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George Washington used the light of this brass candle stand while laboring over his farewell address in 1796.

How George Washington Wrote His Farewell Address

A candle stand used by the first president illuminates his extraordinary last days in office

A 1658 map of Iceland, reprinted from Abraham Ortelius’ Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, includes a sea monster known for catching its fish through cunning.

What Medieval Manuscripts Reveal About the Hidden History of Whales

A clever cetacean feeding trick may have launched a legend

Sunrise near the Willa Cather Memorial Prairie. Cather “made the outside world know Nebraska as no one else has done,” Sinclair Lewis once said.

Women Who Shaped History

Explore the World of Willa Cather in Her Nebraska Hometown

Maybe the author of “O Pioneers!” is no longer the height of literary chic. But a century later she’s still a superstar in her small prairie community

Paula Rego drew inspiration for her triptych Crivelli’s Garden (top) from a 1490s altarpiece, La Madonna della Rondine (above), by Carlo Crivelli. She said of her fanciful, figure-packed work: “The whole thing is full of stories, it’s just story after story after story.”

The Inspiration Behind a Monumental Display of Biblical Women

An artist conjures a whimsical new version of a magnificent 15th-century mural

Natufian artworks, such as this figurine, became common around 15,000 years ago. Few artworks predating that period have been found in the Levant.

When Did Humans Start Settling Down?

In Israel, new discoveries at one of the world’s oldest villages are upending the debate about when we stopped wandering

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Women Who Shaped History

How an 1800s Midwife Solved a Poisonous Mystery

For decades before Doctor Anna’s discovery, “milk sickness” terrorized the Midwest, killing thousands of Americans on the frontier

Rhoda Goodridge in a 2 ¾-by-3 ¼-inch ambrotype made by her husband, the pioneering photographer Glenalvin Goodridge.

A Massive Archive Tells the Story of Early African American Photographers

Arresting portraits, now a part of the Smithsonian collections, illuminate the little-known role these artists played in chronicling 19th-century life

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Readers Respond to the April/May 2023 Issue

Your feedback on wildfire prevention, Westminster Abbey and more

Did lions once live in ancient Greece?

Did Lions Live in Ancient Greece? And More Questions From Our Readers

You’ve got questions. We’ve got experts

Barbie’s first swimsuit, in 1959, was a stylish, zebra-striped one-piece.

A Cultural History of Barbie

Loved and loathed, the toy stirs fresh controversy at age 64

An abbot at Dongchan Temple in Fuzhou, China, supervised the creation of The Scripture of the Great Flower Ornament of the Buddha, now on view at the Huntington Library.

Nearly 1,000 Years Old, This Text Shows the Ingenuity of Chinese Woodblock Printing

An 11th-century collection of aphorisms is a part of a new exhibition in California

Master potter Alice Chéveres in her Taíno pottery workshop in Cabachuelas, Morovis, Puerto Rico.

How Artisans in Puerto Rico Sustain Native Culture

A photographer returns to his native island to document a handful of artists devoted to preserving its rich creative traditions

The Indiana Statehouse, opened in 1888 and built—of course—with Indiana limestone.

Why Indiana Limestone Is One of America’s Most Prized Building Materials

From the 19th century to today, a geological trove offers a strong foundation for the nation’s cities

Christopher Heckscher, ornithologist by day and firefly hunter by night, at work in the Nanticoke Wildlife Area, Delaware.

The Illuminating Science Behind Fireflies

A dedicated ornithologist with a passion for lightning bugs scours bogs and beaches to discover previously unknown species

Angraecum longicalcar is threatened by increasing fires and a buzzing black market for orchids. Conservators at England's Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, have been working to reintroduce seedlings into the wild.

Is This Endangered Orchid the Last of Its Kind?

Contemplating the portentous history and uncertain fate of an exceptionally rare flower

Edna Lewis gathers ingredients in the garden behind Ellerslie Plantation west of Charlottesville, Virginia, 1975.

Women Who Shaped History

What Made Edna Lewis the Mother of Soul Food

The Virginia-born chef did more than anyone to elevate Southern food to haute cuisine

Among the entrants in the punishing race on the Yukon River was a kayaking duo from New Zealand known as the Keen Kiwis.

Discover Alaska

The World’s Most Grueling Race Journeys 1,000 Miles Down the Yukon

In a test of skill and courage, competitors navigate dangerous river rapids, narrow channels and rummaging bears in the wilds of Alaska and Canada

Flowers, Italy, Joseph Stella, oil on canvas, circa 1930. The artist began painting flowers, he said, “to learn the secret of the vibration of their colors.”

Artist Joseph Stella Painted Nature in Vibrant Color

Cities weren’t the only subject that fascinated this acclaimed Futurist

Their shared German language helped Anne Frank, left, and Hannah Goslar forge a friendship as refugees in Amsterdam.

Anne Frank’s Childhood Friend Recalls Their Years Before the Holocaust

After fleeing her native Germany, a young Jew found companionship and community as the Nazis approached

A candlelit dinner in Scandinavia

Mimi Sheraton’s 10 Most Memorable Meals

From dinner by candlelight in Denmark to Peking duck in China, the celebrated food critic reveals her most memorable culinary experiences

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