Members of the Goldwyn Cover Girls in bakery in a scene from the film 'Palmy Days', 1931.

Queer Representation in Pre-Code Hollywood

Before the establishment of the Hollywood Production Code in the 1930s, filmmakers deployed gender and sexuality stereotypes for glamour, humor, and drama alike.
Crowd taking photographs on mobile phones

Citizen Journalism: A Reading List

The ubiquity of smartphones has ushered in a new era for journalism—facilitating citizen journalism and changing the very nature of reporting.
Isis Theater, 1932

The Chinese Movie Theater in Shanghai’s “No Man’s Land”

The Isis Theater of pre-war Shanghai occupied a unique space as a Chinese-run cinema in an international “contact zone.”
Negril, March 11, 1982

Mashup at the Intersection of Deco and Hip-Hop

Archived at Cornell University, a collection of flyers promoting dance-inspiring DJ sets in the Bronx established the visual identity of a new cultural era.
Roy Orbison, 1965

How Roy Orbison’s Repertoire Shaped David Lynch’s Films

Drawing on the nostalgic feelings evoked by Orbison's music, Lynch added new layers to the cinematic traditions of film noir.
Bowie Theater advertisement for double-feature: Teenagers from Outer Space and Gigantis, the Fire Monster, June 26, 1959, Brownwood, TX

The Decades of Double Features

For years, the double feature was a dependable part of the movie-goer’s life. Where did it come from, and where did it go?
Photograph of Mr. Harrison Williams Holding a Camera

Seeking Clues in Cabinet Cards

The poignant images, at once banal and intimate, in the Lynch Family Photographs Collection contain mysteries perhaps only the public can solve.
Mavis Gallant

Remembering Mavis Gallant

Shaped by her Canadian origins and early work as a journalist, expatriate Gallant used the short story to examine the sociopolitics of post-war Europe.
Edgar Allan Poe

The Post-Millennial Poe, or, Edgar Allan Holmes?

In life, Edgar Allan Poe was best known as a literary critic. Today, he’s best remembered for his disquieting tales...but that may be changing.
The Undertaker and ECW Champion Kane stand in the ring as the look down to Bam Neely, Chavo Guerrero, and The Great Khali during WWE Smackdown at Acer Arena on June 15, 2008 in Sydney, Australia.

Real Fake/Fake Real: Pro-Wrestling’s Kayfabe Conundrum

An anthropologist takes on pro-wrestling at the intersection of gig-economy precariousness and post-truth politics.