50 Items Tagged

19th Century

Today's Creepy Clowns Have Roots in Bawdy and Crass 19th-Century Circuses

Pennywise, Art the Clown, and other modern, face-painted menaces recall an era when their kind were strictly adults-only entertainers.

Madeline Steiner October 31, 2022

objects of intrigue

Was This Letter Written by Sherlock Holmes?

If you are “Playing the Game,” the answer is elementary.

April White September 15, 2022

Mary Edwards Walker and the Queer Suffragists Who Changed History

They wore pants, advocated for free love, and refused to back down.

Sarah Durn July 20, 2022

The 19th-Century Secret Society Preserving the History of the West

The irreverent, all-male E Clampus Vitus commemorates overlooked people and events.

Shoshi Parks June 29, 2022

The Forgotten Female Revolutionaries Behind Latin American Independence

Perhaps fiercest of all was Manuela Sáenz—spy, archivist, prankster, and companion of Simón Bolívar.

Sarah Durn March 1, 2022

Excavating the Hawaiian History of Kaua‘i’s ‘Russian’ Fort

A rich local history has long been overshadowed by a few months under a Russian flag.

Sarah Durn November 30, 2021

Piscataway, New Jersey

East Jersey Old Town Village

A historic town sits upon the site of a long-lost 18th-century trading community.

Sirogojno, Serbia

Staro Selo Open-Air Museum

This historical village takes you back to the 19th century.

Falkirk, Scotland

Forbes Mausoleum

This abandoned mausoleum from 1815 sits deep within the forest surrounding Callendar House.

Shepherdstown, West Virginia

O'Hurley's General Store

This general store is more than a century old and home to various oddities and antiques.

Beatrice, Nebraska

Homestead National Monument

This was the first homestead registered after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Homestead Act into law.

Cumbria, England

Hampsfell Hospice

This tower was created by the area's vicar as a shelter for exhausted travelers, complete with a fireplace and breathtaking views.

Comitán de Domínguez, Mexico

Monument to the Independence of Chiapas

Also known as "The Book," this monument is dedicated to Chiapas's history of independence.

Cambridge, England

Reality Checkpoint

An ordinary lamppost situated in the middle of Cambridge has an unusual moniker and history.

North East, Maryland

Turkey Point Lighthouse

This historic lighthouse was well known for the large number of women who served as its keeper.

Manchester, England

Peterloo Memorial

The city of Manchester quietly unveiled this tribute to a 19th-century massacre.

objects of intrigue

For Sale: A 19th-Century Silk Map of North America, Tiny Enough to Fit on a Pincushion

The cartographic curio was probably an educational tool.

Jessica Leigh Hester September 27, 2019

Temple de la Sybille (The Temple of Sybille)

This structure atop a craggy cliff in one of the most beautiful parks in Paris boasts an unbeatable view.