The Evolution of the Mad Scientist
The crazed caricature of genius was largely inspired by now-debunked late-Victorian ideas about how species change.
The History of the Power Suit for Women
As women entered the white-collar world, experts told them to dress like men, without being too threatening.
Why Vote? Lessons from Indian Villages
The voters one scholar studied didn't necessarily think they would benefit materially from being on the winning side. But turnout was over 90 percent.
Thank You, Tweens, for Your Pop Music Icons
Olivia Rodrigo is only the latest star to emerge from the wonderful world of Disney.
How the New Deal Documented Southern Food Cultures
Photographers and writers hired by the US government presented the foodways of the South to a wide audience.
Prison Abolition from Behind Prison Walls
The Anarchist Black Dragon was produced inside of the Walla Walla State Penitentiary. One of their journalists was murdered. Could the paper survive?
How Crime Stories Foiled Reform in Victorian Britain
Harsh punishments were declining in the nineteenth century. Then came sensationalist news coverage of a reputed crime wave.
Science and Slavery in Aphra Behn’s Oroonoko
In one of the first novels written in English, a West African prince, fascinated with navigation, boards a ship for a fateful journey.
A New History, Fabulous Viruses, and Future Creatures
Well-researched stories from The Atlantic, Black Perspectives, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
The King of Mail-Order Muscles
Flab, begone! Earle Edwin Liederman wanted men to learn his vaudeville-strongman secrets—for a not-so-low price.