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Category / Nostalgia

A Brief Compendium of Places With Secret Passages

It is a well known fact that an underground tunnel connects 10 Downing Street, the British Prime Minister’s residence in London, with number 12 (we’re not sure why number 11 was left out) but it is surprising just how many residences, both old and new, are harbouring hidden passages. Secret doors and passageways have been…

Before the Flapper, There Was the Gibson Girl

Before the flapper came about as the embodiment of 1920s femininity, women in the late 1800s and early 1900s had a different role model from which to take cues – the Gibson Girl. She was the feminine ideal of this era and socially, the Gibson Girl had a very defined role. She was upper class, educated, athletic,…

Built in the Clouds, they’re the Highest Villages Frozen in Time

When you’re looking to escape the tedium of modern and mainstream tourism, sometimes the only way is up. Today, our armchair travels will take us to some of the most remote (and highest) villages in the world, from Europe to middle America to Egypt. But of course, we’re not just going to drop you on…

The Forgotten Charm of the Barbershop Occupation Mugs

Welcome to another show & tell of collector’s curiosity objects. This week: the barbershop occupation mug. Allow us to explain; in the 19th century, and into the 20th, barbershops were a central hub for the working class man. It was where they could gather, catch up on the local gossip, and maintain their appearance of…

A Journey Down Europe’s Sunken Lanes

Dreaming of getting lost down some pastorally perfect country roads? Much more than a route from A to B, these mysterious ancient pathways hold secrets of their own. To find out what they are, all you have to do is walk towards the light at the end of the lane. Our usual advice to rovers…

A Brief Compendium of Vintage Opium Underworlds

I don’t want to make anyone feel uncomfortable, so if you’re reluctant to step inside the world of 19th century junkies, I suggest you close the door and choose something a little lighter and brighter from our menu. I’m not quite sure how I ended up here myself, stockpiling antique photographs that have survived from the Opium Age…

Seeing Double: The Titanic’s Ghostly Twin Sister

What if we told you that history’s most infamous ocean liner had a twin sister? What’s more, one that lived (almost) happily ever after? As we mark 111 years since the Titanic sunk to the bottom of the ocean, we’re hopping aboard the “Olympic,” the identical ship that was made in tandem with its ill-fated sister.…

Let’s Window Shop for French Fairytale Homes Again

I’m in that mood again. Is there ever a bad time to go window shopping for French fairytale homes? The allure of quitting urban life, recruiting your best friends to go all in on the adventure and living out the rest of your days fixing up your French fortress with an endless supply of wine…

A Shipwrecked Sailor’s Guide to Castaway Depots

Get your sea legs ready, we’re setting sail for the bygone days of wild seafaring in search of a little-known piece of nautical history: the castaway depot. Also known as castaway huts, castaway depots were small shelters strategically placed on isolated islands by governments or maritime organisations and equipped with basic supplies and tools to…

Sex, Lies, and LSD: The CIA’s Untold Story of Operation Midnight Climax

Did you ever hear the one about the CIA-employed sex workers who were trained to drug, bed and interrogate unsuspecting American citizens while they were unwittingly tripping on LSD as government agents secretly watched? You’d think you’d remember a story like that but Operation Midnight Climax has conveniently evaded the public consciousness for decades. We’re…
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