Beyond the Plantation House
Historic photographs and maps reveal the changing landscape of a Texas plantation and the overlooked history of those who labored there.
London’s Railway for the Dead
As London's graveyards overflowed, a private company proposed a remarkable new way to bury the dead.
The Forgotten Stories Behind Presidential Campaign Buttons
The race for the White House has always inspired unusual publicity stunts. A vast collection shows just how strange they could get.
The Photographer Who Preserved Everyday Architecture
Frances Benjamin Johnston looked beyond grand estates to document the ordinary buildings that defined American life.
Building a Library in Wartime Paris
Photos from the American Library in Paris reveal how librarians brought books to US troops during World War I.
How the Railways Killed a Medieval Law
Deodands put a price on objects that caused death, sometimes providing compensation to bereaved families.
What Came Before the American Suburb?
Hofstra University’s historic photographs capture Hempstead’s shops and streets before postwar development transformed Long Island.
A Brief History of Women’s Underwear
The University of Wyoming’s Historic Clothing Collection offers a revealing look beneath the fashions of the past.
Where Did All the Public Bathrooms Go?
Nineteenth-century Paris tackled public urination with ornate pissoirs. American reformers later turned toilets into a temperance cause.
How the Big Dig Changed Boston’s Landscape
Created after the Big Dig, the Rose Kennedy Greenway shows how cities attempt to heal the scars of highway construction.