Backstory with Larry Potash

Latest Episodes:

Fading Ads of Chicago: How one man is documenting advertisements from a bygone era Mar 16, 2020

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Advertisements painted on old brick buildings still linger in Chicago, but they're slowly disappearing. That's why Joe Marlin is documenting these fading ads of Chicago... This is the Backstory.

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Revolutionary Revisionism: How Revolutionary War stories have shifted over time Mar 16, 2020

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A historian gets a rare look inside the Royal Archive to read King George's writings about the Revolutionary War, and Larry takes a trip to his hometown of Boston to walk in the footsteps of history. This is the Backstory.

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How Ian Fleming's time working for British intelligence informed the creation of James Bond Mar 09, 2020

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Ian Fleming worked in British intelligence before he created James Bond... so how much of the world's greatest fictional secret agent was Fleming himself? Find out, on Backstory.

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Chicago photographer painstakingly recreates photos from a century ago Mar 09, 2020

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He's found several photographs from more than a century ago, and now Mark Hersch is painstakingly recreating these images, and giving them new life — one frame at a time. This is the Backstory.

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Fast Eddie: The man who helped convict Al Capone, and more... Mar 02, 2020

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He was the man who helped the Feds nail Al Capone on tax evasion charges. But his legacy is greater than that. Find out how, on Backstory.

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It's not awful — it's offal Mar 02, 2020

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Considered a useless byproduct by many, offal cuisine is gaining in popularity. Larry Potash gives us the past, present, and future of this culinary tradition through the eyes of some very talented local chefs. This is the Backstory.

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How Lipizzans made their way from Europe to Chicago’s North Side Feb 24, 2020

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Lipizzans are some of the most beautiful horses in the world, but how did they become ensconced on Chicago’s North Shore? Find out, on Backstory...

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Chicago and the largest slavery reparations settlement in US history Feb 24, 2020

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The first-ever successful lawsuit brought by a slave was filed by Henrietta Wood. Her ordeal would take her from Kentucky to Mississippi to Cincinnati where she would finally win her freedom and a $2,500 settlement. This is the backstory...

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True origins of 'The Exorcist' and Salem's witches Oct 28, 2019

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In 1629, the Salem witch trials led to the execution of 20 people as witch hunt frenzy reached the U.S. That might sounds like ancient history, but only a few decades ago a case documented by the Catholic church inspired "The Exorcist." But what really happened? Get the Backstory on these iconic tales of witches and demons.

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Mysticism's American origins; Fact-checking the supernatural Oct 21, 2019

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How two sisters' stories of speaking to ghosts in the 19th century sparked a move towards mysticism in the U.S. — and profiting from it. Larry Potash returns to his hometown to explore its tales of spiritualism and abolitionism. And how a group of experts is offering real money for proof of the supernatural.

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