Only You Can Prevent Useless Gifts
Is it time for a revival of the Society for the Prevention of Useless Giving (SPUG)?
Who Decides Which Books Are “Great?”
The concept of “Great Books," the historian Tim Lacy explains, developed in the late nineteenth century as an attempt to foster a “democratic culture.”
When Foster Care Meant Farm Labor
Before current foster care programs were in place, Americans depended on farmers to take care of kids in exchange for hard labor.
When Language Started a Political Revolution
Will Brexit fracture the UK? Ireland, for example, has its own cultural identity and language, which are perhaps more linked to Europe than to England.
How Business Got Risky
The word “risk” took on new meaning in the 19th century, when it became a way of understanding the interactions between individuals and economic markets.
How Makeup Went Mainstream
Makeup was associated with prostitution and vice until the early 20th century, when movie actresses's cosmetics testimonials reached everyday women.
The Moral Threat of Bicycles in the 1890s
The bicycle craze of the 19th century, in which both men and women participated, was seen as a moral affront by church leaders.
The Golden Age of Political Cartoons
Does it sometimes seem as if our political culture is a political cartoon?