Episode notes
Roman Mars and historian Seth Rockman trace the strange life of so-called "Negro cloth" — a textile category defined by nothing but who it was worn by.
Podcast
99% Invisible
Roman Mars · Arts & Books · English
Design is everywhere in our lives, perhaps most importantly in the places where we've just stopped noticing. 99% Invisible is a weekly exploration of the process and power of design and architecture. From award winning producer Roman Mars. Learn more at 99percentinvisible.org.
More from 99% Invisible All episodes →
-
-
21 Aug 2026 · 42 min
100 Objects #14: Basketball Sleeve
Producer and reporter Ramtin Arablouei has a simple question: Why are so many NBA players wearing a compression sleeve on their arm?
-
E679 · 18 Aug 2026 · 45 min
The Bone Wars
Two rival paleontologists turn a hunt for dinosaur bones into an all-out scientific war.
-
14 Aug 2026 · 49 min
100 Objects #13: The Sand Letters
Comedian Elliott Kalan joins Roman Mars to tell the story of how a politician who owed so much to a corrupt government system became the one to dismantle it, thanks to one woman: Julia Isabella Sand.
-
E678 · 11 Aug 2026 · 32 min
Bamboo Is Innocent
A devastating fire put one of Hong Kong's oldest building traditions on trial, but the real story runs much deeper.
-
E677 · 4 Aug 2026 · 32 min
The Borrowed Nature of Biomimicry
Behind every perfect nature-inspired design is a far more complicated story.
-
31 Jul 2026 · 28 min
100 Objects #11: Brannock Device
In 1925, the world saw the birth of what just might be the greatest gadget in American History: the Brannock Device.
-
E676 · 28 Jul 2026 · 33 min
The Finnish Baby Box
A simple cardboard box helped transform Finland into one of the best places in the world to raise a child.
-
24 Jul 2026 · 36 min
100 Objects #10: Nunchaku
In the early 1970s, Bruce Lee made nunchaku (nunchucks) cool, but the nunchucks craze coincided with something much bigger: the birth of a radical new Asian American identity.
-
E675 · 21 Jul 2026 · 45 min
The Original 100 Objects
Neil MacGregor reflects on creating the landmark series that changed how people think about history. Then, revisit the Rosetta Stone, the artifact that unlocked ancient Egypt.
Take it with you
The Melo app keeps playing with the screen off, works in the car and on your watch, wakes you to your station, and browses the whole catalogue offline. Free, no ads, no account.
