The Lost Romance of Dance Cards

If you’ve been watching Netflix’s sauciest new period drama, Bridgerton, your curiosity might have been aroused (among other things) by the notable nod to a forgotten footnote of historical dating etiquette – dance cards! In between the sexually-charged scenes of one of Netflix’s most binge-watched shows of late, the bygone ballroom accessory made numerous appearances…

Inventing the Bra Was The Least Interesting Thing This Blue-Blooded Bohemian Did

Inventing the bra is a pretty big deal. For Caresse Crosby, this wasn’t her only or even most uplifting accomplishment. The bra was just the beginning. This wild woman lived an extraordinary life, in fact, multiple lives to accompany her multiple names. As well as being an inventor, she published and partied with the Lost…

Could Unsolved Treasure Hunts be the Answer to Pandemic Boredom?

In the late 1970s, a jewel encrusted golden hare was buried in England, the location of which was hidden by a series of clues, concealed in a children’s book called Masquerade. The real-life treasured hunt obsessed the nation of Britain and ended in scandal when someone cheated, using insider knowledge obtained from an acquaintance of…

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

1. Making The New York Times in 1942 In September 1942, Office of War Information photographer Marjory Collins paid a visit to the offices of the New York Times, located at the iconic One Times Square and an annex on 43rd Street. More photos found on Mashable. 2. The Online Knitting Reference Library Download 300…

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

1. The McTrain: The Rise and Fall of McDonald’s Ambitious Plan to Conquer the Railroads As Mickey D’s found out the hard way, running a stationary restaurant is one thing, and operating one that crosses a country daily is something completely different. Read the full article on The Drive. 2. Archaeologists uncover ancient street food…

MessyNessy’s 20 Greatest Hits of 2020

Remember last year when we imagined we might be entering some kind of roaring 20s revival of the Jazz Age? And instead all we got was the dumpster fire that is 2020? For a small editorial business with an emphasis on travel and exploration, it was a sink or swim moment for MessyNessyChic. And as…

A Brief Compendium of Forgotten Christmas Specials

This Christmas is surely all about finding comfort where we can, and for many, that means looking back on old times. For me, it started with the discovery of a Dolly Parton Christmas special buried in the archives of Youtube, which got me wondering. Sure, there’s the infamous ‘so-bad-it’s-good’ Star Wars Special of ’78, but…

A Time Traveller’s Guide to Savannah, Georgia

As 2020 comes to a close, it would appear that Georgia really is ‘on our minds’ as the southern state is set to determine which party will control the American Senate on January 5th of early next year. But how about we remove politics from the conversation and turn our attention to one of the…

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

1. The Victorian Kitchen Garden A highly recommended British television series produced in 1987 following the recreation of an abandoned kitchen garden from the Victorian era. More episodes (it’s a 13 part series) found here. 2. Sand Art from the 19th Century Deaf from the age of six, Andrew Clemens (1857–1894) was a sand artist from Dubuque, Iowa…

A Beginner’s Guide to Italian Ghost Towns Selling Houses for €1

It’s been a rough few years, but it’s also been a time for re-evaluating our lives and dreaming “out of the box”. Back in 2015, we caught wind of the first Italian towns to adopt the appealing concept of giving away or selling abandoned houses for the symbolic price of 1 euro, in a bid to…