Ashawnta's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
Gastro Obscura
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gold rush

How to Eat Like a 19th Century Colorado Gold-Miner

A confluence of cross-cultural foodways fed a series of Colorado’s mining booms, and can still be tasted across the state today.
Sponsored by Visit Colorado
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newspapers

The Women Behind the First Black Music Magazine

In the late 19th century, "The Musical Messenger" had a message to send.
March 28, 2022
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masks

Carnival in Guinea-Bissau Represents Resistance and Possibility

In the small West African Nation, the festival is history.
March 3, 2022
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carnival

Take a Parade Down Memory Lane to Rio's 1953 Carnival

Images of a city and culture showing itself off to the world.
March 2, 2022
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carnival

Ivrea's Battle of the Oranges Is Raucous, Sticky Fun

The Italian Carnival celebration involves one town, nine teams, and three tons of citrus.
March 1, 2022
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buried alive

History's Best Strategies for Avoiding Being Buried Alive

These ingenious 19th-century techniques aimed to make sure dead really meant dead.
October 23, 2018
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classical music

Tracing the Frenetic Movements of a London Symphony Conductor

Using 12 cameras and data visualization, this project animated Sir Simon Rattle's baton flicks at 120 frames per second.
January 2, 2018
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telescopes

A Star Photographer On Chasing the Hidden Beauty of the Universe

For over 20 years, Dr. Travis Rector has been documenting elusive cosmic matter.
December 29, 2017
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fire

The Artist Who Paints With Fire

Steven Spazuk's flame-powered technique is inspired by 1930s Surrealists.
December 27, 2017
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eric orr

'Rappin' Max Robot,' the First Hip-Hop Comic Book

With the help of Keith Haring, Eric Orr created the four-issue series in 1986.
December 19, 2017
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south

An Unpublished Work by Zora Neale Hurston Is Set for Release in 2018

"Barracoon" tells the story of the last known survivor of the Atlantic slave trade.
December 19, 2017
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barbara hepworth

The Seaside-Inspired Artwork of Barbara Hepworth

Watch the influential Modernist sculptor at work in this 1953 documentary.
December 18, 2017
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jazz

Dig This Look at the History of Jazz Slang

From alligator to zoot suit, jazz musicians speak about the language of the scene.
December 15, 2017
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artificial intelligence

The Sweetest Sounds of 2017

From lost languages to rediscovered songs to music made by robots, the year certainly won't go quietly.
December 14, 2017
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astronauts

Remembering the Groundbreaking Life of the First Black Astronaut

Robert Lawrence Jr.'s accomplishments are finally being recognized.
December 11, 2017
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archive

The Selenophone, a Short-Lived, Highly Flammable Sound-Recording System

In an exhibit honoring the work of conductor Arturo Toscanini, there's an odd slice of recording technology.
December 8, 2017
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extinct animals

The One-Minute Life Stories of Some Fascinating Extinct Species

What looking at animals from the past can tell us about our world now.
December 8, 2017
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porcelain

A 19th-Century Chinese Hat Stand Spent 50 Years in Disguise as a Welsh Lamp

Chinese-porcelain expert Ivy Chan tells the story of a fancy incognito furnishing.
December 5, 2017
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chemistry

Beautiful Chemistry, Viewed at High Speed

Watch as chemical reactions become works of art.
December 1, 2017
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sounds

A Dentist-Turned-Horticulturalist Made a Record Just for Plants

Dr. George Milstein believed that all plants needed to grow was water, sunlight, nutrients, and a swinging-Sixties soundtrack.
November 30, 2017
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language

The Rhythmic Art of Stick Pounding

Music educator Melanie DeMore is keeping this traditional communication method alive.
November 27, 2017
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ski

Meet the Artist Mapping Ski Slopes Around the World

James Niehues' hand-painted maps have been guiding skiers for 30 years.
November 24, 2017
Gastro Obscura
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food art

A Fake-Food Maker on the Art of Creating Inedible Meals

For 60 years, this Japanese craftsman has been making silicone dinners that look good enough to eat.
November 21, 2017
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jim henson

Jim Henson Wanted to Free Us From Paperwork

In his short film from 1967, the famed Muppet-maker welcomes workers to a paper-free future.
November 17, 2017