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.
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.
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: A History in Pictures
In 1927, the parade replaced live animals with helium balloons designed by puppeteer Tony Sarg.
Cedric Robinson and the Black Radical Tradition
Cedric Robinson proposed that the Black radical tradition was necessitated into existence by “racial capitalism.”
The “Dating Apps” of Victorian England
They didn't have smartphones back then, but they still had personal ads.
The History of the Power Suit for Women
As women entered the white-collar world, experts told them to dress like men, without being too threatening.
How the New Deal Documented Southern Food Cultures
Photographers and writers hired by the US government presented the foodways of the South to a wide audience.
How Crime Stories Foiled Reform in Victorian Britain
Harsh punishments were declining in the nineteenth century. Then came sensationalist news coverage of a reputed crime wave.
The King of Mail-Order Muscles
Flab, begone! Earle Edwin Liederman wanted men to learn his vaudeville-strongman secrets—for a not-so-low price.
When Paper Was Fashion’s Favorite Material
It's hip, it's happening, it's wow, it's now, it's gone: RIP the paper dress, 1966–1968.