Past Matters

About Past Matters

Museums, galleries and historic houses are treasure troves of items from the past. But how easy is it at these sites to unknowingly just walk straight past an object with an incredible story to tell? In this podcast series host Ploy Radford talks to the experts at different museums, galleries and historic houses about the most underrated objects in their collection, and unveils some fantastic facts.

Publisher

Ploy Radford

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

21 Apr 2019

Latest episode

20 May 2026

Latest episodes

56 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   20 May 2026

   Spring Special 2026: Snuffboxes and Micromosaics at the V&A

   In this second Spring Special episode, we focus on two objects on the smaller end of the scale at the V&A. On display in the newly revamped Gilbert Collection galleries, the objects are the earliest example of a snuffbox used for international diplomacy and a beautifully detailed micromosaic perfume flask.

2. 

   10 May 2026

   Spring Special 2026: Echoes of Ash - Life in Herculaneum

   In the first of these Spring Specials 2026, historian Adrian Murdoch talks about what makes Herculaneum such a unique historic site, and focuses in on the stories of two citizens whose lives are preserved in the ashes there: Marcus Nonius Balbus and Petronia Iusta.

3. 

   29 Aug 2025

   Fulvia - interview with Dr Jane Draycott

   Hear historian Dr Jane Draycott reveal the fascinating life of Fulvia - the woman who defied all the rules in Ancient Rome.

Who has been a guest on Past Matters

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Emily Hauser
• Hannah Bradbury-Crowther
• Amber Chen
• Luc Amkreutz
• Eleanor Jackson

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.8 / 5

5 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 38 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

63

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32

Contact Past Matters

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Past Matters