In the heart of downtown Los Angeles sits Hollywood’s undisputed architectural superstar — the Bradbury Building. The imposing structure’s character is definitive. Its origin story, however, is much murkier… 

How did a young draftsman design one of the most remarkable buildings in the world? Why did he never again do anything of note? Or did he? Was all his creativity spent on this one masterpiece? Was this a case of stolen intellectual property? Or could this have even been a brush with the supernatural?

Clever Confidential is Clever’s offshoot series, where we dig into the darker side of design - the shadowy, sometimes sordid tales hiding under a glossy topcoat of respectable legacy.

Many thanks to this episode’s guest experts Kim Cooper and Richard Schave of Esotouric!

Images and more about the Bradbury Building at cleverpodcast.com

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Credits: 

Hosts: Amy Devers & Andrew Wagner

Writing and research: Amy Devers & Andrew Wagner

Guests: Kim Cooper & Richard Schave of Esotouric

Production: Devers Endeavors

Editing and Sound Design: Camille Stennis 

Theme Music: “Astronomy” by Thin White Rope courtesy of Frontier Records

Logo design: Laura Jaramillo remixed by Graham Hauser

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clever Confidential is Clever’s offshoot series, where we dig into the darker side of design - the shadowy, sometimes sordid tales hiding under a glossy topcoat of respectable legacy.

In Ep. 5 we explore the haunting tale of E-1027, an architectural masterpiece born of love but marred by betrayal, obsession, and tragedy. From its creation by Eileen Gray to its desecration by Le Corbusier, and its descent into decadence during World War II, this house has borne witness to some of humanity’s darkest and most beautiful moments. Hosts Amy Devers and Andrew Wagner uncover the secrets etched into its walls and the spirits that linger within.

Many thanks to this episode’s guest expert Anthony Flint, author of Modern Man: The Life of Le Corbusier, Architect of Tomorrow and host of the Land Matters podcast.

Special thanks to our sponsor, Porkbun! 

Go to https://porkbun.com/CleverBun to get a .PRO domain for only $1 for the first year with promo code DIGITALPRO at Porkbun!

See images and read the transcript!

Please help us out by completing a short LISTENER SURVEY

Head to cleverpodcast.com for over 200+ more episodes of Clever, and the 4 previous episodes of Clever Confidential.

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Please say Hi on social! X, Instagram, Linkedin and Facebook - @CleverPodcast, @amydevers

If you enjoy Clever Confidential we could use your support! Please consider leaving a review, making a donation, becoming a sponsor, or introducing us to your friends! We love and appreciate you!

Credits: 

Hosts: Amy Devers & Andrew Wagner

Writing and research: Amy Devers, Andrew Wagner, Ilana Nevins

Guests: Anthony Flint

Editing and Sound Design: Mark Zurawinski

Theme Music: “Astronomy” by Thin White Rope courtesy of Frontier Records

Logo design: Laura Jaramillo remixed by Graham Hauser

Production: Devers Endeavors

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clever Confidential is Clever’s offshoot series, where we dig into the darker side of design - the shadowy, sometimes sordid tales hiding under a glossy topcoat of respectable legacy.

In Episode 4: Olivetti and the Race to Create the First Personal Computer, host Amy Devers and writer Andrew Wagner unravel a captivating story that challenges our assumptions about the origins of the personal computer. Many credit Silicon Valley with this innovation, but should we really look elsewhere?

Olivetti was founded in 1908 by Camillo Olivetti. This Italian powerhouse thrived under his son Adriano, who revolutionized industrial design with a human-centered approach, merging aesthetics with user experience. Olivetti became a titan in office machines and desktop computing, poised to lead the charge into a new technological era.

But as Olivetti rises, dark clouds gather. Adriano and brilliant engineer Mario Tchou meet mysterious and untimely fates, shrouded in Cold War intrigue and fierce corporate rivalry. Despite these tragic losses, Olivetti unveiled the Programma 101 in 1965, hailed as the world’s first desktop computer, forever altering our perception of technology.

So why has Olivetti’s remarkable legacy faded into obscurity? We peel back the layers of this enigma, revealing a web of intrigue—mysterious deaths, hostile takeovers, potential CIA involvement, and hidden narratives that reshaped the tech landscape and distorted our collective cultural memory. 

Images, links, and more about Olivetti!

Special thanks to our sponsor, Porkbun! 

Go to https://porkbun.com/CleverBun to get a .PRO domain for only $1 for the first year with promo code DIGITALPRO at Porkbun!

Many thanks to our guest expert Barry Katz. 

Audio clips courtesy of Luca Cottini - Italian Innovators youtube video - CAMILLO & ADRIANO OLIVETTI. At the Origins of the Computer Age. Linkedin and instagram @italianinnovators

Head to cleverpodcast.com for over 200+ more episodes! 

Subscribe to our substack newsletter for updates, bonus content, and new episode alerts.

Please say Hi on social! Instagram, and Linkedin - @CleverPodcast, @amydevers

If you enjoy Clever Confidential please consider leaving a review, making a donation, becoming a sponsor, or introducing us to your friends! We love and appreciate you!

Writing and research: Amy Devers, Andrew Wagner, Ilana Nevins

Editing and Sound Design: Camille Stennis and Mark Zurawinski

Theme Music: “Astronomy” by Thin White Rope courtesy of Frontier Records

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clever Confidential is Clever’s offshoot series, where we dig into the darker side of design - the shadowy, sometimes sordid tales hiding under a glossy topcoat of respectable legacy.

On the afternoon of August 14th, 1915, fire ripped through Taliesin, the Spring Green, Wisconsin home of the world’s most famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. When the smoke cleared seven people would be dead, murdered with an axe at the hands of Julian Carlton, a servant of Wright’s. But why? The motive remains a mystery to this day. But there are so many other questions. Why does seemingly everyone know Frank Lloyd Wright but strangely, very few seem to know this much darker side of his story? In this episode we’ll investigate all of that as well as the great state of Wisconsin, Wright’s never-ending battle with societal norms, and the interplay between critics and creative professionals.

Images, links and more about Frank Lloyd Wright and the Murders at Taliesin!

Special thanks to our sponsor, Porkbun! 

Go to https://porkbun.com/CleverBun to get a .PRO domain for only $1 for the first year with promo code DIGITALPRO at Porkbun!

Thank you to Brad Lynch of Brininstool & Lynch Architects for lending his expertise, insight and colorful commentary and to "The Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas for audio clips from the historic Frank Lloyd Wright interview.

Please help us out by completing a short LISTENER SURVEY

Subscribe to our free substack for updates, bonus content, and new episode alerts.

For info, resources, and special offers from our guests and sponsors: Clever Resources

Please say Hi on social! X, Instagram, Linkedin and Facebook - @CleverPodcast, @amydevers

If you enjoy Clever we could use your support! Please consider leaving a review, making a donation, becoming a sponsor, or introducing us to your friends! We love and appreciate you!

Clever Confidential is hosted by Amy Devers and Andrew Wagner, with editing and sound design by Camille Stennis, production assistance from Ilana Nevins and Anouchka Stephan. Our theme music is “Astronomy” by Thin White Rope.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the morning of August 19th, 1993, mid-century architect, Norman Jaffe, parked his car in his client’s driveway, walked to Ocean Beach in Bridgehampton, New York, stripped down, folded his clothes, and dove into the Atlantic. He never returned and his body was never recovered. Was it murder? Was it suicide? Did he fake his own death? What happened to Norman Jaffe? 

Clever Confidential is Clever’s offshoot series, where we dig into the darker side of design - the shadowy, sometimes sordid tales hiding under a glossy topcoat of respectable legacy.

Special thanks to our sponsor, Porkbun! 

Go to https://porkbun.com/CleverBun to get a .PRO domain for only $1 for the first year with promo code DIGITALPRO at Porkbun!

Credits: 

Hosts: Amy Devers & Andrew Wagner

Guest: Alastair Gordon

Writing and research: Amy Devers & Andrew Wagner

Editing: Rich Stroffolino

All Sound Bites: from Alastair Gordon's documentary film "Beyond the Beach: The life and Death of Norman Jaffe, Architect"

Theme Music: “Astronomy” by Thin White Rope courtesy of Frontier Records. 

Cover Art: Laura Jaramillo remixed by Graham Hauser 

For more on Norman Jaffe please grab a copy of Alastair Gordon’s Romantic Modernist, The Life and Work of Norman Jaffe, Architect, published by Monacelli Press in 2005. It is fantastic :) 

Please help us out by completing a short LISTENER SURVEY

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For info, resources, and special offers from our guests and sponsors: Clever Resources

Please say Hi on social! X, Instagram, Linkedin and Facebook - @CleverPodcast, @amydevers

If you enjoy Clever we could use your support! Please consider leaving a review, making a donation, becoming a sponsor, or introducing us to your friends! We love and appreciate you!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ben Clymer grew up in a New York suburb, raised by middle-class public school teachers and enamored by his grandfather’s swagger and style. An Omega Speedmaster, a gift from said grandfather, is the piece that captured his heart and sets his story in motion. A painstakingly shy student, he began to gain self-confidence in high-school and a need to differentiate in college. In 2008 he started a tiny blog, HODINKEE, a passion-project about watches that gained traction and sent him on a mission to get a Master’s in Journalism. Since then, HODINKEE has led to creative collaborations with the most prestigious watch brands and famous rockstars, and grown into a multi-channel platform that has transformed the world of luxury watches. 

Head to cleverpodcast.com for a transcript (with links!) of this episode, images, resources, and over 200+ more evergreen episodes! 

Please complete our Listen Survey, it really helps us out! cleverpodcast.com/survey

Subscribe to our free substack for updates, bonus content, and new episode alerts.

For info, resources, and special offers from our guests and sponsors: Clever Resources

Please say Hi on social! X, Instagram, Linkedin and Facebook - @CleverPodcast, @amydevers

If you enjoy Clever we could use your support! Please consider leaving a review, making a donation, becoming a sponsor, or introducing us to your friends! We love and appreciate you!

Clever is hosted & produced by Amy Devers, with editing by Mark Zurawinski, production assistance from Ilana Nevins and Anouchka Stephan, and music by El Ten Eleven.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clever Confidential is Clever’s offshoot series, where we dig into the darker side of design - the shadowy, sometimes sordid tales hiding under a glossy topcoat of respectable legacy.

In Ep. 5 we explore the haunting tale of E-1027, an architectural masterpiece born of love but marred by betrayal, obsession, and tragedy. From its creation by Eileen Gray to its desecration by Le Corbusier, and its descent into decadence during World War II, this house has borne witness to some of humanity’s darkest and most beautiful moments. Hosts Amy Devers and Andrew Wagner uncover the secrets etched into its walls and the spirits that linger within.

Many thanks to this episode’s guest expert Anthony Flint, author of Modern Man: The Life of Le Corbusier, Architect of Tomorrow and host of the Land Matters podcast.

See images and read the transcript!

Please help us out by completing a short LISTENER SURVEY

Head to cleverpodcast.com for over 200+ more episodes of Clever, and the 4 previous episodes of Clever Confidential.

Subscribe to our substack newsletter for updates, bonus content, and new episode alerts.

Please say Hi on social! X, Instagram, Linkedin and Facebook - @CleverPodcast, @amydevers

If you enjoy Clever Confidential we could use your support! Please consider leaving a review, making a donation, becoming a sponsor, or introducing us to your friends! We love and appreciate you!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Founder and CEO of Canoa, Federico Negro, was born in Uruguay during a time of political turmoil and lived in four countries by age 14. As a teenager in Chicago, he used music as a means of learning English, and during college became fascinated by forensic architecture, which informed his fixation with “how we build with what we build.” An Architect, designer, toolmaker, and entrepreneur, his first company, CASE, was acquired by WeWork. From there he served as the Global Head of Design for Wework during the company’s rapid expansion, and witnessed first-hand the pain points and environmental challenges that could be mitigated with better tools. So in 2019, he founded Canoa, an AI-driven, collaborative software aimed at revolutionizing the interior design and furniture industries by addressing environmental issues and becoming a tool to help us build a better future. 

Head to cleverpodcast.com for a transcript (with links!) of this episode, images, resources, and over 200+ more episodes! 

Please help us out by completing a short LISTENER SURVEY

Subscribe to our free substack for updates, bonus content, and new episode alerts.

For info, resources, and special offers from our guests and sponsors: Clever Resources

Please say Hi on social! X, Instagram, Linkedin and Facebook - @CleverPodcast, @amydevers

If you enjoy Clever we could use your support! Please consider leaving a review, making a donation, becoming a sponsor, or introducing us to your friends! We love and appreciate you!

Clever is hosted & produced by Amy Devers, with editing by Mark Zurawinski, production assistance from Ilana Nevins and Anouchka Stephan, and music by El Ten Eleven.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clever Confidential is Clever’s offshoot series, where we dig into the darker side of design - the shadowy, sometimes sordid tales hiding under a glossy topcoat of respectable legacy.

In Episode 4: Olivetti and the Race to Create the First Personal Computer, host Amy Devers and writer Andrew Wagner unravel a captivating story that challenges our assumptions about the origins of the personal computer. Many credit Silicon Valley with this innovation, but should we really look elsewhere?

Olivetti was founded in 1908 by Camillo Olivetti. This Italian powerhouse thrived under his son Adriano, who revolutionized industrial design with a human-centered approach, merging aesthetics with user experience. Olivetti became a titan in office machines and desktop computing, poised to lead the charge into a new technological era.

But as Olivetti rises, dark clouds gather. Adriano and brilliant engineer Mario Tchou meet mysterious and untimely fates, shrouded in Cold War intrigue and fierce corporate rivalry. Despite these tragic losses, Olivetti unveiled the Programma 101 in 1965, hailed as the world’s first desktop computer, forever altering our perception of technology.

So why has Olivetti’s remarkable legacy faded into obscurity? We peel back the layers of this enigma, revealing a web of intrigue—mysterious deaths, hostile takeovers, potential CIA involvement, and hidden narratives that reshaped the tech landscape and distorted our collective cultural memory. 

Many thanks to this episode’s guest expert Barry Katz. 

Audio clips courtesy of Luca Cottini from his Italian Innovators youtube video - CAMILLO & ADRIANO OLIVETTI. At the Origins of the Computer Age. You can find him on Linkedin and instagram @italianinnovators

See images and read the transcript!

Head to cleverpodcast.com for over 200+ more episodes! 

Subscribe to our substack newsletter for updates, bonus content, and new episode alerts.

Please say Hi on social! X, Instagram, and Linkedin - @CleverPodcast, @amydevers

If you enjoy Clever Confidential please consider leaving a review, making a donation, becoming a sponsor, or introducing us to your friends! We love and appreciate you!

Writing and research: Amy Devers, Andrew Wagner, Ilana Nevins

Editing and Sound Design: Camille Stennis and Mark Zurawinski

Theme Music: “Astronomy” by Thin White Rope courtesy of Frontier Records

Production: Devers Endeavors

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Custom surface artists Lisa Donohoe and Brynn Gelbard met and fell in love in the queer underbelly scene of San Francisco in 2002, a time before bi-national same-sex marriage was legal. Their diverse community was built on love, curiosity and celebrating each other's differences. In an evolution that was equal parts organic maturity and cosmic intervention, Brynn and Lisa moved to Los Angeles and founded Londubh Studio, specializing in elaborate and maximalist hand-applied surface designs. Now the duo, oft considered the design world’s secret weapon, are translating their wildness, love, magic, and the sacred, through exquisite artistry and pristine craft, into visual celebrations that vibrate with love and emanate joy.  

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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Clever is a finalist for the Signal Awards in the Curators Shaping Culture category! This means we’re also eligible for a Listener’s Choice Award! Will you please vote for Clever? It would mean the world to us!

Now through Oct. 17 - 💥 VOTE for Clever in The Signal Listener’s Choice Awards! 💥

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Head to cleverpodcast.com for a transcript (with links!) of this episode, images, resources, and over 200+ more episodes! 

Subscribe to our free substack for updates, bonus content, and new episode alerts.

For info, resources, and special offers from our guests and sponsors: Clever Resources

Please say Hi on social! X, Instagram, Linkedin and Facebook - @CleverPodcast, @amydevers

If you enjoy Clever we could use your support! Please consider leaving a review, making a donation, becoming a sponsor, or introducing us to your friends! We love and appreciate you!

Clever is hosted & produced by Amy Devers, with editing by Mark Zurawinski, production assistance from Ilana Nevins and Anouchka Stephan, and music by El Ten Eleven.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.