The 52 Weeks of Firsts Podcast

First American-Made Piano and Sousaphone

Welcome to the city of harmony! This episode dives into Philadelphia music history, with the first American-made piano and world’s first sousaphone. Host Marisa Magnatta is joined by musician and historian Dave Detwiler to learn about the innovators who introduced these instruments to America, and how this impacted how we experience and make music to this day. 

First Postmaster

Host Marisa Magnatta is joined by Lynn Heidelbaugh, Curator at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum, to chat about the origins of America’s postal system through the story of its first Postmaster General, Benjamin Franklin. Together, they unpack how early postal innovations changed the flow of information, why that shift made those in power uneasy, and what it reveals about the way we communicate today.

First Botanical Garden

This episode explores Bartram’s Garden, the oldest surviving botanical garden in the United States, and how its legacy of curiosity, experimentation, and plant‑powered joy continues today. Host Marisa Magnatta is joined by Christopher Griffin, better known as Plant Kween: an educator, author, and unapologetic champion of botanical self‑care. Together, they dig into how this historic landscape shaped American horticulture and why green spaces remain essential for community, creativity, and collective well‑being.

First Circus Performance in America

Host Marisa Magnatta sits down with Gracie Valdez, Artistic Director of Cirque du Soleil’s LUZIA, and Zorè España, a 6th-generation circus performer and Cyr wheel artist. Together, they trace the lineage of the American circus – from John Bill Ricketts’ 1793 "riding school" in Philadelphia to the multidisciplinary spectacle of the modern-day circus.

First Stadium in America

Host Marisa Magnatta dives into the story of Franklin Field, the pioneering stadium at the University of Pennsylvania that helped shape modern sports - from hosting the first Penn Relays and the earliest scoreboards to broadcasting college football on radio and television. Joined by longtime Penn Relays director Dave Johnson, the episode looks at how one Philadelphia stadium became a proving ground for innovation, and why its legacy still matters today.

First Medical School in America

Host Marisa Magnatta and Dr. Jen Caudle, Family Doctor and Medical Educator, unpack how two Philadelphians challenged the system and changed the way we study medicine in America - for good. Together, they trace the high-stakes rivalry between John Morgan and William Shippen Jr. and explore how a 1765 "start-up" evolved into the world-renowned Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

First Match Folder

Host Marisa Magnatta and Tessa York, founder of Meet Your Matches, strike up the story of the humble matchbook - a practical fix dreamed up by a 19th-century patent lawyer that sparked a global advertising phenomenon. Together, they explore how Joshua Pusey’s small design tweak lit the fuse for collectible matchbooks, branding culture, and the nostalgic connection people still feel every time they flip one open.

First Women’s Medical College

Host Marisa Magnatta and Dr. Lara Devgan, board-certified plastic surgeon, entrepreneur, and founder of Lara Devgan Scientific Beauty, dig into the story of the first women’s medical college, and how its graduates were still denied full entry into the profession - even with formal training. They explore how early alumni faced resistance from hospitals, physicians, and pharmacists, and how one persistent graduate - Dr. Hannah Longshore - helped reshape the possibilities for women in medicine.

First Flower Show

Marisa Magnatta reunites with Kathy Romano - a longtime Philly radio personality and the host of the Kathy Romano Show - to chat about the origins of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and the creation of the very first Philadelphia Flower Show. Kathy brings her deep local perspective to explore how a family business, a community of growers, and one ambitious idea blossomed into nearly two centuries of gardening culture.

First Public Protest Against Slavery in America

This episode traces how Germantown became the birthplace of the first public protest against slavery in America. Host Marisa Magnatta is joined by Marquise Davon Richards, a Philly-based educator and content creator whose work amplifies Black voices and challenges dominant narratives around race, identity, and liberation. Together, they explore how four German Quakers sparked a centuries‑long fight for Black freedom.