Past Matters
By Ploy Radford
Museums, galleries and historic houses are treasure troves of items from the past. But how easy is it at these sites to unknowingly just walk straight past an object with an incredible story to tell? In this podcast series host Ploy Radford talks to the experts at different museums, galleries and historic houses about the most underrated objects in their collection, and unveils some fantastic facts.
Latest episode
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Blandford Fashion Museum - a Regency spencer
While you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, you can’t deny that clothes can reveal a lot about a person, or the past, as host Ploy Radford-Taylor finds when she visits Blandford Fashion Museum. -
The 'Queen of the Blue Stockings' - Elizabeth Montagu
In this episode, historian Dr Lizzie Rogers tells the story of Elizabeth Montagu, famed salon hostess and founder of the Blue Stockings Society, literary critic and successful businesswoman. -
Costanza Piccolomini - interview with author Rachel Blackmore
In this first episode of season 4, host Ploy Radford-Taylor interviews author Rachel Blackmore about her debut novel 'Costanza', which tells the story of Costanza Piccolomini, whose affair with celebrated superstar sculptor Gianlorenzo Berni… -
Easter 2023 special - Cleopatra Selene
For this second Easter 2023 special episode, host Ploy Radford interviews Dr Jane Draycott on the life and times of Cleopatra Selene, daughter of the famous Cleopatra VII of Egypt and Roman general Mark Antony. While Cleopatra Selene has sli… -
Easter 2023 special - Equestrian artist Lucy Kemp-Welch
For this Easter 2023 special episode of Past Matters, host Ploy Radford interviews Dr David Haycock, curator of a new exhibition about the equestrian artist Lucy Kemp-Welch (1869-1958) at the Russell Cotes Art Gallery & Museum. The e… -
New Year special - Sophia Dorothea, the British queen who never was
In a new year special, historian and author Catherine Curzon tells podcast host Ploy Radford about the story of the British queen who never was - Sophia Dorothea, the much maligned wife of King George I. -
Animal bones - Fishbourne Roman Palace
In this final episode of season 3, podcast host Ploy Radford and zooarchaeologists Dr Rob Symmons and Professor Naomi Sykes discuss the importance of animal bones to unveiling the past, and how the ones discovered at Fishbourne Roman Palace … -
Circles of Stone exhibition - Stonehenge
Stonehenge is without doubt one of the most iconic historic monuments in Britain. It turns out though it wasn't just people in prehistoric Britain building stone circles of cultural significance though - it was also happening on the other si… -
Sword and helmet - William Morris Gallery
Find out more about the founder of the Arts and Crafts movement in England, William Morris, from the story of a sword and helmet he had made for one of his first artistic projects. On display at the William Morris Gallery, these items reveal… -
'The Lost King' - The Wallace Collection
This is an episode for arms and armour enthusiasts, Ricardians, and those interested in the magic of movie-making. Host Ploy Radford interviews Dr Toby Capwell from the Wallace Collection about their temporary exhibition linked to 'The Lost …
