The New Perfume by John William Godward, 1914

When Royals Perfumed Themselves with the Excretions of Musk Deer and Civet Cats

In the era of Louis XV, it was fashionable to drench oneself in “animal scents.”
Lon Chaney in The Phantom of the Opera (1925)

Lon Chaney’s Movie Monsters

You might know him from Phantom of the Opera or The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Workers at the offices of the Pittsburgh Courier newspaper, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, 1946. At the time the Courier was one of the top-selling African-American newspapers in the United States.

The Black Press and Disinformation on Facebook

The Black Press historically has countered disinformation that targeted Black voters, but now it is financially connected to Facebook itself.
A poster with the famous words 'Big Brother is Watching You' from a BBC TV production of George Orwell's classic novel '1984'.

Is the Authoritarian Personality a Legitimate Concept?

A group of thinkers who fled Europe wanted to explain the rise of Nazism, but their ideas haven't withstood scrutiny.
Helianthus paradoxus

Endangered Plants, Lizard Sex, and Voter Suppression

Well-researched stories from CNN, the New York Times, and other publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
Marian Anderson with Harold L. Ickes (Secretary of the Interior)

Marian Anderson Photo Archives

The African American opera singer made history with a stirring concert at the Lincoln Memorial. But there was much more to Marian Anderson.
Harry Gottlieb's Artists' Union membership card, 1935

How the Artists Union Shook Up the New Deal

When artists showed solidarity with one another and the larger labor movement, they won federal patronage.
An altar for Santa Muerte

Who Is Santa Muerte?

The folk saint Santa Muerte might seem mysterious, but her devotees embrace a wide variety of everyday practices.
New Albatross recipe book

The Delectably Indulgent History of Perfect Food Photos

Instagram didn't invent photos of culinary masterpieces designed to inflame the appetite. Cookbooks have been at it for centuries.
Demonstrators protest the death of George Floyd in downtown Washington, DC on June 1, 2020.

The Power of the Intersectional Protest Image

In an age of hashtag activism and partisan news, social media offers possibilities for intersectional movements to reimagine images of Black protest.