Artifact History Mystery

Why is There a Stuffed Crocodile Hanging in This Italian Church Building?

Old Catholic churches often house treasure troves of religious art and relics. From frescoes to altarpieces to the alleged belongings of various saints, church collections can be both impressive and eccentric, especially in churches that date many centuries back. The Santuario Madonna delle Lacrime Immacolate, in English “The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Immaculate Tears,” […]

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Artifact Biography History Mystery

Elmer McCurdy: The Six Million Dollar Mummy

Elmer McCurdy was born in 1880 to an unwed teenaged mother. To spare her the scandal of the circumstances of her son’s birth, Elmer was raised for much of his childhood by his aunt and uncle whom he believed to be his parents. When his adoptive father, George, died in 1890, the truth was revealed […]

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Biography History

Who is Rachel Wall? New England’s Ruthless Female Pirate

Rachel Schmidt was born in Carlisle, Pennsylvania in around 1760. Very little is known about her upbringing except that her family was Presbyterian and that she seems to have been largely unsatisfied with the life that she grew up into. At the age of about sixteen, Rachel began sneaking away to the sea. She felt […]

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Artifact History

Frozen Charlotte: A Macabre Folktale and a Popular Doll

Pediophobia is defined as an irrational fear of dolls. Many people find porcelain dolls, in particular, to be eerie or creepy. Despite their treasured status amongst doll collectors, the stiff but uncannily human features of these dolls are often likened to corpses. For those among us with this fear towards porcelain dolls, the Frozen Charlotte […]

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Biography History Mystery

The Fox Sisters: How a Prank Created the Modern Ghost Story

The year was 1848. It was nighttime in Hydesville, New York when a flustered Margaret Fox dragged a neighbor from their home to witness the frightening phenomenon that had scared her so badly. Upon entering the farmhouse, Margaret led the neighbor to the bedroom of her two young daughters, fifteen-year-old Margaretta “Maggie” Fox and eleven-year-old […]

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Biography History

Who was Grutte Pier? The Tall Tale of the Noble Pirate Pier Gerlofs Donia

Pier Gerlofs Donia, often referred to as “Big Pier,” “Grutte Pier,” or “Greate Pier,” is an oft-forgotten pirate as well as a beloved folk hero of Frisian legend. Perhaps one of the strongest pirates in history, Grutte Pier is said to have been capable of lifting a horse on his shoulders and decapitating several opponents […]

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History

The Straw Hat Riot of 1922: The End of a Fashion Taboo

“Don’t wear white after Labor Day!” This popular fashion rule is not quite as relevant these days as it used to be, but the general sense of this old adage is that one should retire summer clothing by early September and begin wearing more “seasonally appropriate” attire for the incoming autumn and winter months. Such […]

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History Mystery

What Was the Mysterious Sweating Sickness Which Terrorized Tudor England?

The Renaissance in Europe was a period of art and renewal that brought with it many advancements in both culture and empire. The advent of the Church of England gave birth to the rise of English Protestantism, expanding imperial power set the stage for the upcoming Age of Exploration, and the most famous playwright of […]

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Biography History Mystery

Who is Joanna the Mad? The Fascinating Life of Spain’s Forgotten Queen

“Joanna the Mad” is a name that is positioned at a focal branch of both the Habsburg family tree and that of the Spanish monarchy. Joanna, also known as “Juana La Loca” actually reigned as queen of Castile, and later of Aragon, for several decades. Despite this, her name is often overshadowed by the larger […]

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