Welcome to the Not Old Better Show. I'm your host Paul Vogel-Zang and this is episode

number 274. As part of our Smithsonian Associates Art of Living Series,

were joined today by Smithsonian Museum Collectors, Curators, Specialists.

Two of Smithsonian's people

who ensure the safety proper handling

installation of Smithsonian exhibits,

but most importantly,

get to collect souvenirs of death in the division of political history

at Smithsonian's American History Museum.

Now after hearing that preamble, if you think this dreary or macabre, please keep listening.

I have to tell you, dear, not old better audience, one of many things I love about my relationship with

Smithsonian is talking to the various experts who I get to interview. Bethany

Beamus and Sarah Murphy are high on my list of cool interviewees. These two great people stare

death in the face frequently. These two, again Bethany Beamus and Sarah Murphy once opened a drawer at the Smithsonian

Museum and were met by the countenance of President William McKinley staring up at them.

Of course, President McKinley, while attending a meet and greet with the public, was shot

in the stomach by an anarchist and would be assassin Leon Zogles and later died.

And this was just opening a drawer so you can imagine what else they've discovered

among the artifacts of death as they put it.

For us in the collection it's really divided into two sections.

There's the official stuff of death and then there's the unofficial stuff of death. I like the unofficial stuff of death. And by that I really mean things that people saved for personal reasons.

Official things are prepared to be disseminated and saved, things like funeral programs.

...