3522 Items Tagged

History

Tintern Abbey

This well-preserved Cistercian Abbey in a romantic pastoral setting has inspired artists like the poet Wordsworth.

Park Bench in Park Circle, Angelica

Angelica, New York

Angelica, New York

A quaint village in Western New York named after Alexander Hamilton's beloved sister-in-law.

The Card Maker Who Brought the Joker Into the World

Samuel Hart introduced America to what would soon become the most annoying card ever.

David Doochin July 8, 2016

Pool

Clarington, Ontario

Camp 30 POW Camp

A Canadian POW for German soldiers during WWII where prisoners hatched an elaborate escape plan.

Outside the New Amsterdam Musical Association

Inside the Oldest Labor Union for Black Musicians

Founded in an era of segregation, the New Amsterdam Musical Association is one of New York's most fascinating—and unknown—cultural landmarks.

Atlas Obscura July 6, 2016

In the 1920s, the Now-Forgotten Flood of 'Girl Mayors' Became the Face of Feminism

The political trend was short-lived, but fascinating.

Brianna Nofil July 6, 2016

A block of Park Slope brownstones, circa 1974.

The ‘Brownstone Detective’ Who Digs Up Dirt on New York Homes

Wondering if someone got murdered in your house? Ask Brian Hartig.

Cara Giaimo July 6, 2016

The former Washington

Washington, D.C.

Washington Coliseum

A historic arena where the Beatles played their first concert in the U.S.

museums and collections

The Racist Contradiction at the Heart of the Famous 'Freedom Train'

A new Rosenbach Museum exhibit highlights the irony of riding the traveling museum piece in the era of Jim Crow.

Jessie Guy-Ryan July 3, 2016

Inside Mammoth Spring Frisco Depot

Mammoth Spring, Arkansas

Mammoth Spring Frisco Depot

Life-size figures portray depot attendants, train crew, and passengers frozen in time at the oldest railroad station in Arkansas.

Zorngården (Zorn's house)

Zorn Museum

The city that saw the birth of Sweden is now home to an impressive collection of work from its favorite artist.

USS Constitution

Boston, Massachusetts

USS Constitution

Berthed at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston, "Old Ironsides" is the oldest commissioned warship still afloat.

Barack Obama visited the castle in 2009.

Cape Coast, Ghana

Cape Coast Castle

Where thousands of slaves passed through the "Door of No Return."

Wax Bullet Duels Were the Paintball Fights of 1909

Prideful men could fluff their feathers without anyone ending up dead.

Tao Tao Holmes June 29, 2016

The Unknown French Horticulturist Who Made Lilacs Happen

If you've ever enjoyed a stroll through a modern garden, thank Victor Lemoine.

David Doochin June 28, 2016

Did an Uncredited Woman Invent Breakfast Cereal?

Before there was granola, there was granula—and billions turned out to be at stake.

Sarah Laskow June 28, 2016

A 1824 Playfair line graph, illustrating how bread and stock prices are affected by war.

The Scottish Scoundrel Who Changed How We See Data

When he wasn't blackmailing lords and being sued for libel, William Playfair invented the pie chart, the bar graph, and the line graph.

Cara Giaimo June 28, 2016

Rock by the roadside (just in front of those trees)

The Rock of Kamegeri

After suggesting criminals be burned to death on this rock, a king's advisor suffered his own punishment.