Smithsonian Launches Season 11 of Flagship Podcast “Sidedoor”

The Smithsonian’s flagship podcast Sidedoor returns today, Sept. 18, for its 11th season. Executive Producer and Host Lizzie Peabody and experts from across the Smithsonian tell stories inspired by the Institution’s collections, from the unexpected to the extraordinary. This season, Sidedoor will take listeners back in time to unravel a historical mystery, honor the 50th anniversary of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and dissect the terror of old-school horror-movie music.

“We are underway with another season of powerful and innovative storytelling, compelling conversations and dynamic guests,” said Julissa Marenco, the Smithsonian’s Assistant Secretary for Communications and External Affairs and Chief Marketing Officer. “Sidedoor brings known and new stories from the halls and treasures of the Smithsonian to our listeners, wherever they are, with stories of hope, creativity and our shared history.”

The season kicks off with an investigation of a decades-long scheme during America’s “Golden Age of Counterfeiting” in the late 1800s. For two decades, “Jim the Penman” eluded shopkeepers and law enforcement with his expertly hand-painted bills. In the episode, “Criminally Good Art,” Peabody talks with Ellen Feingold, curator of the National Numismatic Collection at the National Museum of American History, to answer the question: Can great art be above the law?

New episodes are released every other Wednesday. Listeners can download the podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify or stream it on si.edu/Sidedoor.

“This season—across art, culture, science and history—we explore how the stories we tell change with the questions we ask.” Peabody said. “And asking questions is what we do best! Come along and peek at the hand-drawn banknotes that made Jim the Penman the most wanted artist in America, listen in on the making of a silent-movie score that may just haunt your dreams and learn how a young congressional fellow in platform shoes made history for women’s financial independence. There’s so much to be discovered behind the Smithsonian’s ‘Sidedoor.’”

Sidedoor has reached 16.3 million downloads since its debut in 2016. The podcast is a collaboration between the Smithsonian and PRX, the Pulitzer Prize-winning public media pioneer behind iconic audio programming and podcasts, including “This American Life,” “The Moth,” “The World” and the Radiotopia podcast network.

“Sidedoor exemplifies media as a public service,” said Genevieve Sponsler, lead senior producer at PRX. “We’re proud to serve as a partner in our joint mission to consistently give listeners a broader perspective.”

Smithsonian Digital Studio and the Smithsonian’s Office of Communications and External Affairs produces Sidedoor. The public can sign up for the Sidedoor newsletter or follow @SidedoorPod on X and Instagram to go behind-the-scenes with Peabody, the Sidedoor crew and episode guests.

About PRX

Celebrating more than 20 years as a nonprofit public media company, PRX works in partnership with leading independent creators, organizations, and stations to bring meaningful audio storytelling into millions of listeners’ lives. PRX is one of the world’s top podcast publishers, public radio distributors and audio producers serving as an engine of innovation for public media and podcasting to help shape a vibrant future for creative and journalistic audio. Shows across PRX’s portfolio of broadcast productions, podcast partners and its Radiotopia podcast network have received recognition from the Peabody Awards, the Tribeca Festival, the International Documentary Association, the National Magazine Awards and more, including in 2022 when Futuro Media and PRX won a Pulitzer Prize.

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