The Shark-Fighting Brothers behind 20,000 Leagues under the Sea
In 1916, the Williamson brothers used their father's underwater photography device to film a fight with a shark, piquing Universal Pictures' interest.
How the IWW Grew after the Centralia Tragedy
A violent confrontation between the IWW and the American Legion put organized labor on trial, but a hostile federal government didn’t stop the IWW from growing.
In The Gay Cookbook, Domestic Bliss Was Queer
Chef Lou Rand Hogan whipped up well-seasoned wit and served a gay take on home life during the early-1960s craze for camp.
Don’t Cry for Me, North Korea
Western media outlets were obsessed with whether North Koreans were truly sad about Kim Jong-il's death. Why?
Is This a Gay House?
The British aristocrat Horace Walpole's villa Strawberry Hill was said to be evidence of his "degeneracy."
The Campus Underground Press
The 1960s and 70s were a time of activism in the U.S., and therefore a fertile time for campus newspapers and the alternative press.
When Mambo Was King, Its Creators Were Stereotyped
As a style of Afro-Cuban music and dance, mambo was considered "primitive." And not just by white North Americans.
James Tiptree Jr. and Joanna Russ: Sci-Fi Pen Pals
The two feminist authors corresponded about writing and romance, especially after Tiptree's true identity leaked.