The Cabarets of Heaven and Hell
In 1890s Paris, cabarets in bohemian Montmartre gave visitors a chance to tour the afterlife.
Why Do We Fall for Scams?
People want to believe that the person they trust with their money, or their hearts, is telling the truth. The con artist relies on that.
How Social Upheaval Gave Rise to the Picaresque Novel
How did the arcadian shepherd and chivalric knight-errant, centuries-old fixtures of European literature, give way to this witty rascal, the pícaro?
Reclaiming Rice in Taiwan
After World War II, the US ramped up international food aid, both as a Cold War strategy and as a way to distribute surplus products.
Race-baiting the Last Big City Socialist
When business interests tried to use red-baiting to take down a socialist mayor of Milwaukee in the Fifties, it didn't work, so they used race-baiting instead.
What Does Thanksgiving Look Like in Prison?
Our American Prison Newspapers collection provides a peek at Thanksgiving celebrations in prisons throughout the decades.
Separate Spheres On Narrow Boats: Victorians At Sea
On the North Atlantic, the ships were small and the trips were long, making it difficult to maintain the land-based social distinctions.
How South Asian Temple Dancers Fought Moral Reform
Devadāsīs appealed to a longstanding tradition to argue that they had a legitimate position in their modernizing nation.
In Rome, Mourning Clothes as Political Resistance
In Ancient Rome, swapping one’s regular toga for the dirty, drab robes associated with mourning could request mercy, or communicate resistance.
How Black CB Radio Users Created an Audible Community
CB radio was portrayed as a mostly white enthusiasm in its heyday, but Black CB users were active as early as 1959.