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Object: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Ferren Gipson
The histories and meanings behind the art, images, and cultural object we encounter every day. Hosted by Ferren Gipson, Object explores visual and material culture, offering a fresh lens on how the things around us shape the way we see and experience the world. This podcast explores topics through thematic seasons.
Latest Episodes
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- Apr 6, 202624 min
Imagined Futures: Cyberpunk
From the rain-soaked streets of Blade Runner to the gravity-defying digital world of Tron, and more. Discover how cyberpunk's gritty visual world was shaped by 1980s politics, detective noir, anime, ziggurat architecture, and the extraordinary imagination of artist Syd Mead.Featuring Graham Murphy, Anna McFarlane, and Elon Solo.The Imagined Futures miniseries is produced in partnership with The Public Domain Review. https://publicdomainreview.org/RELATED LINKS:Object Substack: https://object.substack.com/Hugh Ferriss and retrofuturist ziggurats (Public Domain Review): https://publicdomainreview.org/essay/modern-babylon-ziggurat-skyscrapers-and-hugh-ferriss-retrofuturism/The 1984 Apple Macintosh commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtvjbmoDx-IEPISODE CREDITS:Host, research & production: Ferren GipsonMusic: Tom LloydObject cover art: Anna Bu KliewerLearn more at objectstories.coFollow Ferren on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/ferrengipson/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit object.substack.com
- Mar 23, 202618 min
Imagined Futures: Afrofuturism
From the juke joint scenes in the Oscar-winning film Sinners to Parliament-Funkadelic album covers and beyond, explore how Afrofuturism's visual history can be traced through comics, music, data visualisation, and contemporary art.Featuring Ytasha Womack and Reynaldo Anderson.RELATED LINKS: Object: https://objectstories.co/ Before Yesterday We Could Fly at the Met: https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/afrofuturist-period-room W.E.B. Du Bois's hand-drawn infographics: https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/w-e-b-du-bois-hand-drawn-infographics-of-african-american-life-1900/EPISODE CREDITS: Host, research & production: Ferren Gipson Music: Tom Lloyd Object cover art: Anna Bu KliewerThe Imagined Futures miniseries is produced in partnership with The Public Domain Review. https://publicdomainreview.org/ Learn more at objectstories.co Follow @ferrengipson on Instagram This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit object.substack.com
- Mar 16, 20268 min
Imagined Dinosaur Pasts (Bonus)
Explore an early version of a Jurassic park with the quirky dinosaur sculptures at Crystal Palace Park. In this bonus episode, we take a detour from our Imagined Futures miniseries to think about how scientists and artists imaged the very distant, pre-historic past.Featuring Nancy Rose Marshall.RELATED LINKS: Object: https://objectstories.co/ Crystal Palace Dinosaurs: https://cpdinosaurs.org/EPISODE CREDITS: Host, research & production: Ferren Gipson Music: Tom Lloyd Object cover art: Anna Bu KliewerLearn more at objectstories.co Follow @ferrengipson on Instagram This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit object.substack.com
- Mar 7, 202620 min
Imagined Futures: The Space Age
How have artists and designers visualised the future of space travel? How did a race to the moon influence design? From pulp magazine covers to furniture design to the NASA art programme, this episode explores how science fiction illustration and geopolitical concerns shaped the way the public thought about space travel and transformed mid-century visual culture.Featuring Amber Butchart, Nina Steinmüller, and Lois Rosson.This episode is presented in partnership with The Public Domain Review, an online journal exploring curious and compelling works from the history of art, literature, and ideas.RELATED LINKS:Object: https://objectstories.coPublic Domain Review: https://publicdomainreview.org1999 A.D. (1967 film): https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/1999-ad/NASAArt Program images: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasacommons/albums/72157633977913266/AUDIO CLIPS:"1999 A.D.," directed by Lee Madden (Philco-Ford, 1967).“We choose to go to the Moon,” 12 September 1962, speech by John F. Kennedy at Rice University.EPISODE CREDITS:Host, research & production: Ferren GipsonMusic: Tom LloydObject cover art: Anna Bu KliewerLearn more at objectstories.coFollow @ferrengipson on Instagram This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit object.substack.com
- Feb 23, 202628 min
Imagined Futures: Early Sci-Fi and Electric Visions
From fantastical telectroscope video calls to electric flying machines, explore how the Victorians imagined the future through images and early sci-fi literature. We discuss the genre of scientific romance, Jules Verne's influence on real space exploration, and surprisingly early concerns about climate change. Plus, we look at whimsical French postcards that envisioned everyday life in the year 2000.Featuring Iwan Rhys Morus and Nancy Rose Marshall.This episode is presented in partnership with The Public Domain Review, an online journal exploring curious works from the history of art, literature, and ideas. Discover more at publicdomainreview.org.RELATED LINKS:Object: https://objectstories.co/Public Domain Review: https://publicdomainreview.org/EPISODE CREDITS:Host, research & production: Ferren GipsonAudio sample: NASA / Apollo 11 Mission ArchiveMusic: Tom LloydObject cover art: Anna Bu KliewerLearn more at objectstories.co Follow @ferrengipson on Instagram This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit object.substack.com
- Feb 6, 20262 min
Imagined Futures: Trailer
How have we imagined the future? Series 2 explores visions of tomorrow—from Victorian Scientific Romance to Space Age design, Afrofuturism, and cyberpunk.Episodes drop every other week starting February 23, 2026.The Imagined Futures series is brought to you in partnership with The Public Domain Review—discover images and ideas from forgotten pasts at publicdomainreview.org.Learn more at objectstories.co This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit object.substack.com
- Dec 15, 202526 min
The X-mas Files: Dear Santa Letters
This episode explores letters to Santa Claus. Historian and folklorist Ceri Houlbrook traces the origins of these letters back to the 19th century, showing how they offer tiny time capsules into children’s lives, from their changing toy preferences to the ways they expressed good behaviour. Houlbrook shares examples of letters discovered tucked into chimney breasts, revealing the playful, sweet, and sometimes mischievous ways kids communicated with Father Christmas. Writer Alex Palmer dives into the story of John Gluck and the Santa Claus Association in early 20th-century New York, examining how the postal service, newspapers, and charitable initiatives shaped the practice of answering children’s letters. Together, the conversation reveals how social and economic shifts, the rise of commercial Christmas culture, and print media helped letters to Santa become a widespread and enduring tradition. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit object.substack.com
- Dec 8, 202521 min
The X-mas Files: A Short History of the Christmas Tree
This episode explores the history of the Christmas tree, from medieval mystery plays and evergreen symbolism to Victorian interiors, mass-produced baubles and glittering modern displays. Along the way, we look at how the tradition travelled across Europe, entered British domestic life, and eventually became a global seasonal icon.Ferren is joined by three experts whose research illuminates how the Christmas tree evolved across centuries: historian Gerry Bowler, who explains how early winter greenery and festive customs intertwine; historian and author Judith Flanders, who guides us through German public trees, royal influence, and the rise of home decorating; and curator and writer Lucinda Gosling, who shares how Victorian imagery, 20th-century design, and even Charlie Brown shaped the trees we know today. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit object.substack.com
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About Object
The histories and meanings behind the art, images, and cultural object we encounter every day. Hosted by Ferren Gipson, Object explores visual and material culture, offering a fresh lens on how the things around us shape the way we see and experience the world. This podcast explores topics through thematic seasons.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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It's a free AI-powered email that summarizes new episodes of Object as soon as they're published. You get the key takeaways, notable quotes, and links & mentions — all in a quick read.
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When a new episode drops, our AI transcribes and analyzes it, then generates a personalized summary tailored to your interests and profession. It's delivered to your inbox every morning.
Is this an official Object product?
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Can I get summaries of other podcasts too?
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How often does Object release new episodes?
Object publishes biweekly. Our AI generates a summary within hours of each new episode.
What topics does Object cover?
Object covers topics including Arts, Design, Visual Arts. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
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