Over the years, the advancements made in crime scene studies have helped capture countless criminals and brought justice to an even greater number of victims and their families. Frances Glessner Lee, a curator of dollhouse-sized crime scene dioramas, is perhaps one of the least likely candidates to serve this role. At first glance, that is.
Big Major Cay is one of the many uninhabited islands within The Bahamas. Uninhabited by people, that is. The locals, roughly 20 pigs and piglets, populate the area’s plentiful beaches and routinely cool off by swimming in the turquoise waters. Sounds adorable, right? Well, best of all, they love visitors.
Her face looks familiar to you. You can decipher her message. You may have even heard her name. But how many of you can honestly say you know who Rosie the Riveter was—or how she came to be? The answer may not be as simple as you think.
Amid the current pandemic, the debate continues about the efficacy of personal protective equipment, especially face masks. According to some, if they are not of the N95 grade quality, they may not be effective at protecting the wearer’s immune system from absorbing foreign airborne pathogens. Pandemics are not a new phenomenon, and how they are handled now is a sharp contrast to the yesteryear methods. However, one similarity involves the protective gear worn by today’s health care workers—our new plague doctors.
As many of us continue to grapple with emotions as a result of the senseless death of George Floyd, who was murdered by former police officer Derek Chauvin on May 25, 2020, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, protests across the country—and around the world—continue to clog roadways with calls to end racism and police brutality. Standing in solidarity with these marchers, local artists from every corner of the globe are also taking their grief and anger to the streets—but in a different way.
Russian architecture is a sight to behold, no matter the context. However, if you happen to find yourself along the banks of the Volga River in the proud republic of Tatarstan, you’ll be sure to notice an imposing and colorful building, festooned with balustrades and steeples, unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. And that’s as it should be. Because, quite simply, there is no building in the world like the Universal Temple.
Around the beginning of the last century—in 1906, to be exact—the 4’11” Ota Benga was featured in an infamous human exhibit at the Bronx Zoo’s Monkey House. Ota Benga, a Mbuti (Congolese pygmy) man from what was then known as the Congo Free State, stayed at the zoo for just a few months until the public outcry over his treatment at the zoo resulted in another home for him. However, Benga’s short life was marked with tragedy.
Usually, anything falling from the sky that isn’t precipitation would be cause for concern. However, for residents in one Honduran city, it’s become a cause for celebration. In the capital region of Yoro, a local event has come to characterize the area as a one-of-a-kind destination for revelers. One where fish are believed to fall from the sky.
What began as a practical scarecrow creation for the family plot has transformed into a whimsical display of memories in the remote village of Nagoro, Japan. When someone passes on or moves away, Ayano Tsukimi, an elderly crafts hobbyist, makes life-sized scarecrows to remember their presence. These ubiquitous cotton-stuffed dolls are ten times more than the human residents in the village and have become a major attraction for visitors from around the globe.
Just a stone’s throw away from Florence’s busy Santa Maria Novella train station stands a 600-year-old pharmacy that started as an infirmary. This establishment is renowned for creating sweet-smelling elixirs and skincare products that draw customers from around the world. Beyond selling modern-day perfumes and cosmetics, Officina Profumo – Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella is a preserve of ancient monastic history and tradition. Read along to find out more about this unique, centuries-old pharmacy that may be the oldest in the world today.
