Toothpaste through the decades, from tube concept to the fluoride breakthrough (1892)
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Toothpaste through the decades, from tube concept to the fluoride breakthrough (1892)
A century of vintage toothpaste ads and tubes, from 1890s tooth powder to Crest's fluoride breakthrough and beyond.
Hell Gate beer was once America’s biggest brew — then it vanished almost overnight (1866-1929)
Hell Gate beer made George Ehret one of New York's richest men. Then Prohibition shut it all down. Here's the story.
Victorian etiquette for men: 129 important rules every gentleman was supposed to follow in 1889
Victorian etiquette for men was no joke -- 129 rules covered everything from soup spoons to sidewalk conduct. Here's what the 1889 rulebook actually said.
60+ early American weathervanes: How a practical tool became a prized piece of folk art
Early American weathervanes were part folk art, part forecasting tool. See dozens of antique copper designs and the fascinating history behind them.
Juneteenth: What it means, and why it’s still celebrated
Juneteenth is a celebration of Black freedom, marking the day enslaved people in Texas at long last learned of their emancipation. But if you aren't very aware of this Federal holiday, you're not alone. Find out more here!
23 historic southern mansions that reflect the region’s social & political past
See over 20 historic southern mansions -- some tied to slavery, others to politics or education -- and how they reflect the South’s changing history.
Portrait miniatures were how Americans kept loved ones close before photography -- tiny watercolors on ivory that fit in a locket or a palm.
Laura Ingalls Wilder didn't publish her first Little House book until she was 65. Here's the full story behind the series and the woman who wrote it
1847 Rogers Bros: The silver plate brand that made fine flatware affordable for everyone
1847 Rogers Bros made silver plate flatware a middle-class staple. Here's the history behind the brand, the patterns and the Connecticut company that built it.
Life expectancy in the 1800s: What those shocking numbers actually mean
Life expectancy in the 1800s hovered around 40 years -- but that number is misleading. Here's what it really meant to grow old in 19th-century America.
Lizzie Borden: The notorious murder case that gripped the entire nation in 1892
Lizzie Borden, a double murder, and a verdict that stunned the nation. See original 1892 news coverage and decades of follow-up on America's most infamous case.
Antique stickpins & scarf pins: The fascinating forgotten jewelry everyone wore before the 1920s
Antique stickpins were the must-have accessory of the Victorian & Edwardian eras. See 100+ real examples, from simple gold pins to gem-set masterpieces.
Harriet Tubman & her fearless life as Civil War spy, activist, nurse & hero (1820-1913)
Harriet Tubman escaped slavery, guided dozens to freedom and served the Union in the Civil War. Explore the life of the Underground Railroad’s “Moses.”
Parasol fever: The obsessive, forgotten world of Victorian sun umbrellas in the 1800s
Parasols ruled women's fashion for centuries -- then vanished in a decade. Discover the cultural history behind this once-essential accessory.
Rolling hoops were the coolest toy around long before anyone had heard of a hula hoop (1961)
Rolling hoops were a go-to childhood obsession for generations -- here's the fascinating history behind this classic outdoor toy.
Nikola Tesla helped shape the electrical age with AC power and bold wireless experiments. Explore the inventor behind the headlines.
The dazzling lobbies of these 22 historical hotels will take your breath away with their glamour
We discovered these 22 amazing old pictures of some of the most gorgeous historical hotel lobbies from across the US. Have a scroll and step back in time with us to a more elegant era!
Vintage mail carriers & the fascinating ways mail once traveled over 100 years ago
See vintage mail carriers, wagons, bicycles, and early delivery vehicles — and discover how the postal system kept America connected.
10 elegant Victorian Valentine’s cards — embossed, embellished & beautifully made
These beautiful Victorian Valentine's cards were carefully and creatively handcrafted, and were so much better than what you usually see today.
Alexander Graham Bell declared flight a fact after one remarkable test run in 1896
Professor Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, has witnessed the trial flights of the machine devised by Professor Samuel P Langley, formerly of Pittsburg. Mr Bell makes the following statement...
Old-fashioned flower meanings in 1897: How Victorian New Year’s greetings got personal
Flower meanings played a big role in 1897 New Year’s greetings. See how bouquets carried wishes, feelings and social signals.
How to recreate a vintage Victorian New Year’s dinner straight from 1891
Celebrate with a vintage New Year's dinner! This 1891 menu features roast duck, baked macaroni and fruit pudding, plus classic recipes to try today.
Old St Nick & the fascinating story behind how Santa Claus came to America (1891)
Old St Nick started as a 4th-century bishop and became the Santa Claus we know. Here's how the legend made it from Myra to Manhattan.
The best mincemeat pie traditions: 20 vintage recipes from 1850 to 1950
Here are 20 classic mincemeat recipes (used to make the holiday favorite, mincemeat pie) - as remembered through the decades.
Thanksgiving, now held each year on the fourth Thursday in November, has long been a controversial holiday, Here, look back at Thanksgiving history as it played out over more than three centuries.
How Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid built a 500-man gang & ruled the Wild West
Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid led a 500-man gang that rattled the Wild West—governors plotted against him, but his legend only grew.
What a vintage Thanksgiving menu looked like before canned cranberry sauce (1890s -1950s)
Explore what made a vintage Thanksgiving menu so extravagant, from terrapin soup to plum pudding, in these menus from 1890 to the 1950s.
Louisa May Alcott: How a quiet girl from Concord wrote “Little Women” & made America listen (1868)
Even before she wrote Little Women, she was eminent in her family... Louisa May Alcott was a big, lovable, tender-hearted, generous girl, with black hair, thick and long, and flashing, humorous black eyes.
The San Francisco Cliff House: See the famed – and doomed – building through the years (1860s)
See how the San Francisco Cliff House evolved from 1860s getaway to fiery icon, with rare vintage photos and stories from its most dramatic moments.
Delmonico’s during the Gilded Age helped turn fine dining into a spectacle Starting in the 1820s as a modest downtown confectionery, New York City’s legendary
