Peter Cooper: An American-Made Model of the 19th Century

Features, Maxine Carter-Lome, Peter Cooper, Tom Thumb Locomotive

by Maxine Carter-Lome, publisher The venerable Peter Cooper, whose philanthropic life endeared him to every citizen of New York, died at 3 o'clock yesterday morning,” reported the New York Times ...

Railroads On Parade

Donald-Brian Johnson, Features, Railroads On Parade

by Donald-Brian Johnson “Do you think that progress will be swayed By the tea-kettle that this man has made? This Iron Horse?” – Edward Hungerford, Railroads On Parade, 1939 The ...

Pullman: Riding the Rails in Luxury

Features, George Mortimer Pullman, Maxine Carter-Lome, Pullman Collectibles, Pullman trains

Original vintage Pennsylvania Railroad poster - A luxury fleet featuring newest Pullman refinements at low travel cost! - showing smartly dressed passengers enjoying the inside of a Pullman train carriage with a waiter serving drinks to people seated at a booth table opposite a man smoking a cigar and holding a newspaper next to an elegant lady on the side and two fashionably dressed ladies talking in front of men at a bar at the end of the carriage, the stylized lettering above and below with details of the trains and their service routes. Selling for $1,349.89 at 1stdibs.com

by Maxine Carter-Lome, publisher George Mortimer Pullman was born on March 3, 1831, in Brocton, New York, just four years after the “Laying of the First Stone” ceremonies that launched ...

Book Bindings Bound For History

Boom Bindings, Care of leather bound books, Features, Jim Dawson

by Jim Dawson When discussing the housing of history, creating a safe and protective environment for the written word is paramount. Bookbinding has changed over the years, but the preservation ...

Boxed Perfection

Boba Fett, Boxing, Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers, Condition, factory sealed, Features, Packaging, Pokemon, Pop Culture Collectibles, Travis Landry

1983 Kenner Star Wars’ Return of the Jedi 65 Back-A Boba Fett sold April 20, 2019, for $875 photo: Bruneau & Co.

by Travis Landry, Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers When it comes to the world of Pop Culture collectibles, whether it be toys, video games, or trading cards, there is nothing more ...

Secret Storage: Exploring the Hidden Side of Antique Furniture

Features, Kary Pardy, Secret Compartments in Antique Furniture

Example of one of many ways to create and access secret storage. photo: woodsmith.com

by Kary Pardy Consider the humble blanket chest: a piece of furniture that might travel with its owners across an ocean or a country. Such a solid, practical item seems ...

Museums: Containing Collected History Over Time

America's National Museum, Features, History of the Museum, P.T. Barnum, Peale’s American Museum and Cabinet of Curiosities, Scudder's American Museum, The Smithsonian

The original Smithsonian Institution Building, commonly known as the “Castle,” was designed by architect James Renwick and constructed between 1847 and 1855. The Castle houses the Smithsonian Visitor Center and administrative offices, as well as the James Smithson crypt.

by Maxine Carter-Lome, publisher Museums, in their many forms, are a universal experience shared by most people in this country, whether it is an art gallery, natural history museum, living ...

Celebrating Miss America

Features, Melody Amsel-Arieli, Miss America, Miss America History, Miss America Pageant

Pageant Poster from 1925 with the accompanying trophy and a photograph of Miss America 1925, Fay Lanphier, who came to the title by way of being Miss Santa Cruz 1924, the 1925 Rose Queen, and then Miss California 1925.

by Melody Amsel-Arieli In 1921, Atlantic City, New Jersey offered East Coast vacationers far more than sun, sand, and sea. In addition to thrilling mechanical rides and pre-Broadway shows, it ...

The Atlantic City Boardwalk: A Wooden Walkway to the Sea

Features, History of Boardwalk, The Atlantic City Boardwalk

by Maxine Carter-Lome, publisher Atlantic City, New Jersey is home to one of the most famous and oldest boardwalks in America. This initially mile-long wooden walkway from the beach into ...

Collectomania! Savoring Those Souvenirs

Donald-Brian Johnson, Features, souvenir collecting

By Donald-Brian Johnson A lady of my acquaintance collects souvenirs with a vengeance. If she’s seen it, visited it, or done it, she has the refrigerator magnet (or T-shirt, or ...

Here’s New England! On the Road with the WPA

Features, Guide to Vacationland, Here’s New England!, Works Projects Administration, WPA

By Erica Lome, Ph.D. In the 1930s, no road trip across America was complete without a travel guide from the widely popular American Guide Series, published by the Federal Writers’ ...

The Artful History of Vintage Travel Postcards

Features, postcard history, Postcards, vintage postcards

Above: Wallace News Stand in New Orleans in the summer of 1908

by Zoë Peate Who doesn’t love to find a postcard from somewhere far away, waiting for them inside their mailbox? It’s such a rare occasion in this digital era, which ...

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