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Articles

Bulldozed ash at a Louisiana coal-fired power plant.

Devastation From Above

J. Henry Fair’s aerial photographs of industrial sites provoke a strange mix of admiration and concern

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Wild Things: Life as We Know It

Flamingos, T. rex Tails, Burmese monkeys and more…

Cypriot archaeologist Sophocles Hadjisavvas, with a 2000 B.C. jug, handpicked each artifact to chronicle the 11,000-year history of Cyprus.

A Celebration of Cypriot Culture

Cyprus commemorates 50 years of nationhood and 11,000 years of civilization with an exhibition of more than 200 artifacts

Smithsonian conservators are helping to save the murals at Holy Trinity Cathedral.

Art Work

The Lindberghs had to anticipate any emergency on their epic flights.

In Case of Emergency, Pack Snowshoes

In 1933, Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh prepared for the worst by packing winter gear before flying over the Arctic

This past Columbus Day, performance artist James Luna stood in front of Washington, D.C.'s Union Station and invited people to take his picture.

Q and A: James Luna

The Native American artist talks about his “Take a Picture With a Real Indian” performance

Auto Immune Response #6, 2004 by artist and photographer Will Wilson.

What’s Up

A keen observer as well as celebrated wit, Arcimboldo created composite portraits that were both enjoyed as jokes and taken very seriously.

Arcimboldo’s Feast for the Eyes

Renaissance artist Giuseppe Arcimboldo painted witty, even surreal portraits composed of fruits, vegetables, fish and trees

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Letters

Readers Respond to the November Issue

Autobiographies invariably distort, insists author Paul Theroux, at his home in Hawaii.

The Trouble With Autobiography

Novelist and travel writer Paul Theroux examines other authors’ autobiographies to prove why this piece will suffice for his

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There Was an App for That

Software applications changed the course of history

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Powers That Be

And when to curtail them

J.P. Morgan sat for two minutes; one of the resulting portraits defined his reputation.

J. P. Morgan as Cutthroat Capitalist

In 1903, photographer Edward Steichen portrayed the American tycoon in an especially ruthless light

John F. Kennedy, right, with his brother Robert, during the Cuban missile crisis in 1962.

Power and the Presidency, From Kennedy to Obama

For the past 50 years, the commander in chief has steadily expanded presidential power, particularly in foreign policy

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This Month in History

Momentous or Merely Memorable

During gladiatorial games in the arena, a vast network of man-powered machinery made animals and scenery appear from beneath a wooden floor as if by magic.

Secrets of the Colosseum

A German archaeologist has finally deciphered the Roman amphitheater’s amazing underground labyrinth

The rickety platforms—"norries" to the locals—carry passengers and freight on wobbly rails left over from an abandoned transit system.

Catching the Bamboo Train

Rural Cambodians cobbled old tank parts and scrap lumber into an ingenious way to get around

The "cemeteries were park and playground," recalls Ernest B. Furgurson, in the National Cemetery.

Danville, Virginia: Hallowed Ground

The town’s Civil War cemeteries deepened Ernest Furguson’s view of history as a young boy

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Toast With Beer This New Year’s Eve, Not Champagne

Two breweries have teamed up to unveil a bubbly beer

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Baby Cheetahs Bring Fruitful Year to a Close at the Zoo

Cheetah cubs join the list of new arrivals for 2010

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