Stop Everything, Check Out this Deep South Time Capsule For Sale

There’s something about this house that reminds me of Grey Gardens and what it might have looked like right after Big and Little Edie’s things had been cleared from the property. Overgrown gardens, original interior finishings from a previous century and mansion walls that bore witness to the fall of American Gilded Age grandeur. The…

The Monstrous Film Set That Jumpstarted Hollywood

If you build it, they will come. And if they don’t, you’re screwed. Such was the case for Mr. D.W. Griffith, the infamous movie mogul behind the best worst movie ever made: the silent epic Intolerance (1916). Griffith became the emperor Los Angeles for the picture, creating a veritable city of 300-ft-tall Judean walls and…

Unearthing the Curious Quentin Crisp

Writer. Dandy. Philosopher. Creature of the night. Quentin Crisp was so many things, but above all he was steadfastly himself. Sting dedicated his song, “Englishman in New York” to Crisp. The New York Times memorialised him as a revolutionary “Writer and Actor on Gay Themes” in light of his 1968 book, The Naked Civil Servant,…

13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. CCCLXVII)

1. A different sort of Spiderman Pictures were taken in an abandoned five-story building on the outskirts of Samara in Russia. In one of the apartments, holes were made in the walls, through which the artist was able to secure his boards. Find the artist’s Instagram account here. 2. The Mechanical Turk In the 18th century,…

The Mad Beach Party of 1923

In the summer of 1923, an American husband and wife could be credited with two rather surprising things. Their name is seldom remembered in the context of the glamorous 1920s, but the French Riviera became the summer destination it is today thanks to the infectious expatriate couple known as the Murphys. Gerald and Sarah convinced their circle…

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The Paris September Guide for La Rentrée

September, which Parisians call La Rentrée, is one of the best months of the year. It’s when Paris comes to life after the summer drought, everyone’s back from their holidays with a golden glow and eager to mingle. The same time, the sun is still shining, it’s still warm enough to wear your vacation clothes…

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Here’s the Secret to Feasting your Way Through Italy like a Local

You’re invited to local food feasts all over Italy – if you know the magic word, that is. Sagre! That’s Italian for festival, one that centres around the annual harvest, celebrating local culture and most importantly – food! So what’s your weakness? Pizza? Pasta? Truffles? Fritto misto alla Piemontese? Whatever your preference, somewhere in Italy,…

Living in a Digital Castle with our Photographer du Jour

Once upon a time, there was a secret realm in the depths of the Web. A world of Y2K Joan of Arcs, medieval steeds and mysterious realms. A kingdom born from the brain of Swedish digital collage artist Helena Blomqvist that feels both ethereal and familiar, but where women are not longer damsels in distress…

Mansion of the Month: Miami’s Villa Viscaya

It rose from the mangrove swamps of Miami; an Italian Renaissance paradise surrounded by dense tropical forest in Coconut Grove, the city’s oldest continuously inhabited neighbourhood. They called it the “Hearst Castle of the East”, even though Villa Vizcaya came first. James Deering was heir to a harvesting fortune, a lover of the arts, an antiques…

When Americans Dined (and Dated) in Cemeteries

When it comes to green spaces, we’re a bit spoilt in New York City. There are over 1,700 parks (even if it doesn’t always feel that way) for our picnics, parties, and general frolicking to unfold. But 150 years ago, parks were still a privilege for the upper-class in America, if they even existed at…