August 19, 2021

A Great Depression Comic “Dear friends of mine, Please write a line / In this little Wash Tubbs book of mine. / Help me Keep you in my Mind”. So begins the inscription on the spine of a collection of “Wash Tubbs” comics, a well-loved daily newspaper strip by artist Roy Crane. It once served as a source of idle amusement for clients at the Bungalow, a barbershop in Fredonia, Kansas. Soon, though, the scrapbook expanded with handwritten insights on life during the Great Depression. Today, almost 100 years later, Persinger’s scrapbook has found a new home—a place among the rare books and manuscripts of the Columbia University Libraries.  READ MORE → FROM THE ARCHIVES And The Smartest Bug Is… Okay, but just to get it out of the way: This is a complicated question. (Did you expect it to have an easy answer?) Insects are a particularly difficult group of animals to study for, because they’re just so different from us, and there are a multitude of factors that go into determining what animals or insects are deemed as intelligent. That said, the leading three contenders are bees, ants, and cockroaches. Dive in to see what our pick for Smartest Insect is. READ MORE → ATLANTA, GEORGIA Alpaca Treehouse Nestled in Atlanta, Georgia, inside a dense and enchanting bamboo forest, is a treehouse hideaway. Kara O’Brien set out to design a treehouse that sprouted from the forest floor using only sustainable materials such as reclaimed wood and other salvaged goods. Originally intended as a personal space, O’Brien’s growing number of rescued llamas and the alluring draw of the treehouse soon brought many visitors. READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA COURSES Stories On A Spoon Join ice cream artist and historian Hannah Spiegelman for this course and learn the basics of ice cream making. Then, explore how the frozen treat can be used to tell stories by mixing different flavors, textures, and colors in new and delicious ways. For instance, an olive leaf Greek yogurt popsicle and snake candy can bring to life the mythos of Medusa. LEARN MORE → GASTRO OBSCURA Eat Like a Gladiator What epitomizes the ideal Western male physique more than the Roman gladiator? Films and television shows such as Gladiator and Spartacus would have us believe that it’s a body that ripples with lean muscle. But according to archaeological research, their abdominals and pectorals were likely covered in a quivering layer of subcutaneous fat. The evidence suggests gladiators carbo-loaded, with their meals looking nothing like the paleo or meat-and-fish centric diets now associated with elite warriors and athletes. READ MORE → OXFORD, ENGLAND 'Alice Door' Seventh-century princess and abbess, Saint Frideswide is now known as the patron saint of Oxford. Her arrival in the city is depicted in a wooden door at St. Frideswide’s Church, carved by none other than Alice Liddell, the woman who inspired the titular character in Alice in Wonderland. READ MORE → FROM THE ARCHIVES What Happened to Moon Trees? Fancy some lunar gardening? In a way, that’s what astronauts did in 1971, when they brought seeds to the Moon and then brought them back to Earth for planting. But those “Moon Trees,” as they are known, have had a bit of a rough go of it. Once they’d been planted, many people forgot about them—including many people at NASA. READ MORE → MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA Don Knotts Statue Just outside the Metropolitan Theater in downtown Morgantown, West Virginia, the legendary comedic actor Don Knotts smiles at visitors. Knotts, best known for roles like Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show and Mr. Furley in Three’s Company, was born in the town in 1924 and graduated down the road from West Virginia University. In 2016, locals installed this statue honoring their former neighbor. READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA TRIPS Romania's Castles, Ruins, and Medieval Villages Dive into all things medieval while traversing the fabled land of Transylvania. Explore Romania's magnificent castles and ruins while enjoying its rich food and varied dramatic landscapes. LEARN MORE →