Art
A 19th-Century Illustrated Guide to Bizarre British Games, Including Hot Cockles and Hoodman’s Blind
In 1801, British writer and engraver Joseph Strutt published a compendium of bizarre medieval pastimes.
Swann Auction Galleries
Art
A 1792 Mexican Novel Shows Early Day of the Dead Iconography
Engravings by Francisco Agüera Bustamante in The Astounding Life of Death show the bony figure in a variety of roles, from a baby to a king.
News
Crowdfunding Campaign Aims to Bring Rare Photo of Harriet Tubman Home
A previously unrecorded photograph of the trailblazing abolitionist is going to auction later this month, and the Harriet Tubman Home historic site hopes to be the top bidder.
News
A Newly Discovered Photograph of Harriet Tubman Heads to Auction
A new photograph of Harriet Tubman adds to the visual record of this renowned African American.
Art
19th-Century Stereoviews of Hell
In these stereoviews populated by skeletons, hell is host to boating races, parties, and even a lavish boudoir for one "Madame Satan."
Art
The Transporting Promise of 20th-Century Travel Posters
An auction at Swann Galleries offers over 200 posters that capture the thrill of increased globalization and emerging modes of travel.
Art
Pastry Recipes, Swiss Dragons, and More in a Trove of Early Printed Books
A trove of early printed medical, scientific, and travel books is going up for sale at Swann Auctions, though many are more valuable for the strange beliefs and tastes they betray about their times.
Art
Highlights from Maya Angelou's Art Collection Head to Auction
Works from the private art collection of renowned poet and author Maya Angelou will soon go on public display.
Art
An Avant-Garde Map that Enticed Fearful Customers to Air Travel
When aviation took off in the early 20th century, safety was still shaky and the public needed some convincing to get them soaring among the clouds in the noisy metal contraptions.
Art
The Dada Catalogue Marcel Duchamp Designed to Be Thrown Away
For a 1953 Dada exhibition, Marcel Duchamp designed a one-page catalogue meant to be crumpled up and tossed in the trash.
Art
19th-Century Photos of a Brooklyn Brownstone
The beautiful mansion that once stood at 353 Clinton Avenue in Clinton Hill in Brooklyn belonged to the industrialist William Henry Nichols, co-founder of the G. H. Nichols and Company. He was tremendously successful in the chemical business, as is plain to see from the plush interiors of his home.
Opinion
Behold Nazi Postcards from the Infamous Degenerate Art Show
The Nazis, one supposes, fell into the usual trap: they expected everyone to see it their way, no added explanation or convincing necessary.