Where Did the QWERTY Keyboard Come From?
Sholes and Glidden gussied up an early model with floral ornaments, in imitation of sewing machines. Alamy In 1866, Christopher Latham Sholes, a Wisconsin newspaper publisher and former state senator,…
Little Luxuries Made With Captured Pollution Hint at Big Frontiers in Climate Science
Consumer products made from carbon capture can’t undo the damage we’ve done to our planet—but each of them exists thanks to innovations that could. Photos from Craghoppers, Air Company and…
The Sphere Is Here. Are We Ready for More High-Tech Architecture?
Sphere, which finally opened its doors in Las Vegas late last month, is like nothing we’ve seen before. The exterior of the orb-shaped performance venue is a giant LED screen…
The Worldwide History of Tattoos
A tattooed devotee prays at the annual tattoo festival at Wat Bang Phra in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand. Omar Havana / Getty Images Humans have been marking their skin for thousands…
Was Ancient Egypt’s Most Lasting Influence in the Field of Fashion?
In an exhibition on ancient Egyptian-inspired fashion at the Cleveland Museum of Art, a relief depicts the wife of Amenhotep wearing a kalasiris, or long linen dress, juxtaposed with a…
The Architectural History of the JFK Assassination Site
The Dallas County Administration Building, formerly the Texas School Book Depository, as photographed in 2015 Public domain via Wikimedia Commons This week marks the 60th anniversary of the assassination of…
The History of the Teddy Bear
An original Michtom teddy bear once held by two of Teddy Roosevelt’s great-grandchildren, Mark and Anne. NMAH A true history of the teddy bear begins in the American wilderness. In…
These Women Were the Real Geniuses Behind the Iconic Tiffany Lamps
Pioneering designer Clara Driscoll conceived this indelible lamp around the turn of the 20th century—with help from her fellow “Tiffany girls.” Chelsea Kyle; prop stylist: Rebecca Bartoshesky Few if any…
When Hollywood Needs a Historically Accurate Outfit That Looks Just Right, It Turns to Rabbit Goody
In the weave room, a worker uses a classic Crompton & Knowles loom to make suitable fabric for some 18th-century furniture. Bridget Badore Even before you walk into the prefabricated…
How a Questionably Fashionable Shirt Bowled America Over
Some credit menswear company Nat Nast with creating the classic bowling shirt, distinguished by its boxy shape, bright colors and short sleeves. Getty Images The new Skipper bowling shirt of…