This week, we’re unwrapping (not literally) a little piece of local journalistic history: one of 150,000 condoms distributed by The Boston Phoenix. In 1987, the alternative weekly published an issue that included a condom—donated by Trojan—and a guide to safer sex with every newspaper. They intended to raise awareness of the burgeoning AIDS crisis, and to court some controversy at a time when contraception itself was still up for debate in heavily Catholic Boston. As usual on this podcast, the story behind the story is just as fascinating, and Ken’s got insider info on the unique logistical challenges posed by getting all those condoms into all those papers. Join us for a tale of courageous publishing—and shortsighted stapling—on this slightly-racier-than-usual #brattlecast.
Brattlecast #217 - CBS Saturday Morning
Today we’re taking a behind-the-scenes look at our recent appearance on CBS Saturday Morning. Host Dana Jabcobson toured the shop, interviewed Ken, and flipped through some of our favorite items—including one book that is truly priceless. We’ll talk about all the planning that goes into filming for a national TV show and answer some important questions (was Ken wearing makeup?) on this camera-ready new #brattlecast.
You can watch the full segment here.
Brattlecast #162 - LIFE at the Brattle
Today we’re taking a look at some vintage issues of LIFE Magazine, half a truckload of which recently arrived at the shop. Full of iconic photojournalism and snappy graphic design, LIFE’s oversized pages are endlessly fun to flip through—and convey so much information about mid-century American culture. Listen to hear our favorite LIFE stories, from Woodstock to working moms, on this eye-opening new #brattlecast.
Brattlecast #31 - Old News
In this episode Ken shows off a bound volume of Harper's Weekly from 1863, and flipping through it with him is like peering into a fascinating time capsule from the Civil War era. Harper's employed some of the best journalists, artists, and photographers of the time, and in its pages eye-witness battlefield reportage and sentimental woodcut illustrations of homesick soldiers share space with advertisements for dubious health tonics and prosthetic limbs.
