UNCW Graduate Student (and Object Project veteran) Melissa Howdershelt takes us back to the early days of America's most lovable Mouse. Join us to find out how a modest sewing pattern for a Mickey Mouse doll embodied hope and joy--and keen business sense--during the Great Depression.

UNCW graduate student Garrett Gray brings us back to childhood with the very first issue of the Superman Comic Book in 1938. From the labor and production of the object, to its representative meaning, this artifact bridges the gap between the Great Depression and growing international crises.

Listen as Taylor Meadows revs up for a fast-paced trip to the 1930s via the 1935 V-8 Ford Touring Sedan. From gangsters to practical housewives, this sleek, innovative automobile's role in the Great Depression may surprise you.

Join UNCW grad student Alyssa Holton to explore the changing world of quack medicines during the Great Depression through the lens of a small, clear glass bottle.

Public History MA student Hannah Transou regales us with the dark and hazardou details of a spiritual--and technological wonder. Was this Depression-era electric ouija board cursed? You decide.

Public History Master's student Brianne Snyder joins us to talk about the material culture and social history of a long-time Cape Fear hot spot. Learn how the Dixie Café--still a local favorite--adapted to the strains of the 1930s.

Graduate student Ryan Richards joins us to discuss the aesthetic and social meanings of radio receivers in a time of economic crisis. Hear about the technological advances and Art Deco designs that made beautiful radios a hallmark of the 1930s and 1940s.

Karla Berrios explores the turbulent race context surrounding Baby Nancy, "the first Black baby doll made by African Americans for African Americans." Berrios takes us through the racist history of previous Black dolls, negatively stereotyped by their white creators. Baby Nancy's debut in 1969 follows on the heels of race riots, emerging from the site of one of the most well known clashes, Watts. Listen to hear more about the positive effects of this groundbreaking plaything.

Audrey Ross details what a cast iron children's toy from the late nineteenth century tells us about racial and economic instruction for white children. Through gross stereotypes of Black children and simple mechanical devices, such popular items taught racial prejudices alongside values of thrift and industry.

In this episode, Chase Warchol examines a 1940s Boy Scout Uniform. Come along with us to hear how the material details of this paramilitary garb represents the fears and hopes of a generation. Embedded in the hunter green socks and khaki pants are the ways in which the designers' ideals of nature and masculinity fit into mainstream aspirations for American boys.