The Brooklyn Bridge by Frank Sinatra The old joke, “If you believe that, I’ve got a bridge to sell ya” has been around nearly as long as the Brooklyn Bridge itself, when early 19th century con-men George C. Parker and William McCloundy allegedly, successfully perpetrated this scam on unwitting tourists. The jab is a reminder of the lasting ... Read More »
Paper Magazine writer Peter Davis recently noticed on his “street art safaris” around New York and L.A., a new artist had entered the scene with simple, beautiful, three color, drip paintings on walls and newspaper boxes. After some digging, Davis discovered these abstract works to be by actor, painter and filmmaker Greg Siff. Siff is creating the works to create ... Read More »
In 2005, Niall Byrne founded the music blog Nialler9 as a place for him to discuss the music he loves, from folk to hip-hop. Since then, his well-crafted site and passion for music has led Nialler9 to become Ireland’s most popular music blog and for Niall to writing gigs at newpapers and magazines as well as a position on ... Read More »
For the past seven years Wales has been host to the Green Man Festival but what exactly is a ‘Green Man?’ Well, a green man is a nature or wood diety who represents the cycle of growth each spring. Think Puck from a Midsummer’s Night Dream, Osiris, Odin or even Peter Pan and Father Christmas. In Wales and other locations ... Read More »
In the mid-1800s, the smallpox vaccine was readily available in New York but despite that, the city continued to suffer outbreaks of the often deadly disease. This continued plague on residents was due to the high amounts of immigrants arriving each day. To try and abate smallpox from spreading throughout the boroughs, a hospital was built on Blackwell’s Island in ... Read More »
The popular filming location Wilton House has won the UK’s top award for Restoration, given out each year by The Historic Houses Association and Sotheby’s. Wilton’s entry into the contest was for its beautifully restored dining room that used both traditional and modern methods of repairs, undertaken by many local craftsmen. Wilton House, situated near Salisbury in Wiltshire, stands on ... Read More »
A visit to Paris is not complete without a day trip to the town of Versailles. Only 10.6 miles outside of Paris, Versailles was once a bustling medieval village, a common stopping place for those on the road into the city. In 1671, the medieval town, with its narrow alleys and winding street pattern was demolished by King Louis XIV ... Read More »
There is a common misconception surrounding the history of Federal Hall in Lower Manhattan, that is the building in which George Washington was inaugurated. While it is true that the building in which George Washington was inaugurated in once stood in the same location as the current Federal Hall, the Greek-revival style building that now stands on Wall Street ... Read More »
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