Curiosity du Jour: Inside Out Handbags of Yore

Empty a woman’s handbag inside out and you’ve got the right idea about the chatelaine. Before purses were a woman’s primary accessory, this curious contraption that fell into the annals of fashion obscurity over time, once commonly served to carry her daily armour. Designed very much like a tool belt worn at the waist, the chatelaine…

Here’s Prince, Holding Court in his First Filmed Interview

Prince rarely gave live interviews, but when he did, he had a way of mesmerising the audience. We dug up this rare clip from 1985 when the artist agreed to talk in front of cameras for the first time ever. It’s a rather peculiar conversation in which his then-manager Steve Fargnoli (who later sued the singer…

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

1. David Bowie’s thoughts on the Internet “I don’t think we’ve even seen the tip of the iceberg. I think the potential of what the internet is going to do to society, both good and bad, is unimaginable. I think we’re actually on the cusp of something exhilarating and terrifying… I’m talking about the actual…

Legendary Paris Nightclub of the 80s Reopens as a Cultural Shrine to David Bowie

On a steamy summer night in 1981, it wasn’t unusual to find David Bowie surrounded by Paris’ premiere debs and drag queens, tossing around a blow-up ball in an underground discotheque pool, or Grace Jones singing “La Vie en Rose” on a Harley Davidson at clubs like Le Palace – the French capital’s answer to Studio…

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…