Working Over Time

Apr 19 2022 290
Working Over Time Podcast artwork

Hosted by Dr. Karen Bellinger, the Working Over Time podcast examines society through the lens of work, over time and across cultures.  If you‘re a fellow time traveler who loves history and epic storytelling, you‘ve found the right time machine. Produced by LittleFire, Past Preservers, and Dr. Karen Bellinger. Follow us on Twitter @WorkingOTSeries. We‘re also on Patreon: www.patreon.com/workingovertime

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”If Stones Could Speak” - Life on an Ancient Egyptian Construction Site

Apr 19 2022 75 mins  
This episode's topic is so literally monumental, we brought in three experts to help us bring it to life. We’re going back more than 3,000 years, to New Kingdom Egypt, to visit two of the job sites that contributed to the production of some of the ancient world’s most iconic monuments. We start with the dynamic duo of Dr Maria Nilsson and John Ward, Nat Geo Explorers and archae

”Building Blocks” - The Medieval Foundations of Modern Stonemasonry

Mar 08 2022 73 mins  
In this episode, Karen talks with Master Mason Brad Steele about the ancient craft of building in stone, from its ancient origins through the medieval guilds which continue to provide fraternal and educational support to ensure its survival into the future.

”From The Mouse to Tudor Modern” - The Business of Branding & Licensing Heritage IP

Feb 15 2022 51 mins  
Karen explores the history and evolution of licensed brands and “intellectual property,” and hears about the latest IP trends in heritage attractions and art museums. Join the conversation with guest Georgina Dorothy, archaeologist and historian turned heritage IP executive at ARTiSTORY.

“Profanely Sacred” - The Dual Face of European Medieval Theatre

Feb 01 2022 86 mins  
In this episode, Karen talks with actor, director, and theatre historian, Dr Kyle A Thomas. Join us for a peek behind the curtain of European theatre in the Middle Ages. Spoiler alert: piety wasn’t the only value on display in medieval relgious dramas!

Holiday Classics Rewind - Mall Santas - The Industry of Holiday Joy

Dec 22 2021 54 mins  
As we move through some holiday down time, celebrate with this WoT classic episode. It’s the story of the department store, or mall, Santa - the origins of the job, who were the big players, and its lasting legacy on the industry of holiday joy. Join us as we talk with Dr. Sheila Hoffman, and hear the tale of the very first Department Store/Mall Santa, in a fireside story with Wo

”Around The Forge” - (Part 1) Blacksmith Folklore & Legends

Nov 09 2021 50 mins  
In today’s episode, which is Part I of II, we examine blacksmithing from the perspectives of the legends and folklore forged from the same fires as the revolutionary iron tools that so fundamentally shaped human experience. What better way to dive into this topic than with our guest, Mark Norman, whose own podcast, The Folklore Podcast, has enjoyed over 1.25 million downloads to

”Witches to Riches” - Working Right Now in Salem‘s Halloween Industry

Oct 29 2021 30 mins  
Halloween *bonus* Working Right Now episode, with returning guest, Isabella Connor, 17th-19thc New England historian and writer. Isabella loves Salem, and Halloween. Just not together. Tune in to find out why.

”The Politics of Art” - Ancient Greco-Roman Sculptors

Oct 26 2021 64 mins  
What do you think of when you hear the phrase “public art?" What is it? Who is it for? What is its purpose, anyway? In this episode we explore these questions, and more, through the lens of ancient Greco-Roman sculpture with archaeologist and educator Laura Aitken-Burt. Spoiler alert: the place and influence of state-sanctioned art strikes us as one of those “universals” of h

“Game of Popes” - The Renaissance Roots of the Modern Architect

Oct 12 2021 86 mins  
For much of human history, finding shelter was something everyone did on their own, to survive. But with increasing labor specialization in complex societies, the act of designing and building structures evolved into a distinct blend of art and science, becoming the discipline we know today as architecture. But when did this job, as such, become a thing? Today’s guest, Viviano Vi

”Since Sliced Bread” - The Ancient Business of Bread Making

Sep 24 2021 70 mins  
Classical historian and baker-in-residence, Dr Owen Rees, walks Karen through the ancient past and present pleasures of breadmaking.