![“As the first national women’s reform organization, [the American Female Moral Reform Society] showed that there was power in women organizing to address societal problems,” says rhetorician Lisa J. Shaver.](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/m4Hxjpo4QedMhxQhApdcZazQOw4=/450x300/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/6c/8d/6c8ddf41-d605-4dc6-86cd-5f77e85ae822/interior-of-a-concert-saloon.jpg)
The Daring 19th-Century Reformers Who Sought to End Prostitution by Offering Financial and Emotional Support to Urban Sex Workers
Led entirely by women, the American Female Moral Reform Society gave material aid to those in need and pushed for men to be held accountable for frequenting brothels
The Madcap History of Mad Magazine Will Unleash Your Inner Class Clown
In a twist befitting its pages, the satirical, anti-establishment publication that delivered laughs and hijinks to generations of young readers gets the respect it always deserved with a new museum exhibition
Who Was ‘Lisa Ben,’ the Woman Behind the U.S.’s First Lesbian Magazine?
Edythe Eyde published nine issues of “Vice Versa” between June 1947 and February 1948. She later adopted a pen name that doubled as an anagram for “lesbian”
Martha Gellhorn Was The Only Woman to Report on the D-Day Landings From the Ground
In June 1944, the veteran journalist hid on a hospital ship so she could report firsthand as Allied soldiers fought their way onto the beaches of Normandy
Why a New Portrait of Catherine, Princess of Wales, Is So Controversial
For the second time this month, a painting of a British royal is garnering backlash
Arthur Conan Doyle Agreed to Write ‘The Sign of the Four’ at a Fateful Dinner in 1889
The handwritten manuscript he produced is going to auction, where it could become the most expensive item associated with the mystery writer ever sold
World War II ‘Rumor Clinics’ Helped America Battle Wild Gossip
Newspapers and magazines across the United States published weekly columns debunking lurid claims that were detrimental to the war effort
The Real History Behind ‘Feud: Capote vs. the Swans’
Ryan Murphy’s new mini-series dramatizes the “In Cold Blood” author’s betrayal of an insular group of Manhattan socialites
While Hiding From the Nazis in an Attic, a Jewish Man Created 95 Issues of a Satirical Magazine
An exhibition of Curt Bloch’s little-known wartime publications is going on display in Berlin
How Zines Brought Power to Those on the Margins of Culture
A new exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum examines zines’ role in art history and community building
The ‘Comet of the Century’ Failed to Impress, but It Wasn’t Such a Disaster After All
Highly anticipated before its arrival in late 1973, Kohoutek became an interplanetary punchline. But astronomers may have gotten the last laugh
Revisit 51 Years of Giant Pandas at the National Zoo, From Beloved Babies to Fun in the Snow
The Panda House’s eight occupants have played a key role in conservation efforts over the decades
‘Ebony’ Magazine’s Vintage Test Kitchen Finds a Home at the Smithsonian
The 1970s-era kitchen will undergo conservation at the National Museum of African American History and Culture
Supreme Court Rules That Andy Warhol Violated a Photographer’s Copyright
Experts are debating what the case will mean for the future of fair-use law
Explore the Founding of ‘Ms.’ Magazine and the Making of a Space Telescope Photograph in This Month’s Featured Podcasts
“AirSpace” speaks to astronomer Shauna Edson and “Portraits” drops in on activist and author Gloria Steinhem
André Leon Talley’s Caftans and Cufflinks Are Going Up for Auction
In his will, the trailblazing fashion editor left the proceeds to two Black churches
Are Andy Warhol’s Silkscreens of Prince a Copyright Violation?
The Supreme Court hears a case that could redefine the limits of fair use and creative expression
The Zine That Documented Drag’s Campy Coming of Age
The queer publication shone a joyous light on an underground culture during the darkest days of the HIV/AIDS crisis
Secretary Lonnie Bunch on What It Takes to Lead the Smithsonian
A successful Secretary must acknowledge the Institution’s failures as well as successes—and celebrate its capacity for change
Take a Virtual Tour of Feminist Icon Gloria Steinem’s Historic Manhattan Apartment
In honor of her 87th birthday, the speaker and activist is (digitally) welcoming visitors into her home
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