Vernacular Architecture in Wales
The pioneering collection of farm and craft buildings at the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff preserves traditional design and building techniques.
The Birth of the Soviet Union and the Death of the Russian Revolution
The Russian Revolution promised—and for a time delivered—freedom to the peoples of the Tsarist Empire. That freedom ended with the creation of the USSR.
OK Recruiter: The Legion is Coming
Anxieties over the abduction of young men into the French Foreign Legion after WWII reflected West Germany’s concerns about the state of their nation.
When Paid Applauders Ruled the Paris Opera House
Professional applauders, collectively known as the “claque,” helped mold the tastes of an uncertain audience.
Our Long-Running Love Affair with Pigeons
Through crazes of pigeon-fancying, these birds have been reshaped into a dizzying variety of forms.
The Market Will Bare It: Transnational Nude Tourism
As Europeans recovered from the devastation of World War II, nude beaches appeared in France.
An Affordable Radio Brought Nazi Propaganda Home
In the 1930s, Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels led the charge to create a radio cheap enough that even workers could own one.
Indian Food is Not a Monolith
When you eat Indian food, what are you really eating? Chicken tikka masala was originally created to appease the palates of the British during the Raj.
Sophie Scholl and the Legacy of Resistance
Sophie Scholl has become the face of resistance to Nazism. That took decades, as the legacy of resistance itself was resisted.
The Collapse of Meaning in a Post-Truth World
2016 was certainly an unstable time in history. Even the way we use language to convey our collective fears about the state of society seems fractured.