Ella Morton's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
Gastro Obscura
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military history

The Combat Ration Collectors Who Eat Decades-Old Military Meals

Beef stew from 1983, anyone?
May 2, 2016
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competitions

Here Are the Medals Given to Eugenically Healthy Humans in the 1920s

People were judged alongside livestock at state fairs.
April 26, 2016
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map monday

A 19th-Century Map of Our 'Square and Stationary' Earth

How could the world be spinning? Wouldn't we fall off?
April 25, 2016
Gastro Obscura
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video wonders

Watch a Japanese Man Play 'Amazing Grace' on a Cabbage

Junji Koyama makes musical instruments out of vegetables.
April 21, 2016
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video wonders

Watch a Calligrapher Turn Shopping Lists Into Art

Groceries are now more grand.
April 19, 2016
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weather

Why Modern Meteorologists Use a 19th-Century Crystal Ball

The answer is as simple as sunshine.
April 19, 2016
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obscura day 2016

Inside the Spark-Filled Home of a Vintage Electric Machine Collector

You get the lights, I'll flip the switch for the Victorian teleport.
April 13, 2016
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factories

The Photos that Exposed American Child Labor

From 1908 to 1924, Lewis Hine collected visual evidence of the nation's youngest workers.
April 6, 2016
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obscura day 2016

The Only LGBT Cemetery Section in the World Was Inspired by J. Edgar Hoover

A section of D.C.'s Congressional Cemetery has become a gathering place for honoring LGBT activists.
March 30, 2016
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colleges

Look At These Snarky Yearbooks From 100 Years Ago

The in-jokes from the class of 1916 don't all hold up.
March 29, 2016
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lgbtq

The Forgotten Secret Language of Gay Men

After a heyday in the '50s and '60s, Polari all but vanished.
March 25, 2016
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horses

The Surprising Resurgence of Side Saddle

Perhaps thanks to costume dramas, the modesty-minded side saddle has come back into style.
March 9, 2016
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map monday

When American Voters Had 2 Choices: Whig or Loco Foco

This fascinating electoral map from 1840 documents a chaotic time in American politics.
March 7, 2016
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murder

The Modern Manhunt Began With An Arrest by Wireless Telegraph

Morse code messages and bowler hat cameras were the Twitter and cellphones of the Edwardian police chase.
March 2, 2016
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us civil war

Object of Intrigue: Confederate Currency

In 1861, imagery on American banknotes included railroads, Greek goddesses, and slavery.
March 1, 2016
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film

During WWII, the Only Men Getting Plastered for Oscar Night Were the Statuettes

February 26, 2016
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objects of intrigue

Object of Intrigue: The Juvenile Oscars

February 23, 2016
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objects of intrigue

Object of Intrigue: North Korea's Black-Market Lapel Pins

February 16, 2016
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belltowers

The Friday Night Rites of New York's Church Bell Ringers

February 11, 2016
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time week

The Minister Who Updated His Status in a Diary, Every 5 Minutes for 25 Years

February 5, 2016
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time week

How 'Used Clothing' Became 'Vintage Fashion'

February 2, 2016
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victorian

Unlike Iran's President, Queen Victoria Really Requested that Naked Statues Be Covered

January 28, 2016
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australia

Video Wonder: Australia's Accidental Heroes

January 27, 2016
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dogs

Object of Intrigue: Soviet Space Dog Jug

January 26, 2016