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Articles

Rick Steves’ Europe: Venice, Italy

Piazza San Marco—the storied square punctuated by its 11th century basilica—endures as an awe-inspiring portal to the city’s many splendors

G. Wayne Clough became the first Smithsonian Secretary to travel to Antarctica.

Antarctica!

Rare correspondence—carried by a vanished courier—is one of only "two pieces of what collectors call 'interrupted mail' from the Pony Express," says Postal Museum curator Daniel Piazza.

A Rare Pony Express Artifact

A letter that took two years to reach its destination evokes the hazards of the Pony Express

Veterinary dentist Barron Hall was called to help a 15-year-old female western lowland gorilla who had a fractured tooth.

Q and A with Barron Hall, Veterinary Dentist

Root canals on cheetahs, lions and gorillas is just another day at the office for veterinary dentist Barron Hall

"Why Design Now?" is an exhibit at New York City's Cooper-Hewitt where designers address social and environmental issues.

What’s Up

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Letters

Readers Respond to the March Issue

After Mark Twain first glimpsed the girl of his dreams, he never forgot Laura Wright's "frank and simple and winsome" charms.

Mark Twain in Love

A chance encounter on a New Orleans dock in 1858 haunted the writer for the rest of his life

"While classified ads in the newspaper are mostly limited to local opportunities, Craigslist lets me go global."

Will Work for Brain Scans

Your dream job—part-time zombie? candle consultant?—is only a click away

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Model Moralist

Wayne Wheeler had a mission

Frances Benjamin Johnston could be both ladylike and bohemian, which abetted her career as a photographer.

Victorian Womanhood, in All Its Guises

Frances Benjamin Johnston’s self-portraits show a woman was never content playing just one role

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May Anniversaries

Momentous or Merely Memorable

This Detroit scene was repeated across the nation, January, 16, 1920, as shoppers stocked up on the last day before Prohibition took effect.

Wayne B. Wheeler: The Man Who Turned Off the Taps

Prohibition couldn’t have happened without Wheeler, who foisted temperance on a thirsty nation 90 years ago

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Weekend Events: American Indian Theater, Celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage and Learn About Buddhism

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May Day Fritters and Beltane Cakes

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Frog Genes Haven’t Jumped Much

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Spotlight on the Dimmer Switch: Handy Home Device Honored by American History Museum

On the Bay of Kotor, young men motor travelers out to “Our Lady of the Rocks” Church.

Montenegro’s Bay of Kotor

Today’s Kotor is a time-capsule retreat for travelers seeking a truly unspoiled Adriatic town

Duke Ellington

Happy Birthday to The Duke

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Honey Bees Still Struggling

Icebergs Contribute to Sea Level Rise

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