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In this episode of The Atlas Obscura Podcast, we visit a repository in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that holds the over 2,700 pigments that’ve been quietly coloring the world around us since the beginning of human history.

Our podcast is an audio guide to the world’s wondrous, awe-inspiring, strange places. In under 15 minutes, we’ll take you to an incredible site, and along the way you’ll meet some fascinating people and hear their stories. Join us daily, Monday through Thursday, to explore a new wonder with cofounder Dylan Thuras and a neighborhood of Atlas Obscura reporters.

Photo by Cara Giamo and Lilia Kilburn for Atlas Obscura