3899 Items Tagged

History

Washington, D.C.

Southwest Duck Pond

This lovely pocket park is one of the most under appreciated in D.C.

Unfinished church ruins.

Panenský Týnec, Czechia

The Unfinished Gothic Church of Panenský Týnec

The 14th-century ruins are said to contain healing powers.

Cherhill White Horse, Wiltshire.

Cherhill, England

Cherhill White Horse

The geoglyph once sported a glass bottle eye.

Coca tea

Museo de la Coca (Coca Museum)

A fascinating little museum all about the rich history of Peru’s famous plant.

The Augenroller.

Koblenz, Germany

Augenroller (Eye Roller)

Every half hour the eye-rolling clock face sticks out its tongue to mock the good citizens of Koblenz.

Print of Lincoln vs. print of a Calhoun engraving.

The Great Lengths Taken to Make Abraham Lincoln Look Good in Portraits

One famous image of the president features a body that isn't his.

Michael Waters July 12, 2017

Orangery.

Washington, D.C.

Dumbarton Oaks

The Byzantine, pre-Columbian, and medieval art at this stately mansion are some of the most under-appreciated collections in D.C.

Permanently Closed

Erie Canal Village

A historic recreation of the golden age of the Erie Canal, abandoned for some time, slowly being restored.

Stoneham, Massachusetts

Where Shute Fell

This headstone-like marker inscribed with three words has been an utter mystery for over a century.

A fossilized cycad.

The National Park That Was Stolen to Death

Fossil Cycad National Monument held America's richest deposit of petrified cycadeoid plants, until it didn't.

Cara Giaimo July 11, 2017

Photographer Frances Benjamin Johnston, holding a cigarette and a beer stein, in her <em>Self Portrait (as "New Woman")</em>, 1896.

Where the Cocktail Party Came From

It has surprisingly feminist origins.

Laura Carlson July 11, 2017

The coolest village sign in the UK?

Gotham, England

The Original Gotham

The storied English village that pretended to be insane inspired NYC's nickname and the fictional namesake in the DC Comics universe.

A 17th-century chef surrounded by foods of the day.

Competitive Eating Was Even More Gluttonous and Disgusting in the 17th Century

For the Great Eater of Kent, it was all ale-soaked bread and wheelbarrows of tripe.

Eric Grundhauser July 11, 2017

Glenfinnan Monument .

Glenfinnan, Scotland

The Leaning Tower of Glenfinnan

A close look reveals that the Scottish monument is just slightly off-kilter.

Studies of the fetus in the womb, by Leonardo da Vinci, c. 1510-13.

Why It Took Scientists So Long to Figure Out Where Babies Come From

Human conception was still basically a total mystery until as recently as 1875.

Edward Dolnick July 11, 2017

Washington, D.C.

Culture House

A historic neighborhood church is reborn as a psychedelic arts collective.

A 16th-century sketch of Deposition.

A Violent 15th-Century Freshman Hazing Ritual Involving Boar Tusks and Razors

The Deposition ritual, inflicted on Swedish and German students by faculty, was not for the faint of heart.

Michael Waters July 10, 2017

Madeira wine from 1796, and a larger jug from the 1820s.

Found: Three Cases of Madeira Bought for John Adams’ Presidency

The wine still tastes pretty decent.

Sarah Laskow July 10, 2017