Author: Ms. R.

In 1888, a woman named Hester A. Pool recounted her visit to a Shaker village in Mount Lebanon, New York, in a periodical known as The Manifesto. While the community lived simply, Pool found herself marveling at the advancements within its kitchen, “a large handsome room fitted with every convenience” that left her “with the feeling of pity for the housewife who does her cooking in the ordinary way.” While Pool doesn’t describe everything she saw, it was not……

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If there were ever a good time to ponder the cosmos and our place in it, this is it—a moment when the preciousness of being alive is evident in the everyday. Exploring the wonders that lie beyond the Earth and the Milky Way offers an even broader context for that appreciation. Since the Hubble Space Telescope became a pivotal eye in the sky, three decades ago, it has provided astronomical photos of breathtaking beauty—like “Cosmic Reef,” recently released for……

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Plymouth has been an important port throughout its history. The city was key in England‘s fight against the Spanish Armada, as the invasion was first spotted by Sir Fancis Drake from Plymouth Hoe. It was also an asset to Britain in the Napoleonic Wars, Napoleon being held in Plymouth Sound for 10 days after his capture. Plymouth is defined by its proximity to the sea, and in recognition of the seas important role in their history, Plymouth houses a……

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With gyms, pools, and spin studios around the world temporarily shuttered, it can be hard to find ways to exercise the way we used to. Atlas Obscura is taking this time to look back at different groups from history, to see what lessons they might have for working out in ways that help us maintain social distance. In feudal Japan there were few folks you’d want to cross less than a samurai. The military nobility of the country’s Tokugawa……

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Overlooking the vineyards of Goriška Brda stands a modest but elegant castle called Gredič, the story of which is key to the transformation of these villages from an impoverished backwater to one of the world’s most prized wine centers. Goriška Brda is a cluster of 45 villages spread over 72 square kilometers (28 square miles). The region has a special terroir known as opoka in Slovenian or flysch in English, that carries over across the modern border with Italy into……

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The oldest surviving photograph, taken by French inventor Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in 1827, was of the view out his window. The image took several days of exposure to sunlight—with a method that used an entire room (called a “camera obscura”) to yield a faint impression of buildings and trees from his family’s estate in Burgundy. Photography has come a long way since then. Today we take for granted how pocket-sized smartphones can capture countless incredibly detailed images in a……

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During the Middle Ages, Rovigo was a small town in a territory often contested by the numerous local powers in Northeastern Italy, most notably Venice and Ferrara. A castle was built in Rovigo between the 12th and 14th-centuries by the Este family of Ferrara who controlled the town at the time. The castle was built along the Adigetto river that passed through Rovigo but was diverted in 1937. Being positioned in the middle of the swampy territory of Polesine,……

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Located just over a mile from the city center, visitors to Eko Park Ilina Voda will find several unique sculptures made of recycled metal. The creator of these works of art, Milovan Pavlović Mipa, dubbed his creations “Muzikanti”, or “Musicians”. Each one of the unique designs appears to be playing a different musical instrument. To create these works of art, Mipa utilized screws, cogwheels, springs, and many other parts from old machines.  Mipa was one of the founders of Eko Park Ilina……

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Situated on the side of W. Lakeshore Drive near Bay Mills, Michigan, is the Old Indian Burial Ground. Dedicated in 1841, the cemetery is associated with the Bay Mills Indian Community or Gnoozhekaaning. One of the most striking features of the cemetery are the wooden Ojibwa spirit houses constructed over many of the graves. Their purpose was to protect the body while the soul crossed over into the spirit world. These spirit houses were built from wooden planks and……

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