Special Collections

Cultures represent themselves in many different ways - like social customs, food, art, and language, to name just a few. One of the most fascinating and unique ways a culture is represented is through the way people respect and remember their dead. The National Museum of Funeral History located in Houston, Texas is one place where visitors can experience funeral traditions from around the world - and through the ages. With exhibits celebrating Dia de los Muertos, educating on the history of embalming and other funeral practices, and honoring the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, this museum is an exploration of how, why, and in what ways we honor our dead. Our guest today is Genevieve Keeney, President of the National Museum of Funeral History.

Also in today’s episode, learn more about how funerals are put together today through an interview with Lance Nelson of Nelson Family Mortuary, located in Provo Utah. Hear about Jeff’s first emotional experience watching Coco, and how death is represented through the sci-fi genre. Also learn a bit about the unusual funeral practice of drive-in viewings, and learn what random people on the street fear more than death in our man-on-the-street segment.

Check out the National Museum of Funeral History: https://www.nmfh.org/

Learn more about Nelson Family Mortuary: https://www.nelsonmortuary.com/

Art and math go together like oil and water…or do they? There might be more in common between these subjects than you think. Today we dip our toes in both areas in this double interview episode. First, explore what makes a true work of art at the Museum of Art Fakes in Vienna, Austria. This small museum displays copies and forgeries of famous works of art from around the world - but the real art is found in the stories that accompany them. Then travel back to the United States to get a better understanding of the incredible role math plays in our lives through the Museum of Mathematics, or MoMath, located in New York City. This interactive, child-friendly museum encourages visitors to see the math in the world around them - and have fun doing it. Our guests are Lydia Sumbera, the Press Employee of the Museum of Art Fakes, and Cindy Lawrence, the Executive Director of MoMath.

Also in today’s episode: see if you can ‘spot the fake’ better than the average individual on the street, as we ask random people to identify the correct quote from a series of common misquotes. And take a moment to reflect on how math has influenced your life as members of our Special Collections team share what math has meant to them.

While it may not have been a conflict in the same way as World War II, the Cold War was the longest war to involve the United States. Lasting from 1947 until 1991, the greatest fear for Americans during this time was the threat of a nuclear strike. Today we take a closer look at an intimidating weapon from this era that used to be top secret - a Titan II missile at the Titan Missile Museum, located outside Tucson, Arizona. Made up of an actual missile silo that was in operation from 1963 to 1987, this museum is a fascinating and harrowing memory of the Cold War and the intense stakes that were raised. Our guest, Yvonne Morris, was once one of the personnel in charge of operating the missile. Now working as the Director of the Titan Missile Museum, Yvonne means to have this museum function as a monument to peace- a reminder of the war that could have been, yet never came.

Also in today’s episode, get some insights on what the Cold War was like for citizens of the Soviet Union as we speak with Katya Jordan, an Assistant Professor with the Russian and German Department at BYU. And on a more lighthearted note, join us on a detour commenting on the many ways Indiana Jones has defied death- such as surviving a nuclear bomb by ducking into a lead-lined fridge.

Check out the Titan Missile Museum at their website: http://www.titanmissilemuseum.org/

What do pelicans, Al Capone, and Native American rights activists have in common? One word: Alcatraz.

Known for its infamous inmates, clean escape record, and ominous appearance, the Island of Alcatraz has lived on as one of the most famous maximum security prisons in the United States. But this rocky island off the coast of San Francisco has a history much deeper than its time as a prison. Today we learn about the history of “The Rock” and the people who spent time there - from inmates and guards to citizens and Native activists. Our guest today is Sarah Anderson, a Park Ranger with the National Park Service and Alcatraz expert.

Also in today’s episode, learn what inmate processing on Alcatraz was like through our helpful Welcome to Alcatraz broadcast, hear about some other Alcatraz inspired prisons in pop culture, and be sure to catch up with Hank and Larry, our friends from the Old Idaho Penitentiary, who have found themselves in a bit more trouble than before.

Welcome to another episode of Special Corrections.

Ah, Thanksgiving. A time for us to remember what we are grateful for, to feast on turkey and pie, and re-tell that story of pilgrims and Native Americans feasting together. But what do we really know about the supposed ‘First Thanksgiving’?

The original 1621 Thanksgiving celebration in Plymouth was only sparsely recorded, which left American educators, politicians, and historians to fill in a lot of holes. The result has led generations of Americans to believe that the first Thanksgiving celebration was only a happy dinner between early Pilgrim settlers and the Wampanoag tribe, but it’s only one event of a destructive history. ­­Our guest today is Kathleen McDonald, the Executive Director of the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian in Evanston, Illinois. Tune in to learn about the history and traditions of Native American tribes, the first Thanksgiving, and respectful ways we can celebrate these next few weeks. The Mitchell Museum of the American Indian is “one of only a few museums in the nation that focuses exclusively on the history, culture, and arts of the American Indian and First Nation peoples of the United States and Canada”, as listed on their website.

Also in today’s episode, get an inside look on how Thanksgiving has affected Native American tribes as we visit with members of the Tribe of Many Feathers, the Brigham Young University student club for Native Americans. See how a burnt turkey can be a work of art through a story pulled from our episode with the Burnt Food Museum, learn the truth behind Benjamin Franklin’s supposed adoration of the turkey, and walk away with some new trivia about Thanksgiving-themed world records.

Check out the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian at their website: https://www.mitchellmuseum.org/

Art and math go together like oil and water…or do they? There might be more in common between these subjects than you think. Today we dip our toes in both areas in this double interview episode. First, explore what makes a true work of art at the Museum of Art Fakes in Vienna, Austria. This small museum displays copies and forgeries of famous works of art from around the world - but the real art is found in the stories that accompany them. Then travel back to the United States to get a better understanding of the incredible role math plays in our lives through the Museum of Mathematics, or MoMath, located in New York City. This interactive, child-friendly museum encourages visitors to see the math in the world around them - and have fun doing it. Our guests are Lydia Sumbera, the Press Employee of the Museum of Art Fakes, and Cindy Lawrence, the Executive Director of MoMath.

Also in today’s episode: see if you can ‘spot the fake’ better than the average individual on the street, as we ask random people to identify the correct quote from a series of common misquotes. And take a moment to reflect on how math has influenced your life as members of our Special Collections team share what math has meant to them.

The sun is setting, taking with it the warmth of the day. Wind rustles the dead leaves on the ground. You think you hear footsteps behind you, and the hair sticks up on the back of your neck. You whip around in fear - but all you see is a raven, watching you with dark, knowing eyes. 

What makes a good horror story? Edgar Allan Poe seemed to know the answer. He remains one of the most popular horror writers ever, with classics such as The Raven, The Masque of the Red Death, and The Tell-Tale Heart still making readers shiver with suspense today. But how did Poe become the prolific writer we know him as? And why did he write such compelling, terrifying stories? Some of the answers may lie in the Edgar Allan Poe Museum, located in Baltimore Maryland. Our guest today is Chris Semter, a curator at the museum and one of Poe’s biggest fans. Learn about the poet’s childhood and upbringing, what inspired him to write horror and detective stories, and about his mysterious and untimely death.

Also in today’s episode, enjoy dramatic readings of three of Poe’s best works that are sure to help you get into the Halloween spirit: The Raven, The Pit and the Pendulum, and The Tell-Tale Heart. Also learn about a mysterious man who visited Poe’s grave annually for 75 years - his identity remaining anonymous.

Sports are important to our society- they provide a place for young and old to exercise, learn teamwork, and build a community. There is one sport, however, that may be important for an entirely different reason- it may actually save your life.

Swimming is one of America’s favorite pastimes, as well as being a literal lifesaver. Swimming was not always seen in the same way it is today. It has taken decades for the public swimming pool to be a common part of most American communities, a process that included struggling through racial and gender biases. Today we learn about the lengths swimming has gone at the International Swimming Hall of Fame and Museum, located in Fort Lauderdale Florida. This museum commemorates famous individuals who have contributed to the sport over the decades, as well as a collection of water-related art. The museum is also home to an Olympic-sized swimming pool and diving facility. The former Executive Director of the museum, Bruce Wigo, joins us today with stories about swimming and other water sports throughout the ages and around the world.

Also in today’s episode- reflect on your own aquatic experiences as we ask people on the street to share with us their adventures in the water. And to finish it up, learn about three Olympic water events that, for various reasons, did not make it past their Olympic debut.

When you complain to your doctor about having headaches, how often do they tell you to cut your arm and bleed out an ounce or two of blood? All the time, right?

Medicine has come a long way since the days of blood-letting, balancing humors, and mercury ingestion. Some of the greatest medical innovations have occurred during troublesome times, such as plague and war. One of the most innovative time periods in American medicine was actually during the Civil War. Emergency and hospital procedures that may save your life today were first started as a means of caring for the massive numbers of wounded soldiers that came stumbling off the battlefield in the 1860s. In today’s episode we visit the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, a place dedicated to acknowledging and remembering the revolutionary work of Civil War physicians and nurses. Our guest, the museum’s executive director David Price, shares stories and provides insights into the impact Civil War Medicine has had on medical practices today.

Also in today’s episode, take a trip into the past with us as we delve into the journals of Nurse Amanda Akin and Assistant Surgeon John L. Wooden, two physicians who served during the Civil War. Learn about the origins of embalming and how it became a common funeral practice today. And keep an open ear for an infomercial highlighting the hottest new medical treatment available in the 1860s- bromine!

Finally, join us on a detour to southwestern Idaho as we visit the Westside Drive-In as part of our Special Confections segment, where we visit unique places that thrill the taste buds.

No one really wants to go to jail. Unless, of course, it is an old historic state penitentiary that may or may not be haunted. Then you might not be able to help yourself. 

Thankfully you don’t need to be incarcerated to visit the Old Idaho Penitentiary, located near Boise. Open from 1872 to 1973, this historic prison is now open for tours and visits from anyone who wants to take a peek into the past. Our host, Jeff Simpson, visited this location and was able to get an onsite walking tour with Amber Beierle, the Historic Sites Administrator for the Old Pen. Hear stories about unusual inmates, prison life throughout the years, and a prison riot that got a bit…fiery. As Amber says, “Thirteen hundred inmates means thirteen hundred stories to tell.”

Also in today’s episode - how would you escape from prison? And if you were on death row, what would you choose your final meal to be? You may get a few ideas as we ask people on the street what their answers to these questions are. And speaking of death row, keep an open ear for stories of stays of execution gone wrong. 

Welcome to our first episode of Special Corrections.