August 26, 2022

A FAMILY LEGACY  Rebuilding a Palace of Depression  Nearly a century ago, a stranger arrived in Vineland. He called himself George Daynor, and said he’d lost most of his fortune in the stock market crash of 1929. He used what little money he had left to buy four swampy acres and build what would become known as the Palace of Depression, using whatever junk he could find. Daynor also built something else: a web of mistruths and lies, one of which eventually landed him in prison. The creation was demolished, but plans are underway to restore it.  READ MORE → ANIMAL HOAXES Are Kuppies and Cat-Dogs Real? Spoiler: No. Scams and hoaxes involving animals are all-too frequent and often dip into the fantastic, yet we buy into them, whether they’re stories of impossible births, impossible hybrids or tales of gullible would-be pet owners being duped into raising an un-cuddly or dangerous species. It’s as if the world of nature itself weren’t captivating enough. So why do these stories keep making the rounds? READ MORE → LONDON, ENGLAND Sotheby's Sekhmet Look above the entrance to Sotheby’s on Bond Street, and you’ll see the feline-featured figure of the ancient Egyptian goddess, Sekhmet. Sekhmet was a goddess of healing in the Egyptian pantheon, and is said to have formed the desert with her breath, led Egyptian warriors into battle, and protected the pharaohs. Based on its style, Sotheby’s Sekhmet dates between 1390 to 1352 BCE, making it the oldest outdoor statue in all of London. READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA COURSES Write A Murder Mystery Party Halloween season is approaching and what a better way to entertain your friends than with a thrilling murder mystery party. In this five-part lecture series, Abi Inman will walk you through researching, writing, and hosting your own murder mystery party. You’ll discuss what types of events and settings make good inspiration for a successful party, and which format works best for you. ENROLL TODAY → GASTRO OBSCURA Collecting Radioactive Glassware In January 2021, a New Jersey teenager brought a piece of an antique Fiestaware plate to a high-school science class in order to run an experiment. When the plate registered as radioactive, someone at the school panicked and called in a hazmat team, causing an evacuation of the school. But thousands of similarly radioactive plates and cups can be found in antique stores, thrift shops, and possibly your own kitchen cabinets. Radioactive antiques have a long history, as well as a certain glow that is highly desired by some collectors today. READ MORE → BANGKOK, THAILAND Half-Century-Old Soup Leftovers are always better the next day. Or, in the case of Bangkok restaurant Wattana Panich, the next generation. The giant pot of neua tune, a beef stew popular in the Thai capital, has been simmering since owner Nattapong Kaweenuntawong was a child, more than 45 years ago. Growing up studying the exact flavor profile of the stew from his father, Kaweenuntawong now balances the flavor himself daily. READ MORE → THE ATLAS OBSCURA PODCAST Pigeon Towers of Iran How much do you like pigeons? No matter how much you might like them, you probably don’t like it enough to build architecture that serves a unique purpose: gathering pigeon guano. Hundreds of years ago, in Iran, the relationship between man and pigeon was quite cooperative. The rapport continues to provide inspiration, even today. ATLANTA, GEORGIA Atlanta's One-Person Jail Cell Tucked away in Delta Park, in the Inman Park neighborhood of Atlanta, is the city’s last one-person jail cell. The structure itself looks like an old phone booth. It’s shaped like a small gazebo, with a glass window on top of the structure and a giant padlock in front. The jail was just large enough to hold one person standing up, and it would confine them until a horse-drawn patrol wagon known as the “Black Maria” arrived. READ MORE → FADING INTO HISTORY Peru’s Incan Rope Bridges The ancient practice of making hanging bridges has existed for a long time in Peru—perhaps going back as far as the Wari culture, which thrived from 600–1000. At one time, dozens of such bridges are thought to have connected communities across gorges and rivers. Today only a few remain, mainly for the sake of tourists, and even they are falling into disrepair. READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA TRIPS Trace the Life of Frida Kahlo in Mexico Traverse Mexico through the lens of Frida Kahlo. Frida’s garments offer a kind of sartorial map of her life. On this journey, we’ll travel to the regions that influenced her dress, from the bustling streets of Mexico City to the tropical Isthmus, all the way to the markets of Oaxaca City. Along the way, you’ll meet historians, artists, craftswomen, and artisans who continue the legacy of hand-crafting clothing, an intimate expression of cultural identity. BOOK YOUR TRIP →