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artsMay 19, 202630:05pending

100 Objects #1: The Century Safe

99% Invisible

About this episode

In 1876, Americans filled an iron safe with objects meant to tell their story — to be opened a century later. Roman Mars and historian Jill Lepore trace its long wait, from Reconstruction to Watergate, and the surprising, unsettling contents that emerged in 1976. What do the objects we choose to preserve — or forget — reveal about how we author our own history?

A History of the United States in 100 Objects is a production of 99% Invisible and BBC Studios.

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100 Objects #1: The Century Safe

99% Invisible

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