Inside the World’s Only Snowflake Laboratory

If Jack Frost exists, he’s probably moonlighting as Dr. Kenneth Libbrecht. The CalTech professor is not only a skilled solar astronomist and ice crystal researcher, but a creator of “designer snowflakes” – yes, you read correctly. While the rest of Southern California laps up the sunshine, Libbrecht is holed up in his Pasadena laboratory creating…

This 1930s Quartet Didn’t Know It, But They Were Rap’s First Recorded Artists

Turns out, almost a century ago, a special group of men was spitting verses about Noah’s Ark, Ezekiel’s wheel, and every other juicy anecdote in the Bible. These days, we call it “Gospel rap,” and hail it as a genre pioneered by a 1930s US gospel group, “The Jubalaires,” who paved the way for 1990s…

Dream of Relocating to a Sleepy French Village? Do a Taste-Test First

Nestled in the lush green hills of Eastern France, in a village untouched by time, Selina Göldi is preparing a feast. Not in the empty halls of a château, nor the industrial kitchen of a restaurant, but from her cozy little home on the banks of the River Saône. Bouillabaisse bubbles on the stove as…

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

1. This A Frame Airbnb Cabin in the pines Leavenworth, Washington —a former logging town reborn as a Bavarian village. Found on Airbnb. 2. These excellent tree ornaments By Cody Foster. 3. The Romance of Paper “Cobwebs” Among the many works on paper in The Met’s Department of Drawings and Prints is a large collection of historic…

Indulge in the Underrated Influence of Erté

An artist like Erté was unlikely to go by unnoticed in history with his profound obsession for the arts, spanning from dance to theatre and film to high fashion and beyond. The visual wizard arguably coined the Art Deco aesthetic with a signature style that continues to inspire modern design today and yet, his name…

The Cult British Brand of Diana’s Iconic 80s Look is Ready for a Comeback

A new wave of Diana fashion fever comes along now and again, reminding us of how iconic the late People’s Princess truly was, be it in leg warmers or the perfect little black dress. This time, that reminder comes courtesy of Netflix’s The Crown, whose fourth season is a gem for so many reasons, but…

Hunting for Harold Lloyd’s Legendary Christmas Ornaments

Harold Lloyd probably isn’t a name that rings many bells in the 21st century, but spoiler – he’s one of the most influential film comedians of the silent era, making up the the first trio of the silver screen’s laugh-makers, alongside Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. With his signature straw boater and round horn-rimmed glasses,…

Saving NYC’s Chinatown, One Instagram at a Time

Chinatown’s story is best told through taste. “I regularly go to a tea emporium called Sun’s Organic Garden Chinatown,” local Justin McKibben tells us by phone, “The owner, Natalie, is so sweet and knows so much. Just tell her what you like – or think you like.” It’s kind of like building a relationship with…

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

1. The Ruins of the ‘Versailles of the Caribbean’ Built in 1813, once known in Europe as the ‘Versailles of the Caribbean’, Haiti’s Sans-Souci Palace – meaning ‘Carefree’ – was the largest commissioned in the Kingdom of Haiti by Henri Christophe I (a key leader in the Haitian Revolution and the only monarch of the Kingdom of Haiti).…

What Kind of Town Elects a French Bulldog as its Mayor?

Must love dogs in Rabbit Hash, Kentucky. That’s the town with the means – nay, the genius – to elect a strapping young pup named Wilbur Beast as the new Mayor. At six-years-old, the French Bulldog may appear to be one of the youngest to serve in the office. But weirder things have happened in…