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Smart News / Smart News Arts & Culture

Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family, the first two commercially popular country music acts, got their national start at the Bristol Sessions.

How the Bristol Sessions Created Country Music

Ninety years ago, a yodeller named Jimmie Rodgers laid down two of the tracks he would be remembered for

A Brooklyn Basketball Court Is Named After Notorious B.I.G.

Previous attempts to honor the rapper were stymied by community board members who took offense to Biggie’s lyrics, criminal history and even his weight

The revolving gun turret from “Ironclad” ship USS Monitor is lifted from the ocean floor. An NEH grant will go toward a conservation initiative to preserve objects from the Civil War-era ship.

NEH Announces Last Grants for 2017

Programs for digitization, preservation, education and more are supported with $39.3 million in funding

The rocky terrain of northern Australia's Arnhem Land contains many examples of Aboriginal artwork

Aboriginal Rangers Uncover Trove of Rock Art in Northern Australia

Hundreds of examples of art dating back centuries were found by rangers while they were conducting burn offs

J.M. Barrie's newly discovered play, "The Reconstruction of the Crime," was published in the latest issue of "The Strand Magazine."

Lost Play By J.M. Barrie Discovered in Texas Archive

The newly published Reconstruction of the Crime features comedic detective exploits and audience participation

Edward Hopper, "Little Boy Looking at the Sea"

New Archival Donations Put Edward Hopper’s Life in Sharp Focus

Thousands of drawings, letters and more are coming to the Edward Hopper House and the Whitney Museum

A census enumerator's records from the 1790 census, the first-ever to be conducted in the United States.

The First US Census Only Asked Six Questions

America’s founders agreed that the census was important, but it wasn’t long

Dachau's gate had a chilling message for its inmates.

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This Dachau Survivor’s Harrowing Art Is on Display for the First Time

Georg Tauber’s paintings detail medical experiments, beatings and eventual liberation

Even the name "Daniel Defoe" was a pseudonym of sorts—born Daniel Foe, Defoe added the first syllable to his last name to sound more aristocratic.

The Author of ‘Robinson Crusoe’ Used Almost 200 Pseudonyms

Daniel Defoe honed his pen on political writing before he came to the novel

This diorama shows a sailor receiving his "daily tot." It was even mixed according to custom: on a "scuttled butt" with an officer overseeing the mixing.

Reasons Why the Royal Navy Bribed Sailors With Booze

The rum ration existed until 1970

American soldiers sift through art looted by the Nazis at Neuschwanstein Castle in 1945

Legal Fight Over Nazi-Looted Painting Ends After 26 Years

The heirs to the Paul Klee masterpiece, which was seized 80 years ago as “degenerate art,” have finally reached a settlement with the city of Munich

Dalton Trumbo was one of the "Hollywood 10" who were arrested for refusing to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee. He was later blacklisted from working in the industry.

The Columnist Who Shaped Hollywood’s Most Destructive Witch Hunt

Billy Wilkerson’s complicated legacy has only been recently discussed by the magazine he founded

A member of the 9th Cavalry circa 1890.

Three Things to Know About the Buffalo Soldiers

These segregated regiments offered black soldiers a chance to fight for their rights

These eyeglasses, which belonged to a prisoner at Auschwitz, are one of the more than 1,000 artifacts included in the traveling exhibition.

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Auschwitz Museum Announces First Traveling Exhibition of Artifacts

More than 1,150 objects make up the exhibition, which will travel to 14 cities in Europe and North America

200 Objects Damaged After Lightning Sets Fire to French Museum

Three paintings on loan from the Louvre are among the destroyed works

First Pet Socks poses in the White House Press Room in 1993.

The First Pet Position in the Trump White House Will Remain Open—for Meow

Animals have served as companions and ambassadors for presidents dating back to George Washington

The dead letter office circa 1922. The contents of unresolvable dead letters and packages are periodically sold off by the USPS.

A Brief History of American Dead Letter Offices

The United States postal system was established on this day in 1775, and mail started going “dead” very soon after

A drinking fountain next to St. Peter's square after the Vatican began shutting down its fountains due to Italy's drought.

Vatican Shuts Off Its Historic Fountains in Midst of Scorching Drought

It is the first time that authorities can remember being forced to take such a step

Jung's interest in the subconscious was a driving force in his work.

Five Fascinating Facts About Carl Jung

He thought he was two people (sort of) and more things you didn’t know about the pioneering psychologist

Different collectors have different tastes. Practicing a variety of styles helps users find success.

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New Video Game Parodies What it Means to Be an Art World Star

On Passpartout: The Starving Artist, you do everything from virtually impress collectors to dine on wine and baguettes

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