Made in America

What does it look like for something to be made in America? Through the photography of Christopher Payne, we journey across the past, present and future of American manufacturing to answer this question. From centuries-old textile mills to modern assembly lines, Payne’s photographs offer a rare, behind-the-scenes view of how everyday objects—from pencils to airplanes to marshmallow Peeps—are made. With the help of Smithsonian curator, Susan Brown, and author, Rachel Slade, we also explore the history behind these factories, and how the story of American manufacturing is the story of our nation itself. Guests: Christopher Payne , Industrial photographer Susan Brown , associate curator, and acting head of textiles at Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum; curator of the exhibition Made in America Rachel Slade , author of the book Making it in America: The Almost Impossible Quest to Manufacture in the U.S.A. (and How it Got That Way)

You can listen to Made in America online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Made in America is an episode from Sidedoor by Smithsonian Institution .

This episode is 32:59 long.

This episode was published on Mar 18, 2026.

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