- 52 minutes 19 secondsThe Glass Gaze - Learn about the history of the prosthetic eye!
Host Ben Miller is joined by Dan Roche, author of Eyes by Hand: Prosthetics of Art and Healing to discuss a curious object that quite literally catches the eye.
16 September 2026, 8:47 pm - 56 minutes 24 secondsThe Road to Destruction - How one man stole the divine
Join podcast host Ben Miller in a highly engaging episode with investigative journalist Matthew Campbell discussing an Indiana Jones-esque heist that will have you on the edge of your seat all the way through.
20 August 2026, 8:07 pm - 41 minutes 17 secondsOops I Did It Again - Editing Errors in a Pre-Digital Print World
We are joined by writer and Art History instructor, Rachel Churner to talk about the intriguing realm of reprints in a pre-online world. Host Ben Miller and Churner discuss the Yale University Library's “Beauties of My Style” exhibition in one of our most fascinating episodes yet!
30 July 2026, 7:15 pm - 53 minutes 29 secondsCurious Objects at Brunk Auctions
Join host Benjamin Miller in conversation with Andrew Brunk, Bert Parsons and George Manger at a special discussion about ceramics at Brunk Auctions.
19 June 2026, 3:33 pm - 43 minutes 53 secondsCamera Ready
In this Curious Objects episode, host Benjamin Miller is joined by New York Times photo editor and writer, Anika Burgess to discuss a very significant daguerreotype and the history of photography.
26 March 2026, 10:36 pm - 34 minutes 47 secondsAn Earthly Paradise
In this episode of Curious Objects, host Benjamin Miller is joined by Art Historian and author extraordinaire, Verity Babbs to talk about the wondrous world of William Morris’s wallpaper.
Verity Babbs received a degree in Art History from Oxford University and also works as a stand up comedian. With this unique career blend, she aims to demystify the study of art and talk about the elitism that has surrounded the field in the past.
Verity also has an Instagram series where she visits antique shops and thrift stores to find significant objects with interesting stories.
25 February 2026, 10:50 pm - 1 hour 4 minutesHave Hope Will Sparkle
This is an episode worthy of going into the "rock" star hall of fame - get ready for an exciting hour about the Hope Diamond!
Host Ben Miller is joined by Melise Ozkardesler to discuss this curious object, its history and the world of collecting ancient gemstones.
11 February 2026, 5:21 pm - 38 minutes 47 secondsSomething Blue - Delftware ceramics and the women who made them
Join Curious Objects host, Benjamin Miller in a conversation with Genevieve Wheeler Brown, the author of Beyond Blue and White to talk about the history of Delftware ceramics through the female lens. We learn about the fantastic women who made these coveted ceramics and understand the humor behind these fascinating pieces of decorative arts.
7 January 2026, 6:21 pm - 40 minutes 42 secondsPainting with Glass in Limoges
In this episode, Host Benjamin Miller is joined by Laura Kugel of the Galerie Kugel in Paris to discuss the fascinating art of enameling from Limoges, France. Described by the poet Théophile Gautier in 1866 as “the immarcescible (indestructible) enamel”, these objects from the Renaissance still look as fresh today as they did when they emerged from the kiln all those years ago.
Coveted by the likes of Givenchy, J.P. Morgan and Yves Saint Laurent, these objects remain popular even today. Listen in to learn more about these delightful creations..
2 December 2025, 9:28 pm - 34 minutes 12 seconds135,500 Pieces (Of Wood)
In this episode, the fine line between obsession and madness, illustrated in a piece of furniture. Toledo Museum of Art curator Erin Corrales-Diaz joins Ben to discuss a unique secretary desk which might hold the world record for inlay: thousands upon thousands of pieces of wood, which in its maker’s own words, “will do more in ten minutes to inspire young people with the possibilities of life than ten years of haphazard and scattered endeavor.
12 November 2025, 4:47 am - 45 minutes 1 secondFighting for Freedom
This episode brings two Curious Objects veterans and one first-timer back to the show to discuss the groundbreaking exhibition they've curated, Fighting for Freedom: Black Craftspeople and the Pursuit of Independence. Our object is a fine neoclassical table made in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1819, by a firm where enslaved cabinetmaker James worked. Ben and his guests explore some of the misconceptions around enslaved craftspeople, the complicated relationships they often had with their enslavers, and what this table can tell us about all of it.
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23 April 2025, 8:00 pm - More Episodes? Get the App