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Arts & Culture

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Packing List Series, Part 2: An Artist’s Illustrated Guide

With a watercolor sketchbook guide, Adolf Konrad drew on his talents to record his belongings

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Photos: Your Favorite Summer Olympian

Recall the athletes who capture our imaginations every four years and let us know who is your favorite

Powell and Lealand No. 1

Sherlock Holmes and the Tools of Deduction

Sherlock Holmes’s extraordinary deductions would be impossible without the optical technologies of the 19th century

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When LBJ Ordered Pants From the White House

Johnson liked his Haggar slacks slack—and colorfully described a special custom-cut

Anna Goodale (right) and Zsuzsanna Francia (left) compete in the women's pairs event at the FISA Rowing World Cup in Germany in 2008.

Anna Goodale’s Guide to Watching Rowing

The gold medalist shares her favorite Olympic moment, and explains the basics of her sport

Dana Chladek competes in the Olympic Slalom Trials in 1992.

Dana Chladek’s Guide to Watching Canoe Slalom

The silver medalist explains the ins and outs of her sport

An interactive game from 1946 featuring Sherlock’s signature deerstalker cap and magnifying glass

The Deerstalker: Where Sherlock Holmes’ Popular Image Came From

The literary detective’s hunting cap and cape came not so much from the books’ author as from their illustrators

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The Long Journey of Chief Joseph’s War Shirt

Important Native American artifact seen in Smithsonian portrait fetches $877,500 at Nevada auction

Jean Jacoby's Corner, left, and Rugby. At the 1928 Olympic Art Competitions in Amsterdam, Jacoby won a gold medal for Rugby.

When the Olympics Gave Out Medals for Art

In the modern Olympics’ early days, painters, sculptors, writers and musicians battled for gold, silver and bronze

The bra is a lot older than we thought.

Q&A: Archaeologist Unearths 600-year-old Bra in Castle

Though in tatters, the undergarment looks thoroughly modern. But was it comfortable!?

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The History of the Olympic Pictograms: How Designers Hurdled the Language Barrier

Infographic design first appeared at the Olympics in 1948, when the games were last in London

What puts the buzz in energy drinks?

Energy Drinks: Wassup With Supplements?

The effects of energy drink supplements like taurine, guarana and ginseng have been studied prolifically, and some of their benefits are rather surprising

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The Mystery of 221B Baker Street

Our series on Design and Sherlock Holmes begins with an investigation into the location of the famous detective’s London flat

Jennifer Griffin on Managing a Kitchen as an Amputee

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The Swimsuit Series, Part 4: A Competitive Swimmer’s Musings

In Leanne Shapton’s Swimming Studies “Bathing” chapter, there’s a story behind every suit

Anna May Wong in Tod Browning’s Drifting (1923), to be preserved by George Eastman House.

The Year Ahead in Archival Films

A guide to the movies being preserved now that will be available in future months

William Shatner, who turned 81 in March, still seems possessed of boundless energy and bluster.

What William Shatner Would Put on His Gravestone

The modern-day Renaissance man, known for his work on the stage and the screen, provides insights from the Tao of Captain Kirk

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The End of Swimsuit Design Innovation

Tara Nott Cunningham attempts a snatch during the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

Tara Nott Cunningham’s Guide to Watching Weightlifting

The gold medalist offers a cheat sheet on her sport’s rules, maneuvers and slang

Sada Jacobson Baby (right) of the United States battles with Leonore Perrus of France in the bronze medal match in the Women's Team Sabre event at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Sada Jacobson Bâby’s Guide to Watching Fencing

The silver medalist explains the equipment, rules and maneuvers of her sport

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