The City Reliquary is opening up its cabinet of curiosities for a new podcast, Undiscarded: Stories of New York. Produced in partnership with Queens-based production company CitizenRacecar, the audio show explores stories from New York City history inspired by the unconventional artifacts housed at the Brooklyn-based museum.
In the first episode, host Tania Mohammad – producer and host of Act Two New York and producer of The Big Shut-In – talks with City Reliquary founder Dave Herman about a quintessentially New York object, a light bulb from the Statue of Liberty. The burnt-out bulb sparks a conversation about the Statue’s impact on New York and beyond.
Each episode features a different object and a different special guest. In the first three episodes, Mohammad speaks with burlesque dancer and reigning Miss Coney Island, Maggie McMuffin about the Little Egypt display and burlesque in New York. Jack Lebewohl, the current 2nd Ave Deli owner, visits the podcast to discuss the original neon sign from the 2nd Ave Deli. Future guests will include award-winning novelist Ritchie Narvaez (Noiryorican, Hipster Death Rattle), urban explorer and naturalist Gabriel Willow, speakers from institutions like the Queens Museum and New-York Historical Society, and more!
For more than 20 years, The City Reliquary has amassed a collection unlike any other. The nonprofit institution, located in Williamsburg, treasures items that might otherwise be thrown away (and sometimes previously were). A few highlights of the collection include a wall of Greek coffee cups, memorabilia from the 1939 and 1964 New York World’s Fairs, and a wooden brick from Brooklyn’s last known wooden sidewalk (paved in 2015).
These objects unlock stories of the people and culture that make New York City such a diverse and vibrant place. Through the objects in the museum, The City Reliquary podcast Undiscarded will explore topics that range from the birth of roller discos in the 1970s to how New Yorkers came together in the aftermath of 9/11.
Undiscarded: Stories of New York is available on undiscarded.org, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other platforms. Follow the City Reliquary Instagram for a peek behind the scenes and a deeper dive into each relic. Want to see more from the City Reliquary? Untapped New York has hosted two virtual tours of the museum, which you can see in our on-demand archive as an Untapped New York Insider.
Next, check out The Story Behind NYC’s Greek Coffee Cups and 10 Secrets of Williamsburg, Brooklyn