebrate the clacking boards, the terrazzo floors, and the jet‑age swoops that turn terminals into portals. They also take on the big question: does a rainforest waterfall inside a terminal count as bold design or just architectural overkill?
How would you define “visual pollution”? In this episode, Rae and Andi tackle the visual blights that affect us all. Where is the line between advertising and art? What’s intrusive, what adds to the streetscape? We start by discussing our producer’s documentary feature This Space Available and go from there. Join us!
Most mail is spam, or maybe bills. But postcards! Getting a postcard is a joyful little moment, and then you can keep it on your fridge, or your mantel, or a shoebox, and then every time you look at it you get another little burst of joy. So this month, Rae and Andi talk about postcards and share postcards and generally appreciate all things postcard. Hope we can encourage you to send some to your loved ones! 📫
This month, we are talking all about Ducks. Duck ducks, sheep ducks, basket ducks, hot dog ducks, dino ducks… If these sound like a contradiction in terms, please listen as Rae & Andi wax poetic about the wonderful quirky world of architectural ducks. 🦆
In this episode, we talk a great deal about Learning from Las Vegas by Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown & Steven Izenour. You can learn more about the book here and you can purchase it here.
BONUS! Once you listen to the episode, check out Rae’s grandpa with his record-setting catch as displayed at the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame. It’s here (and EPIC!)
‘Tis the season for gift giving. 🎁 Rae and Andi are sharing some favorite historic sites from across the country. Tune in for some fun places to visit and you’ll get bonus knowledge about the National Register of Historic Places. Happy holidays, y’all! ☃️
Do you love road trips? We do. And Rae in particular has deep affection for roadside attractions. One of her favorites is the Blue Hole. Learn about this kitchy site and others like it in this episode. Though honestly there may not be anything else *exactly* like the Blue Hole. What are some of your favorite roadside attractions? Let us know!
Article on the Blue Hole for the Society of Commercial Archeology by our very own Rae!
C-SPAN lecture on Roadside Attractions by our very own Rae!
Some background on the Old Man of the Mountain.
The VMFA exhibit about Natural Bridge.
People who have gone over the Niagara Falls (please DO NOT follow suit.)
Some photos of South of the Border (3 stars on trip advisor.)
Happy Pride! 🌈 This month, we chat with Cosette Veeder-Shave about Queer history, and focus on the preservation of Lesbian bars, both in the US & abroad.
Henrietta Hudson – Lesbian bar in Buffalo
Article about the closing of Herz, Lesbian bar in Mobile, Alabama, is HERE
La Mutinerie – Queer Feminist bar in Paris. You can find a nice starting list of LGBTQ+ bars in Paris HERE
Stonewall Inn – Historic Landmark in NYC. The NPS page for the site is HERE
Website with lots of resources about NYC, including walking tours and exhibits – NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project
