Staying Cool with Hand Fans
Fans are much more than convenient cooling devices. They make fashion statements, serve as status symbols, and silently spread political propaganda.
Introducing “Archives Unbound”
In her new column, Dorothy Berry offers an inside look at the work of the digital archivist, while highlighting forgotten figures in Black print culture and public life.
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.
The Return of Hemp
Even though it's made from cannabis plants, you can't get high on hemp. But it was classified as an illicit drug for nearly 50 years.
A Holiday Gift Guide from a JSTOR Daily Gift Fanatic
Splurges for that scholarly curmudgeon in your life who has a critique of capitalism but still likes to have nice things.
How Tear Gas Became a Staple of American Law Enforcement
In 1932, the “Bonus Army” of jobless veterans staged a protest in Washington, DC. The government dispersed them with tear gas.
The Rebellious, Scandalous Origins of Polka
The dance is often associated with the traditions of immigrant communities in America. But it emerged in Europe during a time of radicalism.
Seven Things You Might Not Know About Cranberries
They're red, tart, and mostly eaten at Thanksgiving. Love them or hate them, here are seven things you might not have known about the humble cranberry.
The Cooking Classes that Americanized Jewish Immigrants
At the end of the 19th century, a Wisconsin woman named Elizabeth “Lizzie” Black Kander tried to help immigrants assimilate, through the food they ate.
How We Escape It: An Essay
Escape is an ancient word, escapism, a modern one, and the designation of a genre—“escape literature”—dates to the 1930s.