Made in America

About this episode

The episode explores the essence of American manufacturing through photography and expert insights.

What does it look like for something to be made in America? Through the photography of Christopher Payne, we journey across the past, present and future of American manufacturing to answer this question. From centuries-old textile mills to modern assembly lines, Payne’s photographs offer a rare, behind-the-scenes view of how everyday objects—from pencils to airplanes to marshmallow Peeps—are made. With the help of Smithsonian curator, Susan Brown, and author, Rachel Slade, we also explore the history behind these factories, and how the story of American manufacturing is the story of our nation itself. Guests: Christopher Payne , Industrial photographer Susan Brown , associate curator, and acting head of textiles at Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum; curator of the exhibition Made in America Rachel Slade , author of the book Making it in America: The Almost Impossible Quest to Manufacture in the U.S.A. (and How it Got That Way)

People in this episode

Guests: Christopher Payne, Susan Brown, Rachel Slade

Topics covered

• American manufacturing
• photography
• textile mills
• assembly lines
• history of factories

Keywords

• American manufacturing
• photography
• textile mills
• assembly lines
• history

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Smithsonian Institution

Books & works: Made in America, Making it in America: The Almost Impossible Quest to Manufacture in the U.S.A. (and How it Got That Way)

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