December 21, 2022

‘TIS THE SEASON  Snow Globe Invention  As the classic film Citizen Kane opens, Charles Foster Kane lies in bed, alone in the dark clutching a snow globe. After a minute, Kane whispers one of the most famous lines in film history—just one word—“Rosebud.” His hand goes limp, and the glass globe falls to the floor and shatters. It’s an iconic image—but it is one with some mystery. No one knows for sure who made Kane’s snow globe. In the absence of certainty, credit has been given to the Original Snow Globe Factory and the family who gave the world these wintery miniatures. But did they produce the world’s best-known snow globe?  READ MORE → GASTRO OBSCURA Bartending in Antarctica When Philip Broughton boarded a flight to the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in 2002, he didn’t intend to become an Antarctic bartender. And yet, there he was, working at Club 90 South, which became a lifeline for many barflys. No one owned Club 90 South, and no one paid. Instead, people shared supplies they brought from home or bought from the station store. The best (and worst) part? No official last call. READ MORE → CLEVELAND, OHIO House of Wills Built in 1898 and opened in 1900, this 42-room structure originally served as a clubhouse for the German Society where the Cleveland Gesangverein, a singing group, would perform for the next 14 years. The building was then converted into a hospital for Hungarian immigrants. After that, it housed the Cleveland Hebrew Institute for 18 years. Allegedly, the lower level was a meeting spot for predominant Freemasons and was a speakeasy during Prohibition. READ MORE → SPONSORED BY DEFENDER Exploring New York’s Hudson Valley Here at Atlas Obscura, we believe that wonder is easy to find if you’re looking for it. Tune in as co-founder Dylan Thuras shows us around his own little backyard in New York’s Hudson Valley, searching for wonder in all its little nooks and crannies, including antique airplanes, the world’s largest kaleidoscope, and a majestic Victorian resort. WATCH NOW → UNRAVELING LITERATURE Nosferatu’s Bloody Legacy In the century since its release, Nosferatu—an unauthorized and unofficial adaptation of Dracula—has become one of the most influential films ever made, though it’s a wonder that anyone remembers it at all. When it debuted in Berlin in 1922, F.W. Murnau’s horror masterpiece was a commercial flop. To make matters worse, in 1924, Bram Stoker’s widow, Florence, dragged the film’s makers to court for copyright infringement. Today, however, the film is something of a classic, and an exhibition on view at the Sammlung Scharf-Gerstenberg in Berlin attempts to draw parallels between the art and historical events of the period. READ MORE → GUYANA Cassareep Warm weather can make preserving food difficult. But in the tropical South American country of Guyana, people have long had a solution: the thick, black, caramelized syrup of the bitter cassava tuber. Cassareep is a seasoning with a long history, and its antiseptic and preservative properties, it’s said, allow meat cooked with the syrup to last without refrigeration for several days. READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA COURSES Take a Historical Nonfiction Writing Workshop Have you ever wanted to write a history of personal interest in a 1200-word, Atlas Obscura essay–type format, but didn’t know where to begin? Perhaps you’ve always wondered about the deeper story behind an old family recipe, a run-down building on your block, or a specific moment in time. This four-part online writing workshop with historical journalist Hadley Meares will equip you with the tools you’ll need to start researching and writing. LEARN MORE → DECODING ICONS Palm Tree Sham When you think of Los Angeles, you probably think of several iconic symbols associated with it. The Hollywood sign. Movie studios. The beaches. And above all, palm trees, which seem to be inextricably associated with the city’s history. But go back in time, to Los Angeles in 1875, and you’ll find nopalm trees at all. So how did these trees become such an icon of the City of Angels? READ MORE → PANTELLERIA, ITALY Giardino Pantesco Pantelleria—Italy’s most distant and least visited island, a rocky outcropping off the shores of Tunisia—is buffeted by desert winds and rarely sees proper rain. Moisture, what little there is, arrives mostly in the form of fog. Ancient Pantellerians, over the millennia, devised an amazingly clever fog-catching garden design now known as the giardino Pantesco(“Pantellerian garden,” in Italian), each one for the sole purpose of nurturing a single sprout. When life gives you fog… READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA TRIPS Tunisia & the Sands of Time Join us in Tunisia for a journey into the Sahara desert and back. We'll loop through a myriad of unique landscapes, wander through winding medinas, relax by ancient oases, and cross a multicolored salt lake. Explore relics of the many civilizations that once called this land home—from the ruins of Carthage to the remains of Roman amphitheaters to the earthen structures of Tataouine. Tunisia’s architecture, culture, and cuisine are as diverse and dynamic as its millennia-old history. BOOK NOW →