Illustration of The Vandals under leadership of Gaiseric (King of the Vandals) attacking Rome in 455 AD

De-Bunking the Barbarians

The idea of barbarian invasions comes from the nineteenth century, when they were constructed as the decisive event that wrenched the West into modernity.
From Puck, 1898

Annexation Nation

Since 1823, when the Monroe Doctrine was first introduced to the world, the US has regarded Cuba as key to its designs for Latin America.
A Vocalion Records advertisement, 1929

“It’s Tight Like That”

A "dirty" song recorded by Georgia Tom and Tampa Red in 1928 launched the "hokum" blues.
The annual Barrio Fiesta (Pilipino American Cultural Night) is an event that showcases the talents of the Filipino student community at USF through skit, dance, and music.

Traditional Dance in the Limelight at Pilipino Culture Night

Traditional dance offers Filipino Americans a sense of pride and legitimacy while allowing them to cherish different aspects of this heritage practice.
Astrology: various constellations. Coloured engraving by S. Hall.

Browsing for Images? Search Filters Are Your Friend

The images that stick with us the most tend to be those we find by chance. That’s where search filters come in.
The cover of the March, 1963 issue of Tomorrow's Man

Gay Mass Consumption Before Stonewall

In the 1960s, the Mattachine Society had only a few thousand members. But tens of thousands of men subscribed to physique magazines published by gay entrepreneurs.
Photograph: Twins Michael and Mary Kerby fail to convey any enthusiasm upon winning a trophy in a Baby Show at Ruislip, Middlesex, May 1934

Darling or Degrading? Baby Shows in the Nineteenth Century

A stunningly popular form of entertainment, baby pageants promoted the cult of domesticity, showcased maternal pride, and opened a path to fame and wealth.
Ramón y Cajal in Valencia, 1884-1887

Imag(in)ing the Brain

Nobel winner Santiago Ramón y Cajal preferred to draw his own renderings of neurons rather than avail himself of photomicrography's wonders.
An illustration of pollen and dust in the atmosphere from Popular Science Monthly, 1883

The Mystery of Crime-Scene Dust

In the late nineteenth century, forensic investigators began using new technologies to study minute details—such as the arrangement and makeup of dust.
Source: https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.28032326?seq=6

Parthenogenesis, Medieval Whales, and Debating Science

Well-researched stories from Slate, Knowable Magazine, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.