Section
Culture
Cultural histories, traditions and overlooked stories about people, places and ideas.
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The hidden stories behind classic public fountains
Public fountains began as plumbing and became civic showpieces. From Pompeii to Paris, how water supply, pride and public health shaped them.
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Why tiny museums exist, from elevator shafts to barbed wire
Tiny museums grow out of local collecting, volunteer labor, and devoted specialist communities. Here is why they exist and how to plan a visit.
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Why spring celebrations around the world keep different clocks
Nowruz follows the equinox, Holi the moon, and hanami the trees. How sun, moon, and season give spring celebrations their very different dates.
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How public parks went from royal favor to civic right
From a king’s favor to a cow pasture to a razed village: how public parks in cities took shape, and who owned, paid for…
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Why folk tales change when they cross borders
Little Red Riding Hood and Cinderella exist in many versions. Here is how folk tales change across languages and places, and why there is…
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Why everyday objects end up in museum collections
A lunch-counter stool, a nurse’s scrubs, a pair of cargo trousers: how a documented history turns ordinary things into museum objects.
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How old maps reveal the cities that never were
From Wren’s London to Burnham’s Chicago, unbuilt city plans show who held power and what they meant to erase. Here is how to read…
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What old street names reveal about a city’s history
Street names hold old trades, faded honors and fights over memory. How to read them, from London’s Bread Street to a 1976 Philadelphia resolution.
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How a neighborhood festival becomes a local tradition
Founders start festivals, but traditions survive handoffs, fights over change and rebuilding. What Notting Hill, Mulberry Street and Kyoto show.