From PBS:
The legendary Kennedys seemed to have it all—money, power, charm, ambition. From Joe Kennedy's rise on Wall Street to the collapse of his last son's presidential hopes in 1980, the compelling tale of the Kennedy dynasty still fascinates Americans. American Experience presents the first comprehensive look at one man's elusive dream for his family and his nation, beginning in triumph and ending in tragedy.
PBS' documentary series American Experience looks at the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. Amelia Earhart disappeared in 1937 while she was attempting to circumnavigate the world by airplane.
From PBS:
A four-hour exploration into the richness, the complexities, and the controversies of the Mormons' story as told through interviews with members of the church, leading writers and historians, and supporters and critics of the Mormon faith.
From the Bowery Boys website:
"Henry Steinway, a German immigrant who came to New York in 1850, made his name in various showrooms and factories in downtown Manhattan, enticing the wealthy with his award-winning quality pianos. At their grand Steinway Hall on 14th Street, the family turned a popular concert venue into a clever marketing opportunity. But their ultimate fate would lie outside of Manhattan; the Steinways would graduate from an innovative factory on Park Avenue to their very own company village in Queens, the basis of a neighborhood which still bears their name today. You may not know much about pianos, but you've cross path with this family's influence in the city. Tune in for this short history of Henry Steinway and his sons."
From the Kansas Museum of History website:
"A century ago, photography was much more difficult than point-and-shoot. In this podcast we hear about the challenges faced by a pioneering woman photographer. Alice Gardiner Sennrich documented her town—Valley Falls, Kansas—through the lens of a massive camera."
University of Iowa professor Marshall Poe interviews Jennifer Burns about her book Goddess of the Market: Ayn Rand and the American Right, on the life and times of Russian-American writer and philosopher Ayn Rand.
Julie C. Ott talks about the rise of the stock market and playing the stock market to the center of the American perception of capitalism and the idea of obtaining financial success.
To listen to this presentation, follow the link below, scroll down to "'The Free and Open People's Market': Political Ideology and Retail Brokerage at the New York Stock Exchange, 1913–1933" and click on the title, scroll down to June 2009 and click on the file link "200905.mp3."
David Ward, historian at the National Portrait Gallery, gives an overview of the life of Albert Einstein, in relation to a portrait of the scientist by Max Westfield.
From the Kansas State Historical Society website:
"The United States didn't immediately send soldiers to fight in World War I, but that didn't stop Americans from volunteering. In this episode we hear the story behind a nurse's uniform worn by Ethelyn Myers, whose career took her from small-town Kansas to the battlefields of Europe."
From the Constitution Center website:
"2009 marks the 70th anniversary of one of the most dramatic concerts in American history: world famous African American contralto Marian Anderson's concert at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. In a conversation moderated by scholar Sheldon Hackney, award-winning historian Raymond Arsenault tells the story of Marian Anderson, one of the most enduring and iconic figures of the civil rights movement. Through immense raw talent and unrelenting determination, Anderson overcame racial prejudice to inspire all Americans and to become one of the greatest singers of her time."
To listen to this lecture, scroll to the August 12th, 2009, program.